Sari

My name is Sari, and I'm 16 years old. I made aliya when I was 4.5 from Cleveland, OH to Alon Shevut and I love living here. I have an older brother who is a senior in high school, a younger brother who just had his Bar Mitzvah, and a younger sister who is in 3rd grade. In 8th grade I chose Neve Chana as my high school that I'll be going to, and I'm very happy with that choice. I think Neve Chana is great school with amazing girls and teachers. All my relatives live in America, except for one uncle who lives here. My mom has most of her first cousins in Israel, so their children (my second cousins-about 70) are close to me. In my family there is no difference in a first cousin or a second, and I love it that way. My favorite place is a cute little water park in Palm Springs, California called "Knox Soak City". Whenever I go to California to go visit my grandparents, we always take a day and go there. It also happens to be 115 degrees there every day so a water park is just the right thing to do. My favorite ride is the "Toilet Bowl" ride (at least that’s what my family calls it). It is a massive water chute. You are seated in a small blow up tube with another 1-3 people and slowly slide down a water slide. After about 15 seconds you are shot out to a big bowl in which you slide from side to side. After that, you slide out to a small pool. It is awesome. I did it 10 times in one day. I don’t like reading, but from the books I have read, my favorite book is "To Kill a Mocking Bird". Even though it is talking about issues (like racism) that I can't really relate to, I have learned so much about it and what was going on at that time in history. I think it is a book that everyone can learn something from it, from issues like racism to parenting. It is a very moving book and I recommend it to everyone. It is an amazing book. Dancing is one of my favorite things to do. I dance hip hop in a small chug in Alon Shevut. This is my 3rd year dancing, and I hope to continue for many more. In addition to dancing, I play basketball. I've played on different teams for 3 years, and since last year I just play for fun. Along with the rest of the world, I'm also on Facebook and enjoy keeping in touch with friends through it. Facebook is only one of the things I like doing on the computer, but I'm not so proud of the TV shows that I watch to list them… I love sleeping in late, and all I could think about in the morning when I get up at 7:00 is why can't school start at 13:00… Shopping is also one of my hobbies. Even though there is no "Target" or "Old Navy" in Israel, I still survive. Isn't that what family in the US is for? J   I love to eat and my favorite food is- anything good. I love salad and really just about anything. I love my friends and have so much fun hanging out with them. I'm in Bnei Akiva and I enjoy hanging out with my Shevet, especially on Friday nights when everyone hangs out at the park. I'm so lucky to have my best friends also be my neighbors, except of one who moved back to the US at the end of last year. My favorite holidays are Chanukka- my birthday is the last day of Chanukka, and it is so much fun getting presents, and Purim- I love dressing up and having a huge Seuda. I love the winter, and I wish it would be cold and rainy all year round. About 3 years ago when it snowed here, my friends and I found a sledding hill. We were at that hill for hours, and had the best time ever. Every time we pass it all we can do is pray that it will snow again soon. The best part about winter is cuddling up in a big poufy blanket and drinking a cup of tea. I truly believe in justice, and I can’t stand it when people cheat or lie. I think it is so important for us to be true to our selves. I can't wait for world peace. The world would be such an amazing place to live. I wish I could just rule the world and make everything back to normal. One of my favorite quotes is "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new" - Albert Einstein. I love trying new things and creating, even if the creation isn't successful in the end.