18 | APRIL 8 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY continued on page 20 O akland University’s Israel Study Abroad program had completed 11 consecutive trips to Israel since 2009 — until the pandemic put an end to that annual streak in 2020. Since its incep- tion, I, along with co-faculty members Dr. Richard Stamps and Dr. Jon Carroll, have planned these visits, and the program has been successful due in large part to the gen- erous support from the Jewish community. This program began when administrators from Oakland toured Israel while they were cementing relations with other academic programs in Israel. Touring in Israel inevita- bly means visiting archaeological sites. This seemed like a nice fit for students who stud- ied anthropology, archaeology and Judaic Studies at Oakland, and I offered to lead the trips, having already been to Israel dozens of times and worked at numerous archaeolog- ical sites. In 2009, students were fully funded thanks to generous donors. That trip includ- ed a week at the now-famous site of Khirbet Qeiyafa, identified as biblical Sha’arayim. An additional week included a tour of Israel. The students were greatly moved by their experiences in Israel, and several of them returned the following year to continue the work. In 2009, Oakland, participating with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was able to confirm the identity of the site as Sha’arayim, mentioned in the David and Goliath story. This site was dug for another four years and exciting finds awaited the students every year; students also visited such important sites as Beth Shean, En-Gedi, Masada, Oakland U. study abroad team anxiously anticipating a return to Israel. Oakland U. study abroad Archaeological Discoveries DR. MICHAEL PYTLIK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Oakland students at the Bedouin tent experience. Oakland group at the Ophel Archaeological garden, Jerusalem. Oakland students at Caesarea, 2018 Oakland student excavates a room at Khirbet Qeiyafa Oakland student at Lachish COURTESY OF OU Dr. Pytlik excavates loom weights at Khirbet Arai, 2019