Reflections on My Time at Hebrew University
By David Delgado, Toronto
I came to study at Hebrew University for the first time in the summer of 2012. I hadn’t thought about Israel much at the time but a good friend brought me to a presentation about the summer programs which HU hosted. Being about to finish my degree in International Relations at the University of Toronto, but still unsure about my next steps, the programs presented instantly hooked me. I signed up for a course on Geopolitics in the Middle East and applied to the Asper Family National Scholarship and successfully received it for that summer. My adventure began!
Arriving to Jerusalem and Hebrew University was eye-opening. The courses were extremely engaging and interesting and the impact of these were augmented by being able to live, walk, talk and experience the city of Jerusalem and share stories with its residents firsthand.
For all of us who have been to the city, I would say it’s a place that quickly absorbs you into its eclectic energy, vibrancy and emotion. As a student, you live your time there intensely. Every day, you feel blessed to be there and the days go by in the blink of an eye. After I returned to Canada, it took me a few weeks to realize where I had been and to fully appreciate what a magnificent place I had visited and been academically and personally enriched from.
To this day, I remember the audacious and crazy Egged bus ride into Jerusalem from the airport with another HU student and friend, Kelty Campbell, who had been on the same arrival flight as me. We agreed this was the local way to get around and even at 5 am, after our 18-hour stopover flight to Tel Aviv, we decided to take public transportation to campus.
My great experience in 2012 led me to return the following year for a semester in 2013 and then enroll in a graduate program from 2014 – 2016. You could say the city had captivated me.
On a side note, and I think an interesting coincidence, I met my future wife, who is from Spain, in Jerusalem in 2016 while she was on a visit back to the city following her own Hebrew U study abroad program the year before. I gladly note that part of the magical connection between us was Hebrew U and, of course, Jerusalem.
My experience at Hebrew U changed my life, from its academic formation, to the life and spiritual experience that being in Jerusalem gives you. I would recommend a summer in Israel to everybody, but I would warn anyone considering it to be ready to be captivated.
- David is currently a Specialist in International Relations at the University of Toronto