Trips abroad, both for study and for pleasure, can be the highlights of a college experience in spite of their great financial cost. Now, Fairfield is extending an invitation to Jewish students to travel to Israel for free during winter break.
The trip, hosted by the Koach Birthright Israel program, is for Jewish students who have never been to Israel and are between the ages of 18 and 26.
“The idea behind it is to get young Jewish adults… to Israel to understand what the state of Israel is all about,” said Maureen Dewan, a religious studies professor.
The Birthright program was established by a group of philanthropists who decided to fund such trips. While there, students will be given an overview of the geography, politics and social atmosphere of Israel. Additionally, they will meet with Israeli teenagers and possibly with government officials.
“It’s a very special thing to be there,” Dewan said.
Dewan said that as long as groups travel appropriately, Israel is not dangerous.
Fairfield is currently exploring the possibility of getting funding for non-Jewish students in leadership positions who wish to go on the trip.
The Judaic studies program at Fairfield is active throughout the year planning events related to Jewish holidays and hosting six to eight speakers. Many of the events related to holidays, such as the upcoming Jewish New Year’s celebration to be held Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. in the lower level of the chapel, are co-hosted with Campus Ministry and KADIMA, Fairfield’s Jewish students organization.
“We host events like the Purim carnival as well as setting up the Passover seder,” said Sarah Sexton ’06, the president of KADIMA.
Following Boston College’s addition of a Judaic studies minor to its curriculum, programs in Jewish studies were referred to as “a rarity in Catholic Higher Education” in a Sept. 22 Boston Globe article. Fairfield has offered a Judaic studies minor since 1996.
Fairfield’s Judaic studies program began in 1994 with a gift to the university from Carl and Dorothy Bennett, who endowed the program chair, according to Ellen Umansky, the program director. Until that time, Fairfield offered a course dealing with the history of the Jewish experience, as well as one in literature.
Now, the program offers 22 courses. While the majority of the courses are in the religious studies and history departments, courses are also offered in English, modern languages and literatures and visual and performing arts. Umansky says there are plans to add another class in visual and performing arts in the near future.
Currently, there are only a handful of Judaic studies minors at Fairfield. While Umansky hopes to see the number increase, she noted that the courses the program offers are nearly always filled.
Umansky highlighted another aspect of Judaic studies at Fairfield.
“One of the things we do here [at Fairfield] that I know is unique… is I run a very serious adult ‘lunch and learn’ in the spring,” Umansky said.
The program runs for 10 weeks and participants, of which there are about 85, meet weekly with Umansky for lunch and to discuss readings from a sourcebook Umansky compiles.
Umansky noted that not everyone in the class is Jewish and stressed the importance of getting the community involved in Judaic studies, particularly at a university which is overwhelmingly Catholic.
“One of the roles [of the Judaic studies program] is to integrate Jewish culture into the Fairfield University community,” said Umansky.
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