Metro
Broadening Horizons
Oakland U.'s Judaic Studies Program now includes classes in Israel.
Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News
W
ithin hours of touching
down in Israel for the first
time, Julia Hunko, 20, of
Sterling Heights was right at home: tak-
ing in the breathtaking view from the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel
Aviv and by nightfall, enjoying dinner
out with friends at a falafel stand.
"I've only been here two days and it's
awesome," Hunko, a student at Oakland
University in Rochester, wrote in a July
8 e-mail. "I've wanted to go to Israel my
whole life."
The political science major, who is
Catholic, got her chance as part of a new
four-week Israel study abroad program
through OU's growing Judaic Studies
Program. In all, 16 students are tak-
ing part in the overseas educational
opportunity through Aug. 6; six are from
Oakland University; the remaining 10
are from various other schools. The trip
was made possible thanks to the gener-
osity of donors and a partnership with
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit.
"Traveling to Israel interested me
because I've always been fascinated by
other religions," said Hunko, who plans
to join the Peace Corps and eventually
attend law school. "It's just a new oppor-
tunity to go somewhere I've never been.
It's a chance to see what's going on with
my own eyes."
During the month-long journey,
students are taking courses, learning
Hebrew and conducting independent
research at the Max Stern College of
Emek Yezreel in the Jezreel Valley.
They're also helping teach English to
Israeli sixth-graders at a summer camp.
In addition, students have the chance to
spend time with host families and tour
the country, exploring Jerusalem's Old
City, Masada, the Dead Sea, Yad Vashem,
Caesarea, Tiberias and other sites.
"We're doing a lot of traveling. I just
think it's so interesting because every-
thing's so historical and so old," said
Hunko. "Jesus was Jewish, so that kind
of sparked my interest as a young child.
Israel is the birthplace of the world's
three major religions."
Digging Up The Past
A separate group of nine OU students,
Al2
July 23 2009
OU archaeology students arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv
OU archaeology students in the Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem
none of whom is Jewish, recently
returned from their own two-week
Israel expedition (Jun. 21- July 4) where
they took part in an archaeological dig.
All of them completed an archaeology
and ancient history of Israel class taught
by Michael Pytlik of Royal Oak, a mem-
ber of Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy,
who is working on a Ph.D. in Jewish
studies.
"Oakland has been steadily increasing
its connections with Israel in education
and cultural exchange:' said Pytlik. "I've
Michael Pytlik digging at Khirbet Qeiyafa
been to Israel 15 times now and when
the university suggested funds might be
found to send some students on a dig, I
quickly volunteered!"
Pytlik put together an action-packed
itinerary, making sure the students
were exposed to sites they've studied.
They spent one week traveling from
Jerusalem to Masada, Ein Gedi, Caesarea
Maritima, the ancient site of Megiddo,
Tiberius and Kfar Nahum.
"We talked about the synagogue there
and the early Christian village and tra-
ditional site of St. Peter's house/church,"
said Pytlik. "The heat in the north was
extreme, some 114 degrees and quite
humid."
The second week was spent on the
dig site of Khirbet Qeiyafa southwest of
Jerusalem, now labeled the biblical site
of Shaarayim ("two gates" in Hebrew).
The site, first unearthed in 2007, is
mentioned in the story of David and
Goliath.
"Only one gate was discovered during
the first dig. One of the 2009 goals is