Sarah at her volunteer location in Holon, where she works as an assistant coach for a fourth-grade boys’ soccer team.

I arrived at the Fenster home around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The day had already been a hectic one, after a midnight s’lichot (“apology” service) in Jerusalem had kept me up all of Monday night and sleeping all of Tuesday morning. Packing frantically in the early afternoon, already late for the mandatory gym time scheduled for the athletic track, I almost started crying. What in the world does one bring to a four-day holiday with an Orthodox Jewish family? Would they let me wear pants, shorts or tank tops? Was the ruggelach I bought for them as a hostess gift kosher? Was ruggelach ever not kosher?

When I got to the house, I first met the mother and father, Miriam and Mayer, and got to observe their four youngest children sleeping. Later that night, their oldest, 15-year-old Tamar, returned from her yoga class, and we immediately settled into a conversation about our respective schools and educations. She attends the public Orthodox high school, and I learned about the pressure the school puts on students to enter the science track even if they aren’t interested in it, the lack of competitive and interesting physical education, the boring grammar classes and the good and bad teachers. However, my previously mentioned incredibly long Tuesday forced me into bed early.

I woke up Wednesday morning to crying babies; the twins, Yosef and Merav, were awake. I stumbled downstairs to meet the rest of the family: 13-year-old Smadar, 7-year-old Alon, 4-year-old Reveva and, of course, the 1-year-old twins. I then had the pleasure of going on a walk with Smadar and the twins to a nearby park, where we played and I continued to learn about the lives of these young Orthodox Jews.

My afternoon was equally interesting, with a religious discussion of the Kol Nidrei, the prayer traditionally read on the erev (evening) of Yom Kippur. The family then prepared for the fast with a large and delicious feast at 3 p.m. before setting off for shul at 4:45 p.m. for evening services. Services were, of course, an experience, as I struggled to follow the Hebrew. I felt intrigued by the rocking and chest-thumping Jews around me and generally admired the prayers, the cantor and those who had the prayer book memorized.

Thursday was a rather uninteresting day, with me trying to expend little to no energy, feeling very hungry, attending more services and finally breaking the fast at 6:30 that evening. I was impressed that even Smadar, at 13, had successfully fasted, seeing as how I didn’t have the willpower to really fast until last year.

Thursday night we watched Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, and I learned that being Israeli doesn’t spare Natalie Portman from the ridicule of her compatriots.

Now the holiday’s over, and I’m back at home reflecting on my Day of Atonement and getting ready for Sukkot. I enjoyed the time I spent with the Fensters navigating a kosher kitchen with two sinks and benefiting from their vast knowledge of Jewish law and tradition. I’m glad I had the opportunity to experiment with life in a religious household. Oh, and my ruggelach was, indeed, kosher!

Check out what fellow Year Coursers Gaby and Alex are up to.

Sarah Pfander is from Urbana, Ill., in the suburbs of Chicago. She loves all things Jane Austen, is an avid soccer player and intends to play for Oberlin College, which she’ll be attending next year. She’s also a waterskiing and snow skiing enthusiast and hopes to someday compete in an Ironman triathlon.