When I completed boot camp, I was assigned to the West Bank territories, to work as a Sergeant of Operations in a battalion level war room. This included everything from supervising routine activities and organizing our first response to incidents, to dead-of-night raids on the kitchen to make sure all the soldiers in the field were well fed. When my two years of compulsory service were up, I volunteered for another 5 months of service to oversee some changes in my area, and to train the next generation of Sergeants of Operations.

For the first few year after I was released, my reserve duty consisted of showing up for the occasional interview. The IDF was had just begun to increase the number of women in the Reserves, and I was in the first batch of Sergeants of Operations required to serve.

This all changed a few weeks ago, when I was called up for a four day drill. I was initially worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into the right ‘head space’, but it all came back to me quickly. The whole ‘woman in a man’s world’ melodrama, dealing with deadbeat ‘jobniks’, trying to get officers to do things in the least stupid way (you have to make them think that they thought of it first), finding a discrete place to answer natures call in a really flat desert, etc.

Reserve duty can adversely affect campus life in a variety of ways. Obviously, you miss a lot of classes when you’re off in the middle of nowhere playing silly buggers. Additionally, unless you’re an LL Bean model, the desert night in the middle of winter is not conducive to cramming. If you’re called up during finals, you miss a lot of test dates and are stuck taking secondary tests in the middle of the next semester (more on that later). Assuming you manage to get back to campus to take a test, it almost never goes well due to the sleep deprivation and general exasperation and distractedness caused by military life. Papers backlog, and even with extensions, they tend to end up being last minute scribbles.

Since reserve duty is a generally a Universal blight upon student life, the institution has found ways of minimizing the damage. All courses are required to have at least two test, one during finals and a second date about a month are so later. Known as ‘Mo’edei Bet’, these secondary dates can be a life saver even if you don’t have reserve duty. On the other hand, winter semester tests can disrupt spring semester studies, and spring semester studies can disrupt summer break. Students often complain about having a ‘Mo’ed Bet’ weighing on their mind.

While the Hebrew University is a hodgepodge of passionate political and philosophical views, the importance of performing reserve duty is something that almost everyone can agree on. Lecturers and TA’s are generally flexible and accommodating, though they typically can’t resist the temptation to throw in a little propaganda. Like so many of the situations one faces as a student in academia, it’s best to nod and smile.

A post by Eyal David, sophomore at the Hebrew University

My name is Eyal David and this is my second year at the Hebrew University as a student of International Relations and Middle Eastern studies. This is also my second year in The Jerusalem Folklore Ensemble – the Hebrew University’s student dance group. Since I was a child I loved to dance but I didn’t do much about it. (It was mainly for fun – as dance, in my opinion, is needed for the soul). That changed when I came to the university, passed the audition for the group and officially joined it. We dance to different Israeli folklore themes. We also incorporate some ethnic Jewish folklore themes, with dances from places like the Balkans, Russia and Yemen. What makes our dances more exciting is that a live band always accompanies us. They are an important part of the group and this makes for a unified team. We have rehearsals every week and perform for many different events – from dance festivals, weddings and even appear on television. Every year it is our tradition to travel abroad to represent Israel and the university in folklore festivals around the world, or in Jewish communities that invite us. For me, being in this group is not only about the dancing,  but the fact that it’s one big family, as we spend so much of time together. I can say that I’m proud to be a member of this group which is considered to be one of Israel’s leading Folklore groups. This year we celebrate our 55^th anniversary in a big performance in the Jerusalem theatre at the end of March.

Here are some pictures of the group and you can also find us at: http://www.JFE.co.il.

By Yochana Storch:

My first place of residence as a student of the Hebrew University was the Student Village. Within a few months, I had decided to transfer to the Reznik Dormitories and have lived there ever since.

The Student Village is a large complex of multistoried buildings. Each houses several dozen 5 bedroom apartments. The apartments are complemented by central heating and air-conditioning, a large kitchen and duel bathrooms. The population of the village represents the diversity of Israeli society and the Hebrew University. Native Israelis share apartments with Jews and none Jews from around the world. For instance, I was once planning a dinner with friends from Japan, Malaysia, Argentina and the US, when someone came up with the bright idea that we should each bring a ‘Traditional dish’ from our respective home country. After a brief discussion, it became painfully clear that to us, a ‘Traditional dish’ was more of a theoretical concept that something you could actually cook and eat. Despite our lack of authenticity, the end of the year heralded a mash up of the best of Hanukkah, Christmas and the Chinese New Year.

Unfortunately, being the bigger, better more modern dormitories, the Student Village is also more expensive to run, and residents of the apartments have to pay utility bills on top of the basic rent. Additionally, the warm company did nothing to improve the harsh esthetic of the newly minted complex. Promising to keep in touch through Facebook, I packed up and moved the Reznik, the oldest surviving dorms of the Mount Scopus campus. There, separate rooms, 10 to a floor, share a communal bathroom and kitchen. Residents can either rent their own room or share with a room mate. Situated across the street from the University, Reznik is a five minute walk from most classes.

