Spring Break
The journey inward
by Matthew Kriegsman
Features | 2/5/08
Posted online at 10:54 PM EST on 2/4/08
/ Last updated at 4:38 AM EST on 2/4/08
While living in Israel last year, Andrew Gluck '11 experienced exactly this sort of self transformation. Gluck said living in Israel for a year after graduating from Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus, N.J. allowed him to thoroughly explore his personal aspirations and ideals. "Like myself, I think a lot of people are eager to get right into the college scene," Gluck said. "But the truth is, I didn't know what I wanted."
Gluck studied in Reisheit, a yeshiva located in the city of Be'er Sheva, about a 45-minute drive west of Jerusalem. Students in Reisheit are surrounded by the beautiful mountains of central Israel while they study Torah, Jewish philosophy and Jewish history.
Yeshivas like Reisheit understand that students will eventually re-enter the secular world, having to balance what they have grasped from their year in Israel with their potentially new religious outlook on life. This recognition of life outside religion almost seems to be the point of studying in Israeli yeshivas-to help students identify who they are in the context of college life and the secular adult world.
"Had I come to Brandeis without knowing what I wanted, I would have ended up doing what the crowd did but not really figuring out for myself as to what my goals are and what my values are," Gluck said.
Similarly, for Shira Kelin '11, a year in Israel allowed her to experience personal freedom and to redefine and re-evaluate her own character. Kelin studied at the Nishmat seminary, located just outside the old city of Jerusalem.
"I needed to figure myself out in a different environment," Kelin said. "And the way to achieve this was to be independent for the first time in a different culture and different surrounding-not just a vacation for 10 days, but to learn about myself."
Like Gluck, Kelin was given the opportunity to study different aspects of the Jewish culture and religion. However, Nishmat in particular takes a more egalitarian approach to Jewish studies and offers the studies of halacha (Jewish tradition) and Gemara (oral Jewish law) to all of its female students.
Gluck studied in Reisheit, a yeshiva located in the city of Be'er Sheva, about a 45-minute drive west of Jerusalem. Students in Reisheit are surrounded by the beautiful mountains of central Israel while they study Torah, Jewish philosophy and Jewish history.
Yeshivas like Reisheit understand that students will eventually re-enter the secular world, having to balance what they have grasped from their year in Israel with their potentially new religious outlook on life. This recognition of life outside religion almost seems to be the point of studying in Israeli yeshivas-to help students identify who they are in the context of college life and the secular adult world.
"Had I come to Brandeis without knowing what I wanted, I would have ended up doing what the crowd did but not really figuring out for myself as to what my goals are and what my values are," Gluck said.
Similarly, for Shira Kelin '11, a year in Israel allowed her to experience personal freedom and to redefine and re-evaluate her own character. Kelin studied at the Nishmat seminary, located just outside the old city of Jerusalem.
"I needed to figure myself out in a different environment," Kelin said. "And the way to achieve this was to be independent for the first time in a different culture and different surrounding-not just a vacation for 10 days, but to learn about myself."
Like Gluck, Kelin was given the opportunity to study different aspects of the Jewish culture and religion. However, Nishmat in particular takes a more egalitarian approach to Jewish studies and offers the studies of halacha (Jewish tradition) and Gemara (oral Jewish law) to all of its female students.
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Vegetarian
posted 2/06/08 @ 2:47 AM EST
There is more to life than just academics. It is good to take a year off from academics to learn more about yourself and learn other ways at looking at life. (Continued…)
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