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September 13, 2007: Dr. Paul Wright, Executive
Director
The turn of the seasons is in the air, the High
Holydays are right around the corner (this year Ramadan begins on
Rosh haShannah as well), and a new year has begun at Jerusalem
University College. For the first time in several years we have a
full campus, with 58 students living on Mount Zion and a total of
92 enrolled for the semester. Of these, 58 are grad students,
28 of whom are pursuing the MA degree. We have a bit of a
population explosion of little ones, too, as altogether thirteen
children are here with their student-parents. Who’s learning more?
It’s hard to be sure. For those of you who have been tracking our
numbers over the past few years, it is obvious that God has blessed
abundantly. You have supported us faithfully and many have worked
tirelessly on behalf of JUC without thought of recognition or
special reward, but it is God who sustains our very existence and
provides the increase.
In addition to our regular top-notch fall
semester faculty (Dr. Gabi Barkay, Dr. Yigal Levin, Dr. Hal
Revelson, Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, Jon Kaplan, Rabbi Moshe Silberschein,
Oded Yinon and Dr. Paul Wright) we welcome back Dr.
Rivka Maoz and Salwa Awad to our ranks. Dr. Maoz is
teaching an honors seminar for second year MA students in the social
aspects of Israeli Literature, and Salwa has two Arabic courses with
14 students total, the most ever taking Arabic at JUC. Cyndi
Parker, instructor in our short-term program, has also moved
into our semester ranks with an undergrad section of Physical
Settings. And, we are very pleased to again be offering Modern
Hebrew in our semester curriculum.
Associated schools sending students this fall
include Bethel College, Calvin College, Cedarville University,
Columbia International University, Cornerstone University, Geneva
College, Gordon College, Grace University, Multnomah Bible College,
Northwestern College, Westmont College, Wheaton College, Alliance
Theological Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary, Assemblies of God
Theological Seminary, Denver Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
It is primarily because this is the largest representation of
associated schools in several years to send students to JUC that our
enrollment is nearly at the century mark. A big thank-you to all!
As always, a full slate of field studies is
scheduled to places in and around Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,
Galilee, the Negev and Jordan. This coming weekend we are squeezing
in a day trip to Yehudia on the Golan Heights, for hiking (and
swimming) between (and through) pools of water fed by cascading
waterfalls. Many students are also signing up for volunteer
commitments at area ministries, most as classroom assistants in
local schools (including Makor HaTikvah, the Jerusalem School and
the Princess Basma School), but also at the Domari (Gypsy) Center
and the Four Homes of Mercy. Not only does volunteering offer a
break from the routine of Mount Zion, our students are given
wonderful chances to interface directly with people in the Jerusalem
community, and so learning, stretching and growing by helping
others. During semester orientation I tell everyone that their JUC
experience is much like being in a laboratory. Imagine—learning
about the lands of the Bible and the modern Middle East hands-on,
in a city that is as varied cross-culturally as can be found
anywhere.
About a week before the semester began, a group
of Israelis came through campus to visit the Protestant cemetery on
Mount Zion. I could tell from their appearance that most were
religiously observant. This is not unusual, as the cemetery is an
important historic landmark in Jerusalem and its stories are stories
that are known to both Christians and Jews. Not long after they
arrived one man had to leave, and when I unlocked the campus gate
for him to pass I noticed that he was carrying a bunch of grapes
that he had picked from our grape vines, without asking of course.
Although I said nothing, he quickly offered an explanation: “They’re
just for eating,” then walked out.
What an excuse! Of course they’re for eating.
What else would he do with them? But then I quickly remembered the
Torah provision in Deuteronomy 23:24:
When you enter your neighbor’s
vineyard you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied but
you shall not put any in your basket.
Its part of the God’s vision for life in the
Holy Land—neighbors opening their hands to neighbors (Jesus later
defined who a neighbor was), without having to be asked or even
having to know—though with the expectation that the one who receives
won’t take advantage of the one who is able to give. Idealistic or
not, the principle shouldn’t be restricted to life in ancient
Israel. Indeed, I must say that it was rather fun to see it how the
precept in its exact detail is still assumed in 2007, and I
was happy to help this fellow keep Torah. (That we have more grapes
that we can use anyway ought to be beside the point!)
A week later our students arrived on campus,
wide-eyed (partly from anticipation, partly from the grind of their
flights) and eager for the learning experience of a lifetime. Their
classes focus on the world of the Bible then (history,
geography, archaeology and language) and now (society,
politics, religion and language). These two areas of our curriculum
don’t stand alone. They are, in fact, related, and its fun to see
students begin to make connections between past and present, how God
has worked and how He continues to do so today, and to watch them
learn to place the world of the Bible into a living, relevant
context. It’s a process, of course, and what better place to begin!
We closed the last fiscal year in very good
condition, secure on Mt. Zion and squarely facing the future. This
is due in no small measure to a faithful team of donors, sound
fiscal practices, strong management and a wise board of directors.
As supporters of the vision of Jerusalem University College, you can
be confident that your efforts are reaping large dividends. We
continue to covet your prayers and, in terms of giving, welcome
gifts in particular to our scholarship fund. I wish that you could
sit with our group of 28 MA students, look into their eyes and see
the wonderful potential that yet awaits their lifetimes of service.
Some are here only because of scholarship help. You can allow them
to stay.
Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year) to all! |
