Reflections on My Time at Hebrew University
By Tema Smith, Toronto
If I told you that my year at Hebrew University changed my life, would you believe me? Without a doubt, I would not be who I am today had I not spent a year as a graduate student studying at the Rothberg International School.
I started my year as an academic but I emerged from it as a budding Jewish professional, excited about making an on-the-ground impact to Jewish life. Just over a decade later, I am now the Director of Professional Development at InterfaithFamily, an organization that empowers people in interfaith relationships to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices, and encourages Jewish communities to embrace them, after spending the last few years as Director of Community Engagement at Holy Blossom Temple. That’s quite a journey for a woman who, until my year in Israel, had never stepped inside a synagogue for anything other than a family funeral.
The seminars at Hebrew University were electric, full of rabbinical students and Jewish educators learning alongside budding academic researchers, on beautiful Mount Scopus where you cannot help but feel a part of Jewish history. I rapidly learned Hebrew, excited to practice whenever I could on my tiyulim – my travels – around the country and my wanders through the beautiful neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.
That year in Jerusalem, I formed friendships that I know will last me a lifetime. The people I met in my classes became my family – and many of them went on to become my colleagues, shaping Jewish life in communities across North America. Brought together by Jewish thought and culture, we learned from each other in conversation led by professors who are the leading experts in their fields. And we came home with all of that knowledge, ready to apply it to our work in our respective communities.
So, it’s true – my year at Hebrew University changed my life. And I will be forever grateful for it.
- Tema Smith is currently the Director of Professional Development for InterfaithFamily