After another busy day in Israel’s not-so-forgiving weather, we were welcomed into our host family’s homes for an unforgettable weekend. Greeted by my incredible new family, I instantly felt a sense of warmth and comfort. I expected an amazing weekend and it just so happened it exceeded my expectations! Ron, the teenager who stayed with me in Cleveland and hosted me and Rachel Podl, was welcoming and incredibly loving as soon as we walked through the door. I remember walking in, setting my luggage down in the room and feeling a complete sense of relief. It was our first time since arriving in Israel that we didn’t have 50 pounds of luggage in our possession at all times. Staying with a non-conservative family was nothing different from my own Shabbats back home, but there was still such a feeling of holiness to the night. We started the night by getting ready to go to Ron’s grandmother’s kibbutz, where we would have a Shabbat dinner at the communal dining hall. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from a Shabbat dinner in a dining hall but upon arriving at the hall I felt the strong community and family. Ron’s grandma was able to take us to the kitchen to watch the meal preparations and the cooking process. The workers were completely comfortable with us watching over them and even joked with us, “you should have told us you were coming, I could have done my hair”. The dinner began with singing familiar Israeli Shabbat songs and saying the blessings over the wine and challah. We sat at a long table with Ron’s immediate family as well as both her grandmothers, grandfather, and her aunt and cousins. Dinner was organized in a way that every table got a giant plate of the main course meal and chicken soup to start. While enjoying my food, I was able to get to know each of Ron’s family members individually and told them about myself. After dinner, we stood in line to put our dirty dishes in a conveyer belt, made to make the dishwashing process easier. I had never seen something like that but it really made me think about the sense of community any kibbutz might have and greatly appreciate. Shortly after dinner we took a walk around the kibbutz and enjoyed the views of the mountains in the distance. We walked back to the grandparents’ house to have an overwhelming amount of dessert and of course great conversations. But the night did not end there… After saying goodbye and thanking the family, we went to another host family’s house with a group of secular teens from around the area. We played ping pong, jumped on their trampoline, listened to great music, and enjoyed each other’s company until 2 am. Overall, the day didn’t seem as long and unbearable as in might sound because I spent it with great people in a great place and made friends and memories that I will surely never forget.