Coming Home: Israel

While I can't say that the academic rigor of my semester abroad was up to par with Allegheny's standards, I can say that I learned much more over the course of the past four months than I have during any of my previous semesters at college. Simply living in a community of non-Americans, inside and outside of classroom settings, gave me more insight to the happenings of the world and the knowledge that must be spread to those unable to travel for education.

No description or essay about what I learned while in Israel could get close to the truth of the lessons I learned. It is easy to say things like, "We need to see the conflict from both perspectives," is not enough of a tool to get people that are not living in the region to see the conflict from more than their own point of view. Even after being here for four months, it is hard to pinpoint every player's perspective because they are so diverse. In America, we are presented with three, maybe four, perspectives and that is all. From what I've gathered here, the media needs to be questioned first and foremost. Because of that, we need to be funding and sending more students to foreign countries to gain global perspective. Someone else's description of a city or a people does nothing for the individual listening. There really is no correct way to understand a foreign place or individual without spending the time to get to know it/them.

This study abroad experience has allowed me to see that my place in the world is not concrete. It can be whatever I chose it to be as long as it is sustainable and non-violent or intrusive to others. It is so easy for outsiders to look at a situation and tell the people involved what they should do to right all of the wrongs, but once you immerse yourself in that scenario things aren't so clear. Overall, I learned that my place in the world is one of compassion and understanding. While I may not have the tools right now to fulfill this, my study abroad experience has taken me hundreds of steps in the right direction. I didn't think that I was naive or blind to the lives and norms of the people of Israel, but it has become clear that maybe I will never know the full story. That being said, it is my responsibility to continue to place myself in situations I am concerned about or interested in before I jump to conclusions or make assumptions. The knowledge you gain about a place without being directly in it can only be so true.