From Home Plate to the Holy Land: One Student’s Journey of Jewish Discovery

For Wesley Seidner, a student from Fairfax attending Oakton High School, his connection to his Jewish heritage came from a unique source – baseball. While many teens connect to America’s pastime through family or community, for Seidner, it was the stories of Jewish baseball legends that inspired him.

“I was learning history and seeing just how many Jews were in baseball and what they had done, and that fascinated me,” he said.

This past spring, however, Seidner found an additional source to inspire his cultural connection – a semester in Israel. Seidner spent four months studying at Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss), Jewish National Fund-USA’s college-prep, study abroad in Israel experience.

“I thought it was incredible,” he said. “Probably the best four months of my life.”

Speaking of Muss’ unique experiential Israel curriculum, which uses the land of Israel as a living classroom, bringing Jewish history to life, Seidner said, “It was really cool being able to travel the country while learning. I thought that was a really cool part of the course that I don’t get here in the States. I also made a lot of friends.”

Seidner and his classmates traveled all across Israel, visiting must-see historical sites and tourist attractions like Masada, the Kotel, and the Dead Sea. However, one place stood out to him.

“I quite liked going to the Golan Heights,” he said. “That was my first time up there, and it was amazing seeing it in person.”

Life on the Muss campus in Hod Hasharon was another highlight. “The campus life was really nice. It’s great that you’re living with friends,” Seidner noted. Beyond the security of living with his peers, the experience also helped him prepare for college. “They did a pretty good job giving us some independence and preparing us to be on our own.”

But perhaps the most profound impact Muss had on Seidner was spiritual. Being surrounded by Judaism made him feel a deeper connection with his heritage than ever before.

“Being there definitely brought me closer, to my Jewish faith,” he said. “That’s where my ancestors are from. There was something special about how normal it was to be Jewish. On holidays, everyone celebrated. People said ‘chag sameach’ to you in the streets, which doesn’t happen often near me.”

Still, Seidner hasn’t forgotten about his first passion. Despite still being in high school, he recently published his first book, “K is for Kosher” (available here), which catalogs over 20,000 Jewish athletes who have played baseball professionally, blending a historically overlooked group of people with his own personal journey of self-discovery and Jewish identity. He even conducted interviews with many Jewish players, with snippets featured in the book.

“There’s more to Jewish baseball than Sandy Koufax,” he said. “There’s a whole world out there.”

He also has some short and sweet advice for anyone considering Muss. “Don’t be nervous. You’re going to have a great time.”

To learn more about Alexander Muss High School in Israel, visit amhsi.org.