2008 Woodie Awards
Footloose and Fancy Free: Meanderings of the Summer Jew
Adam Gardin
Issue date: 9/4/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
For two weeks this summer, I and eighteen other students traversed the Japanese mainland, were treated to exclusive presentations at elite financial institutions, and embarked on guided tours of many historic and modern landmarks. This was all part of YU's summer study abroad program. We also enjoyed front row seats at a college sumo wrestling class where YU students were invited to actively participate in practicing various techniques while wearing the traditional garb.
A favorite of many was the Yomiuri Giants baseball game we attended at the Tokyo Dome. The Giants are the Japanese equivalent of the Yankees and stadium attendance was near capacity. Certain cultural differences were particularly striking, such as the prevalence of Bento boxes over hot dogs and fan applause being organized by seat assignment with instrumental accompaniment - the brass horn.
The Japanese study abroad program was just one of the many opportunities available to YU students this past summer. Other options included a YU summer Kollel, Counterpoint missions to Israel and the UK, as well as an archaeological expedition to the Biblical city of Gat.
Each program offered students a unique curriculum geared towards self-exploration and improvement. Summer Kollel students continued to shteig and develop their spiritual selves. Those who participated in the archaeological dig were able to deepen their knowledge of the rich historic roots of Am Yisrael and thus, gain a greater awareness of their own identities. The Japanese program (and the Stern counterpart journey to Italy) gave students the opportunity to develop an appreciation for other cultures, a much needed lesson in an increasingly interdependent world. The Counterpoint students reached out to their fellow brothers and sisters in a summer focused on Tikkun Olam.
Victoria Stone (Stern '08), a paticipant in the Counterpoint Israel program found that though she had traveled to Israel to assist underprivileged youth in dealing with their adolescent issues, it was Victoria who gained a much greater understanding of pathways to self-empowerment. "I devoted a month of my summer to empowering Israeli youth in Yerucham," remarked Victoria. "I did not anticipate, however, that at the same time I would be receiving empowerment myself by learning about topics of social justice. Through sessions run by Magalei Tzedek and the PresenTense Institute of Creative Zionism, we were able to understand what we were doing in Yerucham within a larger, more worldly context, making our efforts all the more meaningful."
In fact, the sum total of the programming offered by YU this past summer exemplified the famous declaration by R. Shimon HaTzaddik in Pirke Avot, that it is "on three things the world is sustained: Torah, service, and deeds of loving kindness." It takes many different roads to build a city. It takes many different people to travel so many roads.
Adam L. Gardin is a senior in Yeshiva College
A favorite of many was the Yomiuri Giants baseball game we attended at the Tokyo Dome. The Giants are the Japanese equivalent of the Yankees and stadium attendance was near capacity. Certain cultural differences were particularly striking, such as the prevalence of Bento boxes over hot dogs and fan applause being organized by seat assignment with instrumental accompaniment - the brass horn.
The Japanese study abroad program was just one of the many opportunities available to YU students this past summer. Other options included a YU summer Kollel, Counterpoint missions to Israel and the UK, as well as an archaeological expedition to the Biblical city of Gat.
Each program offered students a unique curriculum geared towards self-exploration and improvement. Summer Kollel students continued to shteig and develop their spiritual selves. Those who participated in the archaeological dig were able to deepen their knowledge of the rich historic roots of Am Yisrael and thus, gain a greater awareness of their own identities. The Japanese program (and the Stern counterpart journey to Italy) gave students the opportunity to develop an appreciation for other cultures, a much needed lesson in an increasingly interdependent world. The Counterpoint students reached out to their fellow brothers and sisters in a summer focused on Tikkun Olam.
Victoria Stone (Stern '08), a paticipant in the Counterpoint Israel program found that though she had traveled to Israel to assist underprivileged youth in dealing with their adolescent issues, it was Victoria who gained a much greater understanding of pathways to self-empowerment. "I devoted a month of my summer to empowering Israeli youth in Yerucham," remarked Victoria. "I did not anticipate, however, that at the same time I would be receiving empowerment myself by learning about topics of social justice. Through sessions run by Magalei Tzedek and the PresenTense Institute of Creative Zionism, we were able to understand what we were doing in Yerucham within a larger, more worldly context, making our efforts all the more meaningful."
In fact, the sum total of the programming offered by YU this past summer exemplified the famous declaration by R. Shimon HaTzaddik in Pirke Avot, that it is "on three things the world is sustained: Torah, service, and deeds of loving kindness." It takes many different roads to build a city. It takes many different people to travel so many roads.
Adam L. Gardin is a senior in Yeshiva College
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