Students who recently studied in Israel share diverse experiences from their time studying abroad thanks to funding provided by the Y&S Nazarian Center.

Ramses Bulatao

The UCLA alumnus ('17) and linguistics major shares experiences from his summer studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - and then his year completing a Master's at Tel Aviv University - all the while learning to love the country's culture and most importantly, its people.

"But just as important as my experiences in the classroom were my experiences outside the walls of the Hebrew University: these experiences brought me even closer to the people of diverse backgrounds, religions, and upbringings. It gave me a glimpse of what it was like to live in a society where such different people often brush shoulders."

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Rebecca Handler

The incoming fourth year psychology major discusses experiencing new viewpoints in her summer classes at the Hebrew University that challenged her previously held beliefs and her travels across the country.

"While I didn’t always agree with some of the viewpoints we heard from, I was opened up to a wide range of new opinions. I learned how to develop my own views while still being open to conversation with those I disagreed with."

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Aixian Yuan

The UCLA alumna ('17) and former Jewish Studies major writes about studying Hebrew at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, exploring Israel's diverse food, and how her experiences in Israel were informed by her faith.

"In the beginning, it was difficult for me to follow along with the teachers since the classes were taught in Hebrew instead of English and Hebrew was spoken even during break time. This really pushed me to listen and learn to speak Hebrew to improve my language skills."

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