Studying in Israel was one of the best experiences I could have had. I can't wait to go back!! Past Review
By Danielle F (Jewish Communal Services, Towson University) for
Towson University: Jerusalem - Exploring Cross-Cultural Educational and Social Services in Baltimore and Israel
I learned that Israel works for the greater good of their people. The coutry is truly a melting pot with people that are from all over the world. Different programs are offered to help integrate people into Israeli culture and society as well as help to learn the language. This program has helped validate what I am studying at Towson. It helped open my eyes to see that there is always a way to help others. There is potential to eventually apply things I learned in Israel to programs I will work with throughout my career.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My overall experience to Israel was absolutely wonderful. Dr. Bor is a great teacher, she is very knowledgeable about Israel her home country. We did not study at a university. Our time was spent visiting different cities and learning about communal services programs in Israel and Baltimore, Md that were the same. As a class we discussed these programs in length and what we could do to apply similar ideals and programs in Maryland. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There is not anything I would add. Everything was fine. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was already arranged before the trip took place. All places we stayed were accessible to class and places to out. There was not any additional items that needed to be purchased as they were provided by the hotel. Every place that we visited in Israel was very hospitable and were excited to have us learn about their programs. |
| * Food: |
All meals in the hotels were kosher and meet the needs of those students who had dietary restrictions. All meals were fresh and meet high quality standards. The best places for food were found in the market or street vendor. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The best part of our program was being able to spend Shabbat in Jerusalem and climbing up Masada! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My personal opinion is that Israel is one of the safest places to go and visit. There were plenty of pharmacies around that meet our basic needs if necessary. We did not require any assistance with the healthcare system. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I brought $400.00 US dollars with me. This amount including souviners and food lasted the duration of the trip for me. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not experience any unexpected expenses. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open to experiencing new things, eat the local cuisine, and enjoy the opportunity to see where history started! Any student with an open mind and open heart will benefit from this program. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Exploring Cross-Cultural Education and Social Services in Baltimore and Israel |
| Course Department: | ILPD 670 |
| Instructor: | Dr. Hana Bor |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was challenging and made me realize the issues found in Baltimore, MD are the same or similar in Israel. Israel was a great place to study social issues first hand, all the trips we took as a class were relevant and allowed us to see the different aspects of life and services that people in Israel receive/eligeable for. Dr. Bor is from Israel, she is very knowledgeable about the subject matter. These were programs that had worked with in Israel and as her job at Towson University it is also what she teaches. Yes, I participated more in class discussions than I would have at Towson University sitting in a classroom. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No I have not had any issues. |
