American Friends of the Hebrew University

MEET A ROTHBERG STUDENT	1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l 8 l 9

LETTER FROM A ROTHBERG STUDENT
I booked my flight home, registered for classes in DC, and began looking for a job for the spring semester. After an unforgettable semester at Hebrew University, it was time to think about going back to the United States. I was devastated by the notion of leaving my friends in Israel, most of whom had already decided to study abroad for the year. Although, I had originally decided to be in Israel for only one semester, my parents couldn’t wait to see me, and I had opportunities waiting for me back at home, I decided that it was not yet time for my Israel experience to end.

My name is Jennifer Varadi and I am currently a ONE YEAR student at the Rothberg International School at Hebrew University. I am a junior from American University in Washington D.C., studying both Journalism and Business Administration. I am originally from Houston, Texas, where I attended Jewish elementary and middle schools and was very involved in the Jewish community through the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization.

Why did I decide to study at Hebrew University in the first place? I grew up with a strong Jewish identity. My parents always worked to teach me the importance of Israel, and my grandparents who survived the Holocaust taught me to be proud of my Jewish roots. After my synagogue’s Hillel pilgrimage to Israel was cancelled in 2002, I decided that I had to make it my goal to visit Israel on my own. After graduating high school and attending one year of college in Washington D.C., I signed up for a summer birthright trip to Israel and had the time of my life. The trip persuaded me consider studying abroad in Israel for the fall semester of my junior year. When I broke the news to some of my friends, they laughed and asked me if I was going to become a Rabbi. As a moderately conservative Jewish teenager who attended a public high school, it seemed odd that I was not researching study abroad programs in Europe and Australia with the rest of my friends. But, I stuck with my gut feeling and prepared to spend a semester in the Middle East.

I arrived in Jerusalem and was immediately overwhelmed by a sense of comfort, one I had not felt since my days at Jewish school. I met students ages 17- 24 from all over the world, Jewish and non-Jewish, who were just like me. During the first week, I wrote an email to my mother and told her that the people at Hebrew U. understood me in a way that my other college friends never would. As I attended summer Ulpan in August and brushed up on my rusty Hebrew skills, I toured Israel, learned to live like an Israeli university student, and met some of my greatest friends from cities such as Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, New Jersey, Toronto, and even Tel Aviv. I was having the time of my life.

Then, the fall semester began in September and I signed up for four classes along with my level bet Hebrew class: Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, Political Communication in Israel, Themes in Modern Jewish History: Continuity and Change, and The Bible and English Literature. As classes began, I was excited to study subjects that I would never get to learn about with my full class load of Communications and Business at AU. Unlike most of the students who were in Israel to study religion, international relations, or politics, I had not taken a “Jewish” class or a class about religion since 8th grade, and was surprised to find myself enjoying classes about topics like the Bible and modern Jewry.

On the weekends, I went out to Ben Yehuda St. with my friends and often smiled as I looked around and realized that I was “home.” I decided that I was having so much fun at Hebrew U, that my semester even rivaled those at American. One morning, I looked through about 1,000 pictures that I had taken over the semester, and decided that it was not time for my experience to be over. I am not ready to go back to D.C. to take Managerial Accounting and start studying for the GREs. I don’t want to go back to a place where I have to explain to my classmates what Judaism is or why religion is important to me. This semester has been a growing experience… and my self esteem and outlook on life has never been so high. For the first time in a long time, I can truly say that I am happy, not overstressed, and not always worrying about my classes, my major, and my future.

Currently, as I sit in the Hebrew U dorms and stare out my window at the beautiful view of Jerusalem, I am smiling because I know that I have 7 more months in Israel, and soon- second semester will begin and I will get to do all of this all over again.

If you have any questions about Hebrew University from an American’s perspective or want to discuss the possibility of YOU studying abroad in Jerusalem, feel free to email me at Jen2785@aol.com.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Varadi
Houston, Texas, USA
Junior, American University, Washington D.C.
Rothberg International School Student, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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