I am majoring in Tanach and minoring in Toldot Yisrael (Jewish History)

How does one get accepted to Bar Ilan?

By applying. You need SAT, ACT or Psychometric scores. Applications can be bought at Steimetzky's or the Bookstore in Bar Ilan, or obtained in chu"l from the Bar Ilan offices there. The deadline for next year is the end of May, except for Law, Psychology and social work whose deadline is the end of April (applications for those departments should be faxed immediately to Zahava Glanz, dean of students office, 972-3-535-1522). You should hear back from the university 2-3 weeks after submitting an application, except for law that takes longer.

What can one study?

One can study ALMOST anything here. The faculties are Jewish studies, law, social sciences, life sciences, exact sciences and humanities and include hundreds of majors and minors. (Although not any major can be combined with any minor) Israeli universities require students to declare a major right away, and students study courses almost exclusively in their fields, but don't worry if you don't know what you want to do with your life yet- THATS NORMAL! Many people end up changing their course of study after their first semester or year, once they have a better idea of what they're really interested in. BI students are also required to take a certain amount of Judaic studies classes. Students can choose to take the regular Judaic University class for credit, join the midrasha/kollel or take a combination of university and midrasha/kollel classes. Students that have already studies in a midrashsa or yeshiva can get exempt from some of these classes. Boys who study a certain amount of hours in the kollel and girls in the metivta program (the intensive midrashsa track) receive stipends. The regular Judaic classes in the university is taught from a more academic perspective and requires fewer hours than the kollel/midrasha programs.

Who is Zahava and what does she do? How can one reach her?

Zahava Glanz is the Assistant Dean of Students who's job is to help/advise students from chu"l. She can be reached at 03-531-8274/5, 03-531-8652/3 or glanzd@mail.biu.ac.il. She answers a lot of technical questions about Bar Ilan, advises about different courses of study available and takes care of difficulties that arise for English speaking (or not-so-Hebrew speaking) students. If you have a lot of questions and are in the country, it is best to arrange a personal meeting with her. Make sure to come with a prepared list of questions. It is also a good idea to ask the same questions to BI students in addition to Zahava (she knows things we don't know about, and we know things from experience that she isn't always aware of).

What is the education like?

It depends on the department. I know that Psychology, criminology, law, English, political science and computer science have very good reputations (some the best in the country). Personally, I feel I'm getting a very comprehensive education in my field. I find a lot of my professors to be not only extremely knowledgeable (as they should be) but good teachers as well. Sometimes, however, I feel like I'm still in high school, especially since teachers take attendance. (This is not true in other departments, especially ones that have lectures with hundreds of students.) It's important to find out which teachers are worth taking before making your schedule, it can completely change your experience.

How did you manage the Hebrew when you got there?

The fact that I learned Judaic studies in Hebrew in HS and I'm studying Tanach and Jewish History helped ALOT. I also happened to have a lot of American teachers whose accents are even worse than mine which made it much easier for me to understand them. I'd say I understood about 75% of my lectures last year. But it was still tough. There was one class I just stopped going too because I couldn't understand a word and it was just so FRUSTRATING! Lot of people find the worst part of their Israeli University experience to not always be able to express themselves and communicate. Last year there were days when I just blanked out on all the Hebrew I ever learned, or just got tired of making an effort to speak Hebrew so I just talked to the Israelis in English. I was too self-conscious of my Hebrew to talk out loud in class. Sometimes I went over my notes at night picking out words I didn't know, looking them up, making word lists and studying them. That method definitely increased my vocabulary but it's very tedious. In one class I sat next to an Israeli who had very good English. Every time the teacher used a word I didn't know, I wrote it on the top of my page of notes and the Israeli would write the English meaning. That was very helpful. Another trick I picked up was that instead of breaking my teeth over Hebrew articles for finals, I summarized the English articles to the Israelis and in return they explained the Hebrew articles to me. That way we both learn all the material and neither of us has to read in a foreign language.

How do you manage the Hebrew now?

I'd say my understanding has risen to about 90% of my lectures. It's still hard- there's a really good teacher that I dropped because he spoke too fast and I just couldn't catch what he was saying- but I feel more comfortable participating in classes. My conversational Hebrew has definitely improved. Although I still get frustrated that I just can't communicate sometimes, it definitely happens less. I understand ALOT more of the news than I used to, and reading the newspaper is less intimidating. I still dread reading long Hebrew articles but I'm slowly getting used to that.

Do Professors let you write papers/tests in English?

Yes, thank G-d! You can get tests translated into English for a small fee, but chutznikim are also allowed to bring Hebrew English dictionaries to tests. Chutznikim also get an extra half-hour to take every final. If you write "oleh chadash" on the top of your test papers professors take that into account while grading. There are even a few classes you can take in English, given by the One-Year Program (the program may change this policy next year, but will not decide until registration time), or easy Hebrew, with the mechinah program. Some subjects, like psychology and biology, have their textbooks and articles in English.

What are the benefits of going to university in Israel?

