Nick Meisl is from Rome, Italy. He was a student at the PBI (Pontifical Biblical Institute) Program at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This talk was given at the end of the program.

End of semester talk

"You are so lucky!"  This was always the response from my family and friends whenever I spoke with them about my time in Jerusalem. When they said this, initially I would want to answer with some explanation of how I have also had to study hard during this semester, but, in the end, I have to agree with them. We are all very fortunate to have spent this period living in Jerusalem and studying at the Hebrew University. We have just had an experience that many would dream of having but for various reasons will never get the chance. In preparing this talk, I asked my fellow classmates to share with me their highlights from this past semester. I would like to share some of these favorite experiences with you now. In Dr. Wazana’s class on Joshua, we spoke a lot about the triad of People-Land-God. I would like to relate the highlights of my classmates according to these three categories but with God replaced by teachers. Try not to read too much into it!

People

During our stay in Jerusalem we have had the opportunity to make connections with many interesting people from diverse backgrounds: Jews, Muslims and Christians.  For those of us who participated in the summer Ulpan, being in class with students directly out of High School helped remind us that we are not so young anymore!  As we spent time with our classmates, we began to learn something about their cultures, experiences and stories.  One strong experience for me happened at the closing party for our Ulpan program to which students were invited to bring a dish of food that represented their background.  One young woman in my class proudly brought in some fresh flat bread that her mother had baked for us over a charcoal fire early that morning.  She even showed us pictures of how it was made.  I was touched by the effort her and her family made to help us experience something of their culture.  We also had fun and humorous times with our classmates.  Someone reminded me of the time in one of our classes in which the Professor spent well over 40 minutes explaining a paper and its main points to us.  At the end, a student asked whether the professor agreed with the ideas in the paper. To this the professor responded, “I hope I agree with them! I wrote the paper!”  Many have remarked that we currently live in a world in which people are becoming more and more divided.  Because of this trend, I think that our program, in which we have been able to make many new connections with people from diverse backgrounds, is so very valuable and worthwhile.

Land

Many of us have mentioned how wonderful it has been these past months to visit places we have wanted to visit for years: the old city of Jerusalem, Galilee, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and so many others.  Jerusalem itself is an incredibly interesting city.  When I walked around the city, I often feel a kind of sensory overload that results from the blending of sights and sounds in a city that is sacred to different groups.  In one day, it is possible to hear the call to pray, a siren signalling the beginning of Shabbat and church bells intoning a Marian hymn.  While walking just a short distance through the old city it is not uncommon to see ultra-Orthodox Jews, Coptic monks and Muslims on their way to Al Aqsa.  We were also impressed by the nature and landscape of the land in all its diversity.  The stark beauty around the Dead Sea.  The long beaches around Tel Aviv.  The green, peaceful area surrounding the Sea of Galilee.  The dramatic hills and mountains in the Golan. 

Teachers

While studying at the Hebrew University we have had the opportunity to be instructed by some truly talented teacher.  All had a great passion for their subject, impressive grasp of the material and the ability to transmit their knowledge to us.  Perhaps most impressive was the dedication our teacher showed to us their students.  One example that a classmate shared with me illustrates this well.  In class he was asked to read some of the works of Dr. Alexander Rofe.  Later in class he shared with his teacher how great it would be to meet Dr. Rofe in person.  Well, sure enough, his teacher not only invited Dr. Rofe come to the class, but he accepted the invitation!  During this semester, our teachers helped us not only to grow in knowledge but also to deepen our desire to study the Hebrew Bible.  For this we are very grateful.  On behalf of our group, I would like to thank all our teachers who instructed us this past semester.  In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to the rest of the staff at Hebrew University who helped organize this semester and guide us.  Without you we would all probably be still stuck at the airport!

On our first day of class with Prof. Fassberg, he gave each of us Hebrew names. In addition to being a fun activity, I think this is quite symbolic.  Names, as we know, are not just words, but rather express a real connection to the person who has the name.  As we leave Jerusalem, we bring with us our Hebrew names.  We are now connected to Jerusalem in a particular way.  The city and its people will from now on hold a special place in our hearts.  I think I speak for all of us when I say we hope to come back soon!  Thank you!

Blogger: Nessa Geffen

Nessa Geffen is from New York, USA. She studied at Hunter College in New York and was a student in the Spring Semester Study Abroad 2009 Undergraduate Program at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Micah Bookman is from Miami, FL. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and was a student in the Spring Semester Study Abroad 2009 Undergraduate Program at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Story: Was it love at first sight? 

