Although Israelis are currently at war with the Palestinians and although the United States government has administered an advisory warning against its citizens traveling to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, many members of the Brandeis community are still traveling there.The Director of Student Activities for Brandeis Hillel,Cindy Spungin, said many students travel to Israel this summer. As Director of Student Activities, she advises students who want to travel to Israel and assists students in finding the best Israel program for their needs and interests.

Students Participate in Advocacy Mission

Most recently, Spungin has helped with an advocacy mission, a project sponsored by Hillel's International Center in Washington D.C. Twenty-four Brandeis students participated in this mission this summer between May 26 and 31. Rabbi Todd Berman, co-director of Hillel at Brandeis' Jewish Learning Initiative, traveled with the group to Israel.

The goal of the advocacy mission was twofold. Primarily, students were to be trained to be advocates for Israel in America. They learned how to run Israel programs and how to respond to anti-Israel activities. Secondly, they learned how to show solidarity with Israel.

Of the 345 students total from numerous colleges and universities in the United States, Brandeis students represented the largest number of this mission. Spungin said she felt these numbers are representative of a strong bond that many Brandeis students have with Israel.

Berman said he hopes that in the future, the feelings Brandeis students have in supporting Israel will rub off positively onto other campuses, many of which he said are currently afraid to take an active stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Berman said he feels the students who traveled on this advocacy mission were not afraid to go to Israel. He said the trip was "geared for students who had been already and with clear intent of going to show solidarity." He also said that, even though the trip was planned late last semester during a time of increasing violence between Israelis and Palestinians, the tension did not deter these Brandeis students from even thinking about going.

Berman explained that these students were housed on a Kibbutz and left the Kibbutz under tight security. He said that everything they did, including going to the Old City at 11 p.m., was done with tight security precautions and under the approval of the Israeli army. Rabbi Berman said he believes that everyone felt safe while there.

Students Feel Safe

Joshua Horowitz '05 said he had predominantly positive feelings. "I didn't feel like I was in danger. The security, such as fences, soldiers and guards, are all very visible, and their presence was reassuring," he said.

Two major terrorist attacks occurred throughout the duration of the trip. Four children were shot while playing basketball on school grounds in a settlement on Etamar. The other incident occurred when seven people were injured on a bus.

Spungin said students were calm regarding safety issues, and she felt confident the students were safe. "I knew that the safety and security measures that were in place were of the highest possible standards and included the appropriate agencies within the Israeli government."

She said Hillel's International Center and the appropriate officials in Israel were in constant contact. They were informed of any updates that affected the groups travel plans while on the ground in Israel.

"The trip was wonderful. Brandeis really shined in regards to numbers on the trip," Berman said.
In addition to those on the advocacy mission, other Brandeis students spent time in Israel this summer. Jeffrey Stackert (GRAD) who is studying Bible and Near Eastern Judaic Studies at Brandeis, went to Israel this summer from June 24 through August 2 as part of a six-week program to learn the Hebrew language.
Stackert's decision to go to Israel was made after close discussion with his wife and parents. He said he understood his family's concerns. "The American media make Jerusalem look like it is blowing up all the time." Although he said he was slightly concerned, he said he believed the danger was overstated and chances of something happening was very slim.

Stackert said he took precautions, such as avoiding target spots and not riding public buses. He did not consider Hebrew University, because he said he felt he would be most vulnerable to danger there. But, a bomb exploded there two days before his return home during which time, he was in the building next door to the cafeteria.

Violence Hits Home

He said he was checking his e-mail when he heard an explosion and ran to the windows where he saw smoke rising. He said he knew immediately what had happened. He said he then called home to let his family know that he was safe before they even had a chance to hear about it on the news.

After contacting his family, he went to the sight. He said he thought about the possibility of a second bomb, but since a second bomb did not explode immediately, the security presence was so large he said he knew it was over. "I knew really quickly that there wasn't going to be anything else happening. It was clear pretty quickly that I was safe," he said.

"Except for the last two days, everything (in Israel) was peaceful. I never felt like I was in any danger at all," he added.

He said he feels things were worse for his worried loved ones at home.

Naomi Orensten '04 is currently one student studying abroad in Israel, who also came close to the bomb at Hebrew University. "(But) it was scary, to say the least, when the cafe blew up on campus. I had eaten lunch there the day of the explosion. I had left about 15 minutes before the blast. I heard it. The sirens sounded. The ambulances came. The roads were closed so we couldn't go anywhere, except just watch what was going on," she said.

Zeke Frain '05 has made a permanent move to Israel. He moved there this summer with his family and is living in Jerusalem and volunteering for the Magen David Adom, which he describes as similar to the Red Cross, by riding in ambulances everyday. He will be taking a leave of absence from Brandeis for two-and-a-half years, and in November will be joining the Israeli army. He said he hopes to return to Brandeis to finish his schooling before returning.

Frain said he is not afraid to be in Israel and he calls Israel his home. "I am going into the army because it is the right thing for me to do. If I do not do it I will regret it everyday for the rest of my life." He said he is trying to be a fighter and eventually be in an elite unit but is proud to serve in whatever way he can.

Going Abroad Or Not?

For some students, however, the violence in Israel is stopping them from going there. The decline in numbers of students choosing to study abroad in Israel began three years ago when fighting first started. Three years ago Brandeis sent 40 students to Israel. Numbers slowly declined after that. Study Abroad Coordinator, Scott Van Der Meid, said that the numbers of students studying abroad in Israel are not great, but they are on the rise again. He said more students are going to Israel this year than last year.

Van Der Meid said Brandeis is "one of the few institutions sending a significant number of students." While very few are going from other colleges and universities in the United States, Van Der Meid said the University of California system, Emory University and University of Wisconsin have put their Israel study abroad programs on hold until further notice. These canceled programs have taken toll on Hebrew University in Israel, causing its enrollment from colleges and universities in the United States to have decreased by 75 percent from a few years back. Van Der Meid, Spungin, and Israel On Site Coordinator Rose Weinberg, agree that traveling to Israel now is a personal decision that not everyone can commit to.

"I feel so safe here. Call naivete or youth, but I don't worry very often for my safety. But, I bet that the reason why I don't worry is probably because this is my home, and nobody wants to feel unsafe in their home," Orensten said.

Van Der Meid said study abroad programs in general have not had decreased enrollment. He said simply, people have just changed where they want to go. He said last spring a shift occurred and fewer students chose to go to Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus was back on Europe. Slowly students are starting to go to more adventurous locations again such as Cuba, South Africa and China.

President Yehuda Reinharz has said if any student in Israel chooses to come home, Brandeis will work with them to enable their returns. One student chose this option last spring. Van Der Meid concurs with Reinharz that the decision to go to Israel is a personal decision that needs to be made by students and their families. "We will work with students who want to go to Israel and we will work with students who want to go to an alternative location. Students are still going and we are trying to be as helpful as we can," he said.