May 7, 2008
The ICC Traveling Israel Scholars Program got off to an excellent start in the spring, with scholars traveling on 13 different trips to 17 campuses around the country with more visits being planned now for the fall, 2008 semester.
To guarantee wide-ranging impact of the scholars’ visits, the ICC worked to ensure that scholars visited diverse universities, placing special emphasis on those schools with fewer options for learning about Israel in and outside the classroom. Participating campuses chose from a list of scholars with fields of expertise ranging from women’s rights in Israel to Israeli politics and government.
During the spring, 2008 semester, scholars visited DePaul University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, the University of California-Irvine, Oberlin College, the University of Central Florida, Rice University, the University of Houston, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Arizona State University, Wellesley College, Boston College, Binghamton University and Carroll College.
On campus, the scholars participated in meetings with student leaders and honors students and spoke at campus Hillels. They also served as guest lecturers in classes and gave addresses open to entire student populations. Several scholars were interviewed by Jewish and mainstream newspapers including Dr. Charles Freilich, whose visit was covered in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Students and campus professionals reported that the visits from the traveling scholars were impressive. A law student described the positive effect of the Israel scholar on her campus, stating, “I feel he had a great way of presenting the facts in a non-controversial way that made it enjoyable no matter what side of the spectrum you come from in regards to Israel [and] politics in general.” A campus professional noted of one of the scholar visits that, “The program was fantastic and left a lasting impression on campus.”
The ICC looks to build on the success of the Traveling Israel Scholars Program as we head into the coming academic year. Scholars are available to visit campuses at the highly subsidized cost of only $250, with the ICC covering all other expenses including travel. Additional scholars will be available to speak at schools around the country in the coming academic year. If your campus is interested in this unique and exciting opportunity, please contact Andrea Sorin.