Letter to the Editor: Choosing a College When Jewish Values Are Factored into the Mix

Jun 5, 2018 by Susan Rosenbluth

In the Jewish Link a few weeks ago, an article appeared describing the celebration of Israel’s 70^th birthday at Rutgers University in New Brunswick (“Middlesex County Celebrates History of Israeli Music and Dance on Yom Ha’atzmaut.” May 3, 2018). This well-written, interesting piece, which focused on the history and evolution of Israeli music and dance, impacted me on a very personal level.

Raised in an observant home, I have always taken living in an Orthodox-Jewish, Zionist community for granted. Now, as a rising senior at The Frisch School in Paramus, just beginning the process of finding a suitable institution of higher learning, I have come to realize that a critical element to my college choice is determining if the school encompasses a community that shares my religious identity and values as well as my Zionist views. My long list of potential colleges suddenly and significantly shriveled when I factored in whether or not there is on campus a strong, viable Orthodox-Jewish community that shares a similar love for Israel.

As I embark on the next chapter of my life, first spending a year in Israel and then attending college, I recognize that I will no longer be able to rely on the comfortable bubble in which I grew up and relied on at home and in the yeshivot I attended for over 12 years. I will be starting a new stage in my life, one in which I will likely be stepping out of my comfort zone and into the “real world.”

It sounds scary, but the fact that I realize this now helps me stay focused on what is important to me and prepares me to take the necessary steps to stay grounded and true to myself, my values, and my goals.

Choosing the right college marks the first step towards a mostly independent decision. My ability to stay connected to the teachings and values of my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents will count as much towards my eventual college choice as will the strength of the school’s academics and breadth of extracurricular activities.

As the article in The Link describes, music and dance in Israel evolved over decades, but it always stayed true to the values of the Jewish State and to its citizens, both immigrants and native-born, all of whom love the country and grew with it. Similarly, Jews in the United States and all over the world are perpetually evolving, but the love for our local community and homeland, Israel, remain constant.

These are the deeply-grounded roots that have passed from generation to generation, and this is the heritage I hope someday to ingrain in my own children.

For me, this process starts right now with my search for a college that will accommodate all my requirements for remaining connected to the people and land that I love.

Batsheva Ohayon

Teaneck, NJ