Israeli and U.S. College Students Discuss Conflict in the Middle East
May 13 chat session reveals what life is like for college students in Israel
CHESTER, PA, May 16, 2002 -
Like many college students, Hiellel, 24, who lives on the campus of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, used to enjoy going to coffeehouses and cafes - until some of his fellow students died in one, victims of a suicide bomber. In an online chat hosted by StudyAbroad.com, students in the U.S. and Israel learned how the conflict in the Middle East is changing the lives of their peers across the ocean.
Dave, 20, an Israeli-born University of Pennsylvania student, had landed a coveted summer journalism internship at the Jerusalem Report - until terrorism intervened with his plans. At his parents' request, he remains at home in Philadelphia this summer, while fearing for the safety of family members in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Golan Heights.
Sam, 20, another college student with joint Israeli-U.S. citizenship, recently volunteered for a month in the Israeli army. While his peers in the U.S. were studying for midterms, he was learning how to shoot a gun.
Hielel, Dave and Sam were among the participants in a recent live online discussion between college students in the U.S. and Israel. Sponsored by StudyAbroad.com, the leading online resource for international education information, the moderated chat session enabled the Israeli students to share their experiences with their U.S. counterparts, including perspectives about the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The U.S. students were eager to know what life is like right now for a college student in Israel.
"I feel like a regular student. The conflict does not show up everyday, but often we get the grim reminder of the situation," Hilliel stated, adding, " I try to stay away from the conflict as much as possible. I stay on campus and buy food in the dorm supermarket."
Yet when American student Rosette, 26, who attends UCLA, remarked that, based on what she has read in the papers, it sounds like there was no safe place in Israel anymore. Hiellel strongly disagreed.
"I do agree that the papers paint a grim picture, but you must believe in God and have a positive attitude," he said.
Since most American students have cancelled their plans to study abroad in Israel this year because of the conflict, the chat served as a "Virtual Study Abroad" session, providing students from the U.S. and Israel with a forum to connect. The talk was not all serious; one American student inquired about the food in Israel, and another wanted to know more about the culture. Indeed, the lighter topics underscored the loss many U.S. students feel about not being able to study abroad in Israel this year.
"International education and study abroad programs can fight ignorance and truly promote understanding between cultures," observes Mark Shay, president and CEO of StudyAbroad.com's parent company, Educational Directories Unlimited. "Such understanding goes a long way toward fighting hatred and injustice."
Finally, U.S. students asked their Israeli peers what they could do on their own college campuses - such as organize protests and rallies - to show support for Israel.
Hilliel, who has learned to live with the daily treat of violence and terror, offered a simpler suggestion - one that resonates today not just in Israel but also around the world. "The most important thing is to do everything you can do to stop the hate."
About StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is the Internet's leading source of international education information. It contains directories of study abroad and intensive language programs that are organized by both subject and destination. StudyAbroad.com also includes the Destination Portal Pages, the popular "StudyAbroad.com Handbook: A Guide to Traveling Abroad," discussion boards, financial aid information and much, much more. StudyAbroad.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc (www.edudirectories.com).
For more information on Educational Directories Unlimited, please contact Matt Ulmer by phone at 484-766-9200, via e-mail at mulmer@edudirectories.com.