Not exactly.

There is no doubt though that from the first time we met in Jerusalem, in the winter of 2009, there was a connection. It all started on the steps of the Beit Shmuel youth hostel when Nessa reluctantly let Micah help her with her bags. The next morning, as Nessa was getting ready to leave for the first day of study abroad orientation at the Rothberg International School at Hebrew U, with her friend Patti, they spotted Micah sitting alone eating his breakfast. When they asked if he wanted to share a ride to campus, he took a long look at his food and mumbled, "But I'm not done eating."

As our relationship developed during our time at Hebrew U, Nessa knew that there was something special going on. Micah, typically, was oblivious. Luckily we were a part of a great group of friends that stayed close, and were able to see each other several times the next year. When Micah went back to Israel to serve in the army, Nessa made a point to see him whenever she was there. Whether hanging out on the beach in Tel Aviv or in a Jerusalem coffee shop, we were always happy to be together and reminisce over old times.

We never could have imagined what was yet to come though. In April 2012, Micah was in New York for the funeral of his grandmother Lillian Bookman and reached out to Nessa. That short time together sparked a deeper connection that had us both wanting more. (Maybe it was the pastrami sandwich for breakfast that Nessa treated Micah to). After months of talking daily, Nessa visited Israel in October 2012 and there was no more denying it, we were in love. (Maybe it was the army uniform Micah was wearing when he picked Nessa up from the airport).

After 9 months of a long distance relationship, two years of living together in Jerusalem, and 9 months of living together in New York, Micah finally proposed! :) 

Blogger: Aaron Abel

Aaron Abel is a student from Florida, USA. Aaron is doing a Gap-Year Program at Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Accidental Discovery

Some of the best experiences I have had while studying abroad at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem were the ones that I did not expect.  One time, I hopped on the 68 bus from the central bus station to get to school, but it was going the other way and I ended up at the other end of the city headed to the other Hebrew University of Jerusalem Campus.  It was certainly a memorable experience riding through places in the city I never knew existed while I made my way back to the right campus. 

Since things with the bus didn’t work out so well, I decided to try walking. After going to the Israel Museum with some friends on Saturday, we decided to walk to dinner instead of taking a taxi.  There is still much debate among us over whether we got lost or “took the long route” to get the restaurant, but we discovered a whole new part of Jerusalem on the way.  We found a huge park, and I finally realized where everyone in Jerusalem went on Shabbat.  

There was a mix of secular Jews, Orthodox Jews, and even some Arab-Israelis sitting on the grass, playing sports, and eating food.  In these two instances, I really did not expect to gain any meaningful experience in the beginning, but I came away with a better idea of the transport system and geography of Jerusalem.

Blogger: Aaron Abel

Aaron Abel is a student from Florida, USA. Aaron is doing a Gap-Year Program at Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Mission: Almost Impossible – Mea Shearim

One of the most valuable experiences I had in Jerusalem was actually an assignment from my Issues in Israeli Society teacher.  The assignment was to go into Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, and buy a religious newspaper (extra points for bringing back a rare or extremely-religious paper).  When I came to Israel, I fully expected that Mea Shearim was one of the places I would never enter.  Why would I need to go there? Not only am I a secular Jew from the United States, but I would have stuck out like a sore thumb walking into there.  Nevertheless, Professor Kaplan gave me a reason to go.  Having never walked into an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood before and knowing only a little more than one semester of Hebrew language, I recruited my roommate from New York to go with me to get the newspaper. 

            

We took the bus over to the edge of the neighborhood, put on a Kippah, and began our search for the newspapers.  We walked by some really delicious-looking restaurants (and some not-so-delicious-looking restaurants), bakeries, grocery stores, Judaica stores, bookstores, and even mini-art galleries.  

However, there were no newsstands to be found.  My friend bought a coke, and we bought a garbage can for our apartment because there were so many stores with cheap items in Mea Shearim.  Along the way, we asked every store-owner where we could find a religious newspaper.  Each one had the same answer, “Just keep walking down a little further that way and go left.”  I really thought at some point that they were all just collaborating to send these naïve Americans on a scavenger hunt.  Finally, after walking just a little further and turning left into another store, we found three newspapers behind the counter.  Success!  We owe a great debt of gratitude to the grocery store cashier, bookstore man, and several random neighbors in the community for helping us make that final turn into the right store.