When I arrived in Reznik, the sharp scent of fresh paint and aggressive cleaning material was replaced by the far more welcoming fragrance of damp plywood. The aura of decay gives the place a ‘lived in’ feeling. While the Student Village is beautified by the occasional shrub and dominated by bricks and mortar, Reznik has a far gentler landscape of trees, hedges, grass and false hills. Though more homogeneous then the Village, the mash up dinners are still to be found, if you know where to look. I’ve heard that there are social clubs and pubs on the grounds, but never bothered to follow up. Either way, both dorms have stops for the #19 bus, which is a direct and fast line to downtown (at least it was before they decided to build a light rail train straight through the heart of the city. These days, all bets are off). It’s a tough choice between the Student Village, which is somewhat desolate but blessed with great living conditions, and the more minimalist (borderline shabby) and homely Reznik. I’ve heard that the Bronfman Edelson dorms, down the street the Village, are a good compromise.

All the dorms have regular maintenance staff, who – in my experience at least – respond quickly to any crisis. A professional security staff provides round the clock security and is ready to respond to a variety of events, including excessive noise after hours or indoor smoking.

1)   Mt. Scopus (Har Ha’tzofim)

2)   Givat Ram, and

3)   Hadassah Ein Karem.

So what’s the difference? Mt. Scopus is located on the border between East and West Jerusalem and is known as the humanities campus. Givat Ram, which houses the engineering and sciences is located near the Knesset and is about a 30-40 minute walk to downtown. Hadassah is the medical campus and located above the village of Ein Karem which is about a 20 minute drive out of the city.

Which dorms are the best for you?

Unless you are actually working on Mt. Scopus, I would advise living in the dorms in Givat Ram. The Lieberman Dorms are really great. It is a graduate dorm and the most modern dorm on campus. All the rooms are have a bed, kitchenette, and bathroom in the room. You have to buy or bring your own linens, pillow, and kitchen supplies – but its excellent having all the facilities available.

In Givat Ram there is a minimart really close to the dorm. A cheaper option is a super market that is a 15-20 minute walk downhill and off campus (from the side gate).

You can do your laundry in another dorm near Lieberman – but you need a laundry card first that you can add cash to at the card machine in the dorm office building.

What’s Mt. Scopus like?

At Mt. Scopus you will live in the Student Village in the French Hill neighborhood next to the university. It is just a half mile from the university. The difference is the rooms are apartments with 5 single rooms, and a shared kitchenette and bathroom. You will have to buy or bring your own linens, pillow, and kitchen supplies. Rent is $600/month. Additionally there is a $255 program fee charged by the Rothberg International School.

For a closer look at dorm options take this cool 360 degree tour at http://multimedia.huji.ac.il/tour360/dorm360list-e.html

What are your options?

Living off campus can be a great option too (unless you need to be on campus every day). By planning ahead you can find accommodation that might be better – and cheaper than the dorms.  Look on craigslist or yahoo ‘’flathunting’’ group – or ask the university for off-campus housing options. Places to look are: Old City, Mamila, the German Colony, Rehavia, Baka, Ben Yehuda, and Yemin Moshe. When planning to rent a place, make sure you nail down out all the details of the lease (cost, length of time, heating, tax etc).

One thing for sure, where you stay is really important to how you enjoy your experience at Hebrew U. If you start at one accommodation and don’t like it, do not be afraid to move to another. There are definitely options – and something for everyone’s taste and budget.

Yonny

My name is David and I am a Jewish High School student in Vancouver British Colombia Canada. Currently, I am 17 years old and I am in grade 11 at the local Jewish High School, King David High School. For the past 14 years, I have had the utmost privilege of attending two wonderful Jewish schools, primary and senior, and my overall education experience has been very nourishing and fulfilling. However, as the school years fly by, I must take into consideration that these simple times are coming to a close very quickly and I must start planning for the future. Once we enter the final year of High School, the primary concern for most students is their post-secondary education. Questions such as: What am I going to do once I graduate? Where am I going to go? Should I just stay at home and get a job? Should I travel abroad and study elsewhere? Etc.

Although it is still far in the distance, I cannot ignore the importance of properly selecting a university right for me and programs that will help shape me into the person that I wish to become. Attending Jewish schools all my life, I think it is appropriate to consider the option of moving to Israel and attending a school like the Hebrew University. Nevertheless, as of now, I am pretty much clueless about the university selection process and what life is like actually on campus in a different country like Israel. For an English speaking Canadian citizen, the university process looks interesting yet intimidating, but attending school in a foreign country in a foreign language looks especially daunting. My question to the students of the Hebrew University is: What is required of a foreign student in order to get into a school like Hebrew U.? And what should a English speaking Canadian student like myself expect to encounter while living in Israel?

Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Lehitraot,

David

See how Hebrew U law students are helping others – this is a very meaningful and uplifting video that will give you some great insights into the University.

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Click here to watch it.