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

