Speaking a New Language
By Logan - April 11, 2018

Adjusting to life in Israel has meant not only changing my daily routine and getting comfortable operating in a foreign place with a new language, but also learning how to become a part of and participate in a brand new culture. While every guide book and tourist manual can explain the differences between US and Israeli culture, nothing truly prepares you for immersion in a new way of life quite like diving in head-first.

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New Semester Adventures
By Vera - March 12, 2018

This first week of school has been wonderful. The classes are small and engaging, with professors and students from various academic backgrounds. In our free time, my friends and I continue to discuss the material. I’m always delighted and pleasantly surprised by the conversations we have. For example, last weekend we got into the topic of Jewish mysticism while enjoying fudgy peanut butter ice cream.

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What I Learned on a Bus in Beer-Sheva
By Logan -

Coming from a small town in rural Virginia, even my college town of 50,000 people is an entirely new world to me. Everything in my hometown is accessible only by car; it’s very hard to even walk to the grocery store. On top of that, everyone knows everyone, which makes life in my city in the US even smaller. Now imagine my shock finding myself in Beer-Sheva, with a population of over 200,000 people!

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Embracing Unfamiliarity
By Nancy - February 6, 2018

As someone who had never traveled abroad before my time in Israel, I was incredibly excited and slightly nervous to begin this adventure. The initial cultural adjustment was very manageable (chiefly just handling jet lag) and I have encountered very few issues thus far. Choosing to study at BGU as an international student has undoubtedly been one of the best choices I have ever made.

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A Taste of Israel
By Vera - February 5, 2018

January’s come and gone, one of the best I’ve had! In one short month, I’ve experienced some of what I expected to when coming back to Israel: the incredible food, beautiful sites, along with conversations and laughter with new friends.

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Israel So Far
By Logan - February 1, 2018

When choosing study abroad programs, the most important criterion for me was the chance to travel somewhere nontraditional, where I could have unique opportunities that not many others get to experience. I didn’t know where I wanted to go, but I knew for sure that I wanted to shake things up, try something entirely new, and place myself in an unknown environment to grow as much as possible during my time abroad. The Ben-Gurion University OSP stood out immediately.

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November
By Joshua - December 4, 2017

As my time here at BGU is beginning to come to an end, I am doing my best to make the most of every experience. I have recently begun to develop a close relationship with a Franciscan Hebrew speaking Catholic community in Jerusalem, and have been making weekly trips to spend time with them.

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October
By Joshua - November 28, 2017

Recently, I have been searching for new places to travel, and also to go camping. I have been traveling a lot to Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, and would like to begin discovering lesser traveled to sites. Last weekend, a friend and I went camping in the Galilee, and had an incredible experience.

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Reacquainting Myself with Studenthood in Israel
By Vanesa - November 27, 2017

October and November have been the months where I’ve finally begun to settle into the more academic routine I’d been neglecting (and that was made easily forgotten by the fact that I’m in Israel). I’ve learned a lot about Israeli society through my Israeli film class, and I’ve also taken up an internship at Sde Boqer researching the possibility of a completely self-sufficient aquaponics system for off-grid regions.

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