  

            

On the way back to school with two newspapers, a trash can, and bellies full from a home cooked meal at a Kosher meat restaurant, we were convinced that we were probably the only two people from our class who found newspapers in Mea Sharim.  After all, we had spent a good two hours walking around trying to find them.  We were going to be heroes, walking in with our four-days-late newspapers that seemed absolutely impossible to find.  When Professor Kaplan asked to see the papers, though, we were a little surprised when everyone held up the same two types of newspapers that my friend and I had bought.  Turns out, everyone else managed to find a newspaper in Mea Shearim despite the apparent lack of availability. 

            
The point of the assignment was to learn about the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel so that we could discuss issues in their society and between their population and others in Israel.  While I learned about the ultra-Orthodox in class following our excursion into their neighborhood, the newspaper hunt was more about exploring a part of Israel that I never thought I would enter.  It was uncomfortable at first not knowing what we were getting into, but as we walked around, it became easier to just take it in.  It was one of the first times since the beginning of my program that I really felt like I got out of my comfort zone, and it became one of my most memorable experiences. 


As I write this, I am snuggled up in my bed at the student village, sipping on hot tea with cough drops and a thermometer by my bedside. Unlike my previous, maybe slightly naïve misconception that it is simply impossible to get sick during your semester abroad, I am currently learning that unfortunately, that is not true. However, what are the two things that you want when you get sick? The first is obvious: chicken soup. Thankfully, the chicken soup supply is plentiful here, so no problem with that. The second is also pretty obvious: Home. This might seem problematic at first, as how can any other place truly compare to the one you grew up in? After 2 ½ months of studying abroad in Jerusalem, Israel at the Rothberg International School through Hebrew University, I am here to tell you with confidence, even in my germ-y state, that you can 100% fulfill the second criteria, because being a student at the Rothberg International School makes you feel at home. 

Blogger: Patrick Golden

Patrick Golan is a student from the University of Texas. This year he is doing a semester abroad at the Rothberg International School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

My Experience at RIS

 

Studying abroad in Jerusalem, Israel has provided me with the unique opportunity to take classes in a city where three major world religions hold sacred ties. In a place like Jerusalem, religion is politics and politics is religion. Learning how to integrate myself into a society that is so heavily influence by religion has been very difficult, yet very rewarding. Living here has enabled me to learn how to really take note of where people are coming from when it comes to tackling on divisive religious issues and understanding why one might view something in a particular way. As a non-Jewish American, I came to Israel in quite a neutral political state of mind. This allowed me to be open to meeting people from all sides of the aisle in regards to the current political situation in Israel and Palestine so that I could develop my own opinion on the matter. Being a narratively driven conflict, I found it to be very pertinent that I met all sorts of people here including Jewish Settlers, Palestinians living in refugee camps, Israeli journalists, and Israeli Political leaders from many different parties. It was very special learning material in class about this country’s historical and political situation, which I could walk outside and see in live action.

This semester I also worked for a nonprofit organization called Jerusalem Peacebuilders that aims to directly connects Israeli and Palestinian youth and adults in their home communities through youth and parent workshops, dialogues in public and private settings, field trips and summer camp, and community meals. I served as their social media and programs intern, while also serving as a teaching assistant for a leadership and peacekeeping course that was taught at a local Arab Muslim school in East Jerusalem.

I have enjoyed studying at the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University where I am taking an extensive amount of courses relating to Radical Islamic Movements, Jewish Philosophy, Israeli History, Hebrew Language Acquisition, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. I have been able to meet students from around the world that have challenged me to remain up to date on political and global affairs. Rothberg also provided us with amazing Israeli student mentors (madrichim) that  organized cultural activities and school trips for us to experience life in Israel on a more authentic and personal level. I was able to see the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi, and Mitzpe Ramon through these trips, and I was also able to learn a lot about what it is like to grow up and live in this country.

Studying here was such a great decision on my part, and I would totally recommend Israel to any of my friends back in the States as a place to meet amazing people and to truly grow as a person.

Blogger: Junying Zhu (Mia)

Junying Zhu (Mia) is Pursuing International MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at the Rothberg International School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 
 

Why study in Israel? And why study at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem? 

I was attracted to Israel mainly because of its world-renowned title as a “start-up nation”. I’ve been in Israel for three months. These are the most amazing months for me this year: I dived in the most beautiful sea in Eilat, hiked in the most incredible Negev desert and met very friendly Israelis. Jerusalem, in particular, is a magical place where various religions co-exist, and also traditional mindsets and innovative spirits co-exist, which you cannot always experience in other places. As China-Israel relations have been developing rapidly in recent years, the more frequent educational exchanges enabled me to see the opportunity to pursue my studies in Israel. 

