Danielle at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

My trip abroad to Israel was transformative, both personally and academically. The entire Coexistence in the Middle East program was executed almost completely out of the classroom and on the ground. We spent the time talking to people who are personally and professionally involved with the conflict, and who, in some way or another, have a personal stake in the current political situation.

What surprised and impressed me about the program was how balanced it was. We heard members from the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Palestinian Liberation Organization speak. We had a Skype call with a civilian in Gaza, and we took a field trip to the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip. We talked to an Imam, a Rabbi, and a Priest. The amazing part about listening to both sides of a narrative first hand is being able to connect with the human experience, and understanding why each individual feels the way they do. This knowledge paints a picture clearer than any other source anywhere, because it is knowledge found on the ground, from actual individuals experiencing it. It forces you to remove whatever previous mental set and inherent biases you had in order to analyze and synthesize information objectively, even though you’ll learn that nothing is ever really objective. The idea of a single story and one sole truth is deeply flawed, and nothing illustrates that better than the experience this program provides.

Danielle, along with other students visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem

During my days off, I would take day trips to different parts of Israel and the West Bank. Hands down, my two favorite cities were Haifa and Ramallah; Haifa for its beauty and natural coexistence, and Ramallah for its energy and hospitality. In Haifa, I sat for hours at a beautiful lookout spot on Mount Carmel, drinking coffee with some Israeli friends and talking about all thing ranging from which children’s books we were read when growing up, to their experiences in the Israeli Defense Force. In Ramallah, I’d interact with so many people that, after one trip, I had multiple peoples Facebook information, emails, and phone numbers.

This being said, my experience living in Jerusalem was incredible. To make friends with the local Israelis, I would sit on the grass outside my building on Hebrew U campus and do my homework. Because of the warm and outgoing nature of Israelis, many would approach me and sit down and chat. This became a common strategy for my friends and I; by the end of the trip, we developed a habit of meeting outside with food to share, and inviting those who passed by and engaged in conversation to come sit down and eat with us. Not only was this wonderful for our social lives, but it was also very helpful to have locals point you in the right direction for certain things. For example, we had no idea one of the best falafel places in Jerusalem was right around the corner until an Israeli friend pointed it out. We also didn’t know that there was an Open Mic every week at Einstein’s. These, among many other things, were incredibly useful to a foreigner.

In summary, I could not have asked for a better experience. I learned more in that month and a half than I have in several years of traditional education, and the information I absorbed will stick with me for a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful for this experience, and I look forward to having the same opportunity next summer.