University

Today is the first day of classes for Israeli university students. Suddenly the campus is packed! Navigating through the crowds is a little daunting, but it’s exciting to see so many people around.

Most Israeli undergraduates are considerably older than their American counterparts. After high school, Israeli males are required to serve in the military for three years, and females are required to serve for two. Many Israeli students take an additional year or more to travel or work, so most undergraduates are in their mid-twenties. Even though approximately 1,500 students live in the dorms, a large majority of students live at home, or in their own apartments, and commute to campus.

The University of Haifa student body consists of an unusually high percentage of Arab Christians and Muslims, Druze, and recent Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, Russia, Argentina, and other places. In fact, my guess is that sabras (native Israelis) are a minority of the student body.

So far I have not observed any anti-American sentiment among Israeli students. Most are excited to meet Americans and have gone out of their way to be welcoming. I am shocked at how fluently most of the Israeli students speak English. Many have spent time in the states or have American relatives, but even some who have no American connection have managed to pick up an American accent from watching television and movies.