Learning Life's Lessons in Israel
Abroad in Israel, Again
by Jennifer Smith
Jennifer Smith at an entrance to Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The idea of studying abroad first entered my mind during my freshman year. With the help of the Office of Study Abroad, I decided to spend the summer at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. Even before I returned, I decided I would study abroad again, but for a longer period of time, allowing for a greater exploration of Israeli culture. Two years later, I said good-bye to family and friends and boarded my flight to Israel. This time however, I would be living in both Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The excitement of heading off was mixed with apprehension. My apprehension was based on my plan to spend a semester at each of two universities and the idea of observing and participating in life on both sides of the conflict. I spent the fall semester at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and during the spring semester, I lived in Ramallah and studied at Birzeit University, a Palestinian University located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. My decision to study at both of these institutions was based on my belief that I would better understand Israeli and Palestinian cultures and the conflict if I were to live within both. I felt that I would gain a greater understanding by observing first-hand rather than to forever gaze at them through the eyes of the media and the pages of books. I wanted to formulate my own opinions rather than assuming the ideas of others.
I spent the year living in two cultures - different from one another - and from American culture. Some things were easy to adjust to: different foods, being dependent on public transportation, and vegetable shopping at the Mehane-Yehuda Market. On the other hand, some things were more difficult: attending classes on Christmas Day, dealing with Bezeq Phone Company, and the attention foreigners sometimes attract in Palestinian society.
Towards the end of January and near the end of my time at Hebrew University, it snowed for the first time in five years in Jerusalem. The snow cleared the usual tense feel from the air in Jerusalem. Classes were canceled, and my roommate and I hiked around the city for the day. The snow had settled onto the Dome of the Rock and the walls of
the Old City.
During the cold and storms of February in Birzeit and Ramallah, friends and I would escape for an afternoon to Jericho. In the Jordan valley, it would be warm, sunny, and dry. We would climb up to the top of Mt. Temptation and picnic. The mount overlooks the area of Jericho, the Jordan river valley,
and across to the mountains of Jordan.
My classes at both universities were taught in English, but my world was in three - English, Hebrew and Arabic. I studied language at both institutions and took courses towards my Sociology and International Studies majors. I explored issues in Israeli society, Islam, women in Arab society, and Middle Eastern politics. At Hebrew University, I shared a dormitory room with an American student from New York. We explored Israel and Turkey together, and she explained Judaism and synagogue services to me. In Ramallah, I shared an apartment with two Palestinian women. We had many interesting and sometimes heated debates on the role of religion in Palestinian society, the development of the Palestinian Authority, and what the future might hold. I also learned to cook a lot of wonderful food.
And what did I learn? Well, a lot about myself. Adaptability. Independence. Decision making skills. To go with the flow and to not stress when things don't go according to plan (because they never do). I learned that washing laundry in a bucket rather than at the Laundromat saves money better spent on other things - traveling in Turkey for instance. I discovered that a year was a long time to spend away from family, friends, and my favorite coffee shop. Culture shock was even more difficult to deal with than I had ever thought. Most importantly, I met many individuals on both sides who are seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict and normal lives. I cannot wait to return.
Options in the Middle East
- Birzeit University
- Hebrew University
- Tel-Aviv University
- American University at Cairo
- Ben Gurion University
These are only a few of the options for study abroad in the Middle East through the KU Office of Study Abroad. There are no language requirements and students are able to study a variety of disciplines.
Fall 1998
www.ukans.edu/~osa
Jayhawks Abroad
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