Though the semester started dismally for ten students intending to study at Tulane University this fall, things have markedly improved.   In October, these ten students, their academic plans disrupted by Hurricane Katrina, arrived at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University, where they received free tuition from the Hebrew University, free dormitory accommodations from the Jewish Agency, and a $2000 stipend from MASA, a partnership of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency.

Four of the ten are first-year students, who had arrived for freshman orientation at Tulane only hours before they and their parents were evacuated.   While other Tulane entering freshman are biding their time at local universities, these four freshmen decided to make the most of their first college experience, enrolling in the Freshman Program in Jerusalem.   One freshman, who'd matriculated at a different U.S. university before happening upon the Rothberg International School webpage on her father's computer as he looked for options for her in the event that Tulane didn't open for the spring semester, had this to say about her experience in Israel over the October holidays: "The last few weeks have been better than ever!"

One student is a returnee from last year's one-year program.   After spending her junior year abroad at the Rothberg International School in the 2004-05 academic year, she phoned the Office of Academic Affairs in New York hours after the consequences of the hurricane became clear to ask if she could return for another semester at Rothberg.   The answer, from all concerned, was a resounding "Yes!"

The ten Tulane students joined over 200 American students and 500 students from around the world at the Rothberg International School, which is enjoying robust enrollment after a long period of reduced student numbers.   As for the students affected by Hurricane Katrina, though they intend to return to Tulane in the spring, they will leave a part of their hearts in Jerusalem.