ON CAMPUS
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Bar-Ilan University, located in Ramat Gan, has a more religious atmosphere than the other Israeli universities. Recently opened is its Institute for Ad-
vanced Torah Studies and the Midrasha Lebanot, endowed by an American philanthropist.
A Year In Israel
Attending an Israeli university or yeshiva
for a year has become the "in" thing among
American students. Israeli institutions oblige
by offering a range of programs and courses.
JOEL REBIBO
Special to The Jewish News
S
pending a year in Israel
has become fashionable
for many American
students, particularly in Or-
thodox circles. Some come
immediately after high school
graduation; others wait for
the sophomore or junior year
in college.
Students come for a year of
Jewish studies in a yeshiva
before pursuing secular
careers in secular settings.
Others, afraid of "losing a
year" of college, want univer-
sity programs that transfer
credits back home. Still
others want something in be-
tween, like Bar-Ilan Universi-
ty which offers a combined
university-yeshiva program.
The year in Israel has also
become important for Jewish
parents. It is often a last hope
to reel their children back in-
to the Jewish fold, and they
look to Israel to instill a sense
of Jewish identity.
Following is an overview of
various one-year programs,
aimed at helping parents and
students get the most from
F9pay,).1)LY 29,1988, .
their year in Israel. But it is
not all-inclusive; due to space
limitations, many fine pro-
grams are not included. Reg-
istration for Fall 1988 varies,
but until late spring-early
summer, there is usually still
time to apply.
•
Hebrew University's Roth-
berg School for Overseas Stu-
dents is the most popular
one-year program with Amer-
ican Students, partly, no
doubt, because it is in
Jerusalem. More than 80
English-language courses are
offered to 700 students, of
whom about 15 percent are
graduate students, less than
10 percent are sophomores
and the rest are mostly
juniors. None come straight
from high school.
According to the director of
the program, Dr. Aaron
Singer, an affable former
American, most of those who
choose Hebrew University are
looking to develop a connec-
tion to Israel, a point that is
confirmed by the students.
"My parents wanted me to
come because they felt I was
becoming too pro-Arab," says
Californian Michael Beals, 25,
who holds. a B.A. in political
science from Berkeley and an
M.A. in international corn-
munication from American
University in Washington,
D.C. "But now I understand
Israel's point of view on a lot
of issues. I live with three
Sephardic Israeli roommates
and I've heard their views.
One is Moroccan, one is Ira-
qi, and one is from Yemen —
his grandfather was one of
the last Yemenite chief rab-
bis."
Recognizing that there is a
tendency for American stu-
dents to stay "among their
own," the university main-
tains a balance in the dormi-
tory of 70 percent Israeli
students to 30 percent over-
seas students.
The English-language cur-
riculum includes a heavy dose
of Judaica, Israel and the
Middle East, with a full range
of humanities and social
sciences, and independent
study for advanced students.
Students who are capable are
encouraged to take courses in
Hebrew with the Israelis.
All the university one-year
programs offer an ulpan
before the start of the
academic year. At Hebrew
University, the ulpan begins
in August. The academic year
begins after the Jewish holi-
days in October and goes un-
til the end of January when
there is a month-long break.
The second semester ends in
June with a two-week break
for Passover. The schedule is
about the same at Haifa
University, Aviv Universi-
ty, Bar-Ilan University and
the Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev.
During breaks, every uni-
versity offers organized tours
of the country. Tuition is set
by the country's Council of
Higher Education and is the
same at all universities, about
$3,000 for the next year. Dor-
mitory fees vary slightly from
place to place: at Hebrew
University, it's $60 a month,
at Bar-Ilan $55 a month, and
at Haifa University $80 a
month. Personal expenses, in-
cluding food and miscella-
neous costs, run $200 to $300
a month. The universities, in
conjunction with the Council,
offer several scholarships and
grants.
The Hebrew University's
one-year program is held at
its sprawling Mt. Scopus
campus. Students are
granted maximum freedom
both in which courses to
choose and how to spend
their free time. It is definite-
1• not the place for parents
who feel their youngsters
need close supervision.
While the university has a
reputation for being "secular"
— certainly in the sense that
it does not push religious
observance — it has a very
successful Beit Midrash pro-
gram that gives those who
are interested a chance to
study with tutors.
For information on Hebrew
University, contact Office of
Academic Affairs, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, 11
East 69th Street, New York,
New York 10021. Phone
number: (212) 472-2288.
Bar-Ilan is a decidedly
more religious environment
than the other universities
but a far cry from a yeshiva.
I couldn't help but smile at
the bookstore displays:
posters of Madonna and
Bruce Springsteen positioned
next to Jewish source texts
like Midrash Rabba.
About 30 courses are of-
fered in English. The stu-
dents spend at least four mor-
nings per week, for a total of
16 hours, on Judaic studies
and may take liberal arts
courses for another eight to
10 hours per week in the
afternoons.
Students come to Bar-Ilan
straight from high • school
which, according to Rabbi
Moshe Litov, dean of the
overseas program, has advan-
tages and disadvantages.
"By coming as freshmen,
they have the option of stay-
ing four years and taking a
degree here. On the other
hand, they have two transi-
tions to make: going from
high school to university, and
from home to being away
from home."
According to Jonathan
Lowenberg, 18, a student who
is hoping to stay on and get
his degree at Bar-Ilan, some
students don't handle the
transition well. "Some kids
come for the year thinking
they're going to have a great
time. If you work hard here,
you'll do well. But if not,
you'll fail. They don't let you
get away with things," he
says.
The 70 American students
at Bar-Ilan are a much more
homogeneous group than stu-
dents at the other univer-
sities. At least half of them
are headed for Yeshiva