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is my first choice because it’s the top university in Israel, and especially because my seniors from Sun Yat-sen University, where I am doing my master’s degree in China, highly recommended the MBA program here after they studied in this program two years ago. One special thing about the MBA program is that I can do an internship in an Israeli company, where I can experience in person the entrepreneurship and innovation that are embedded in Israeli business environment.

In the past months, I’ve met very experienced, knowledgeable and passionate professors. Also, studying in the Rothberg International School allowed me to make friends with students from countries worldwide. I think my studies here will help me understand Israel, and even the world better, and definitely will help me get closer to my career goal.

Blogger: Robyn Croft

Robyn Croft  is a student at the University of Texas. Robyn is a science major and she participated in the Undergraduate Study Aboard Program during the spring of 2014-15 at Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

5 Ways that the Rothberg International School Makes You Feel At Home

As I write this, I am snuggled up in my bed at the student village, sipping on hot tea with cough drops and a thermometer by my bedside. Unlike my previous, maybe slightly naïve misconception that it is simply impossible to get sick during your semester abroad, I am currently learning that unfortunately, that is not true. However, what are the two things that you want when you get sick? The first is obvious: chicken soup. Thankfully, the chicken soup supply is plentiful here, so no problem with that. The second is also pretty obvious: Home. This might seem problematic at first, as how can any other place truly compare to the one you grew up in? After 2 ½ months of studying abroad in Jerusalem, Israel at the Rothberg International School through Hebrew University, I am here to tell you with confidence, even in my germ-y state, that you can 100% fulfill the second criteria, because being a student at the Rothberg International School makes you feel at home.

 

Here are the top 5 ways:

1. Incredible Madrichim (Counselors): From the day you arrive, Rothberg gives you what everyone secretly wants in life: cool, spunky, caring role-models who give you advice, but are still nice enough to hang out with you and be your friend.

2. Caring teachers: I cannot emphasize enough how amazing the teachers and professors at Rothberg are. Not only are they world-renown and brilliant in their individual fields, but they truly care about your well-being outside of the classroom. At the beginning of my time here, I mentioned to my Ulpan teacher that I was looking for a volunteer opportunity with children. She knew of a gan (preschool) on campus, and insisted on walking me over there after class was out to help get me in touch with the director; volunteering there on a weekly basis has become one of my favorite experiences abroad. Teachers at Rothberg WANT you to do well and succeed both in your academics AND in your personal life, and with their charismatic, smart, nurturing personalities, they make that possible. 

3. Tight-knit community: one of my favorite places to hang out at Rothberg is the café on the second floor, and for reasons that go beyond the oh-so-good nescafe. During our break times during long classes or between classes, many students hang out in the café. Each time that I walk in, look around at my fellow students sitting at all different tables, and realize that I would feel comfortable sitting at any of them, I am reminded of just how close and tight-knit the Rothberg student community is. The students here are friendly and eager to learn about each other’s backgrounds. Furthermore, very few people simply wake up one morning and decide that they want to study abroad in Israel. Rather, each student has a unique story, and we are constantly seeking to learn each other’s stories and continue building our own.

4. The Student Village: Living with other students in the Student Village (only a 15 min walk to campus) has been one of the best parts of being abroad. Quite literally, the student village has become my home here. However, the walls of my apartment contain much more than a comfortable bed and a kitchen; with 4 other roommates from all different backgrounds, the fun-loving, open atmosphere created by the students who live here makes the Student Village a wonderful place to come home to every day. From hosting home-cooked, weekly Shabbats to having conversations with our neighbors across the hall (because of course our doors are always open), the experience of living with other students who are growing in the same personal, academic, and cultural ways that you are is an invaluable one.

5. Your Second Family: What all of this leads to is the formation of what can only be called your “second family” here at Rothberg. From your teachers to your madrichim and of course, your friends, being a student at Rothberg means being part of a special community in which you feel supported and appreciated for who you are. It means having people with whom you can explore the world, challenge yourself, and contemplate life’s most perplexing questions; people who help you thrive, blossom, and change. It means telling your roommates that you’re sick, and having one give you a big hug while the other gets you a popsicle. If this isn’t family, then I don’t know what is.

So, there you have it. Criteria 1 and 2 fulfilled. Guess I’m on the road to recovery!