1. YOU ARE LIVING IN ERETZ YISRAEL!

2. If you officially declare aliyah, you get FREE TUITION! Even if you don't, the $3,000 per year (about) is still pretty cheap compared to the states.

3. You get off all chagim (plus isru chag!) and classes end early on Chanukah (in Bar Ilan), so you don't have to worry about having to make classes or tests up because of religious observances.

4. If you are planning on making aliyah in the future, you might as well learn the Israeli system in your field and make connections now rather than earning a degree in America and then having to start from scratch.

5. Aliyah entails frustrations and hardships no matter when you make it, but it's probably easier to learn Hebrew and get used to Israeli society when you are surrounded by it in university than when you make aliyah when you are older.

6. Moed Bet- if you fail a final or don't want to take it on the assigned date, you can retake it or take it for the first time)in September. (this can also be a chisaron also because it can interfere with plans to visit chu"l.

You have less opportunity to receive a liberal arts education. (Israeli University requires students to declare a major from the beginning and the classes you take are almost exclusively in that subject. The flip side of that is that by the time you finish your BA, you already have a thorough knowledge of you chosen field and there is less pressure to earn a masters right away). It is very hard and frustrating to attend classes that are all in Hebrew. As a result, your grades may not be as high as you were able to earn in chu"l. There is very little campus life compared to American universities. There are only a few extracurricular activities offered and you have to take more of an initiative in order to discover opportunities for volunteering and getting involved in things. In Bar Ilan especially there are a lot of technical annoyances. The bureaucracy is terrible, the libraries close very early (between 2:45 and 8:30, depending on the dept.) and there are often not enough computers available. It's great that we don't start till after Sukkot, but because of that we also end very late (finals finish the end of July).

What is the chevra (social groups) like?

The BI population itself is very diverse. There are people from every country and background you can think of (you see kibbutz galuyot right in front of your eyes every day!) There are chilonim, datiim and everything in between. There is an especially large group of English speakers, mostly young men and women who made aliyah on their own, that comprise the informal "English speaking chevra." THE CHEVRA IS THE BEST PART OF BAR ILAN! Since we're all in the same boat as olim chadashim, the chevra is a very good support group! We have a weekly English shiur, make meals together when we stay in for Shabbat, have our own Achi team, join Yavneh shabbatonim and activities, etc. We know what it's like to be a confused new oleh starting bar ilan and warmly welcome newcomers. Bar Ilan also has a tzevet klita who organize special events and tiyulim for the Bar Ilan olim which are a great way to meet fellow olim from all over the world! I hope I'm not giving the impression that the Americans separate themselves from the Israelis. You can if you prefer to, but most people have Israeli friends and even an Israeli "chevra" that they're part of too. The best way to make Israeli friends is by studying together and living in the dorms. (They're also good for practicing conversational Hebrew!)

What is the Torah environment?

Bar Ilan is an official religious university. There is a rav hacampus, batei kneset on campus with minyanim all the time, there are chagigot on the holidays and concerts include Chaim Dovid and Reva lsheva, all restaurants on campus are kosher. There are at least 4 weekly shiurim, including Rav Motty Alon (of Chorev and MiBreishit) and Rav Henler (from Shaalvim). Even though there seem to be about the same number of dati and chiloni students (I don't know what the accurate proportion is), I feel the campus has a religious tone to it. Bar Ilan isn't like yeshiva, but it's a better religious environment than other universities. If you want a really torani environment, you have to make it for yourself. Inside the Kollel and Midrasha, the environment and chevra tend to be a lot more Toradik. You can also develop relationships with a lot of the rabanim and teachers there. The "chevra" also has our very own English speaking Rav Finkelstein who often gives the English shiur but more importantly is there for any student who would like to discuss anything with him.

Overall, do you recommend Bar Ilan? Why or why not?

Bar Ilan is not for everyone. If you are looking for a purely religious environment I would recommend looking into michlalot or yeshiva programs like machon lev. Academically, certain departments are better at other universities. BUT, a lot of people have formed a strong torani chevra here, forming chavrutot and chaburot, giving shiurim, organizing shabbatonim, etc. and many find the friendliness of bar ilan and their support for olim (both formal and informal) extremely helpful. In BI you will definitely be able to find a chevra who you can fit in with socially, religiously and nationality, no matter what your social religious and national identity might be. This is an OPEN INVITATION to anyone who would like to come for Shabbat, whether you're interested in making aliyah and/or coming to Bar Ilan or not. If you are interested in Bar Ilan, the best way to see what its like is to come for a full weekend (Shabbat through Sunday). That will give you the opportunity to speak with people in whatever programs you're interested in, ask Zahava your questions, see the campus and sit in on classes. (Don't worry, we'll take care of you!)

If anyone has any questions about Bar Ilan or aliyah in general, feel free to reach me at 03-532-5188, 067-525-188 or shoshio18@hotmail.

Kol tuv and b'hatzlacha rabbah!
Shoshana Kalker