It's really more like a "reverse" deja vu. It was my first time traveling overseas and experiencing a very different culture. Tel Aviv was also my first time living in a "major world metropolis". Many of the sites, sounds, smells, and people made a very strong impression (the mangos were just amazing). Tel Aviv's vaguely similar to a more edgy Miami with less mansions and more falafel.
Israel overall has a fascinating mix of different cultures from east and west (with no small amount of tension at times). Many of my assumptions about the world were shattered and your sense of history changes (for an American at least). I had an Austrian roommate and a Palestinian neighbor in the dorms. If you visit, definitely try to get off the beaten path, visit a Kibbutz, goto a Shabbat dinner, etc. Try and visit Jordan too!
Israeli's are generally a passionate lively people, but also serious and pragmatic. They can be... prickly too. It makes sense how Israel has so many startups and technology per capita -- lots of smart motivated people paired with discipline gained from IDF service.
Israel overall has a fascinating mix of different cultures from east and west (with no small amount of tension at times). Many of my assumptions about the world were shattered and your sense of history changes (for an American at least). I had an Austrian roommate and a Palestinian neighbor in the dorms. If you visit, definitely try to get off the beaten path, visit a Kibbutz, goto a Shabbat dinner, etc. Try and visit Jordan too!
Israeli's are generally a passionate lively people, but also serious and pragmatic. They can be... prickly too. It makes sense how Israel has so many startups and technology per capita -- lots of smart motivated people paired with discipline gained from IDF service.