by Jonah Diamond
When I first walked through the doors of Yeshivat Or Chaim this year, I was nervous, excited, overwhelmed and happy all at once. It was a feeling only experienced by those who have changed something big in their lives. For the past ten years of my life, I attended Netivot HaTorah Day School. I was experiencing something totally new to me. I was experiencing Yeshivat Or Chaim.
The reason I was nervous was that I was entering a new school with new people. A lot of these people had faces I did not recognize. A lot of faces belonged to people I had not heard of ever before. A lot of people had names that had not been spoken to me previously. I did not know my way around the school. I did not know where things were located. That is why I was nervous.
I was excited to be part of a new school and eager to make more friends. The excitement was also caused by the feeling of joining a new group of friends. People I did not know suddenly became my friends. I was also excited to attend Or Chaim because high school is a very different experience than middle school.
People I did not know suddenly became my friends.
I was a little overwhelmed by being the youngest class in the school and by the change of atmosphere. Last year at Netivot, I had the privilege of being a part of the graduating class. That meant my grade was the oldest in the school. It is overwhelming to switch from being the oldest grade to being the youngest. It is also overwhelming to be part of something new in which you do not understand what is happening for a little while.
I was happy when I realized that this year, I would be with a grade of my friends, acquaintances and people that I have met in the past. I was also happy that I was with teachers that my siblings have had. My siblings have mentioned these teachers and I was happy to be in their classes. I was happy to meet new students, classmates, teachers and administrators.
Even though some of the feelings I experienced were positive and some were negative, so far everything has been positive. I look forward to having a great four years at Or Chaim.
