September
By Joshua - October 30, 2017

I can’t believe it is already the end of September, marking two months since my arrival in Israel. As hoped for, I have continued to learn and expand my knowledge on all aspects of Israeli life. My time in Beer-Sheva has been wonderful, and now with the OSP semester in progress, I am continuing to deepen my scope and understanding of Israel and fulfill all of the goals that I came to school with.

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Ends and Beginnings in the Negev
By Vanesa - September 18, 2017

The last 4 weeks have been eventful in every sense of the word. During the solar eclipse that most of the United States was able to enjoy in August, our Ulpan group decided to go watch a meteor shower in a town deeper in the Negev called Mitzpe Ramon, where the light pollution would interfere less with the view.

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Beer-Sheva So Far
By Joshua - August 31, 2017

My newfound infatuation with Israel began at the beginning of this year. It was in January, at Baruch College in New York, where I serendipitously discovered the Hillel organization right as they were sponsoring a week-long trip to Israel. Always craving to travel and discover new parts of the world, I was extremely excited to venture into a country of which I had relatively little prior knowledge.

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First Days in Beer-Sheva
By Vanesa - August 16, 2017

At one in the morning, I was beset by spiky palm tree leaves on my way to the place that would be my residence in the Negev desert for the next 5 months. The sand dunes I saw in the pamphlet were miles away from me, invisible from my standpoint at the intersection on Rager Street. The 50 pound suitcase I was dragging behind me rolled past the silhouette of a dark campus, a hospital, a handful of research centers, and silent apartment buildings.

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Fortress in the Sky
By Charles - April 24, 2017

As the short break between the Ulpan and the semester came to an end, I had been preparing and anticipating the beginning of an exciting, yet pristine semester here in Israel. One week into the new semester, we embarked on a journey to one of the most renowned, if not the most eminent historical site […]

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Why Israel?
By Charles - January 30, 2017

I was back in China during winter break before heading off to kick-start a study-abroad experience in Israel. Shortly after arriving in China, I went to a health center and the doctors there were completely baffled with my decision to study in Israel. I could see the question marks written on their faces: “Why Israel? Why the Middle East?”

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Home
By Yael - January 19, 2017

Homesickness is a strange thing. When I was in Israel I missed the U.S., I missed American comfort food, and my pets, and my college. There were so many American things that I craved. But now that I’m home? I miss Israel. I miss the weather, the food, and the people. But I miss the experiences that I had there the most.

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Holidays in the Holy Land
By Yael - December 20, 2016

As I get ready to leave Israel in a few days, I am starting to think about what I’ll be doing when I get home. I arrive home just in time for Chanukah, which this year starts on the same day as Christmas. However, I’ve already started to experience some holiday spirit.

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