Genesis at Brandeis University, the program I participated in last summer, is one of the most open-minded and accepting programs I’ve ever been a part of. On the other programs I’ve participated in, the number of Israelis was usually the same as the number of Americans or kids from a different country. At Genesis, it was different; the group of Israelis was pretty small compared to the number of other nationalities, and things were more challenging, like the language and the different social codes between us, which is very meaningful at our age.

My experience as an Israeli and the things I had to cope with were different and much more surprising than I thought. One of the things I expected was that the differences between me as an Israeli and the other participants from different countries would be drastic, and it would be hard to move into deeper conversations after our basic introductions. As I got to know the participants, who quickly became my close friends, I learned the opposite was true.

In one of my conversations with my friend Alberto, from Spain, about the military service that I’m going to do and the Israel Defense Forces in general, I found out that his knowledge about the Israeli army was huge, and he knew a lot more than I thought. Alberto told me things about the army that even I didn’t know! Finding out that someone like Alberto was interested in my country and knows what’s happening there opened up the opportunity to hear opinions from other Jews from around the world about Israel and Israelis.

One of the things I had to deal with at Genesis was the language, especially in the beginning. Initially it was hard for me to participate because I had trouble understanding all of the professional words, and I couldn’t always follow the discussions. It left me a bit behind. But with time, things got better and the language wasn’t English, Hebrew, Russian or Spanish anymore—it was a “Genesis language.” We had our own jokes, and things we shared from our courses, workshops and common experiences that became more important than language. Communicating became much easier, and the group of people that initially had nothing in common became a group of good friends. We got to know one another and, even more than that, got to know ourselves.

What was it, then, on the last day, when all my friends—all the people who had shared every single moment of that month with me—had to leave, that made me cry? And why couldn’t I stop? I was supposed to be happy! I met a lot of friends from all over the world, I had a lot of fun and I was finally going back home. But I realized it wasn’t just because all my friends were leaving; it was because my family was leaving.

In that month, all 62 of us built a great thing—something that everyone wants to be a part of. We built a community, and not just a community, but a warm, loving, hugging community. I learned so much at Genesis, and I changed a lot. I miss every single part of that month, and every time I think about it, a tear comes to my eye. But a moment later, I remember something; something I’ll never forget. Genesis never ends; Genesis is only the beginning.

Ben Akiva is 18 and lives in Haifa, Israel.