Emma Greenwald of Englewood attended SAR for High School and davens with her family at Ahavas Torah. She will be studying at Parsons School of Design after her year at Bar Ilan. During this year she has grown independently in her Judaism, and has been able to take classes that piqued her interest at Bar Ilan.

Why were you drawn to Bar Ilan XP and what makes it different from all the other programs you considered?

I really liked the mix of college campus life with a yeshiva and seminary experience; no other program offers that. There’s a lot of pressure around a gap year and squeezing as much religious growth as you can out of it, but growth can’t be rushed. It should be slow and at your own pace. That’s why I really like that most things are optional, and you are choosing to do them instead of being forced to. Personally, I like to do everything and take advantage of it, and I love growing at my own pace. Plus there is a weekly Sunday trip which is always fun.

How do you think Bar Ilan fits your personality and your own philosophical outlook?

Religion is so important but it is also personal, and I think everyone needs the space to grow in their own way. A seminary typically has a particular hashkafa they want you to be part of, and that’s definitely an important thing and maybe even best for some people, but it’s not for me. I need an environment where I can grow in my own way and at my own pace.

Is there any particular teacher that you personally connect with?

Orli Sasson is our Eim Bayit and she is genuinely the best person I have ever met. I have so much respect for her and I forget she has her own family that she’s also taking care of because she is always there for us. And every Tuesday we have Soup and Scoop where she serves us soup and we talk about Torah. The topic can be life, and making us better people, or the parsha of the week and whatever holiday is coming up.

What were your expectations going into Bar Ilan XP and how have they differed from your actual experience at Bar Ilan XP?

Not really an expectation, but Bar Ilan has a strong focus on everything being optional, and I didn’t know if everyone would take their growth and learning seriously. But everyone who chooses Bar Ilan XP is serious about taking their college courses and growing. Anyone who comes is focused on growth and it’s a wonderful environment. I was also worried that I would be left out from my friends in Jerusalem, but that has never happened. The train is incredible.

On that point, what’s a goal you had coming into the year?

I wanted to grow as a person, to be more independent and to connect to Judaism and Israel. Especially considering everything going on, I have really felt connected to Israel.

How have the current events helped you connect?

Bar Ilan did not start until October 10; that’s when the semester was supposed to start, and we all arrived after the war. We were on Zoom until November, but I felt so much safer here than I ever did back at home. I also have such a wonderful opportunity to help and give back to Israel: I often go to Tel HaShomer hospital and visit soldiers, I volunteered at a Zikim barbecue for soldiers and I babysit for reservist families.

What are your favorite classes at Bar Ilan XP?

On the religious side, I love Contemporary Halacha Issues with Rabbi Ari Kahn. We talk about controversial halachic topics that are kinda taboo but are really interesting to talk about, like abortion and the war, topics that a lot of other people would not get to think about.

For my classes at Bar Ilan, I am not getting credit for Parsons so I have much more freedom in what I can take. I do ulpan, and I take marketing and psych because I find them interesting.

Outside of learning, what else do you enjoy doing in Israel?

Every Monday I volunteer at Save A Child’s Heart,where children who suffer from heart disease are brought for treatment from developing countries. I play with them and become a familiar face to help get their minds off everything. On the more relaxing side, I go to the beach a lot.

What does a typical Shabbat look like for you?

We have in-Shabbats, which range from being on campus, to a shabbaton in the North or on different kibbutzim. For out-habbats I go to family in Jerusalem or to visit seminary friends.

Which one of those places has been your favorite to go to?

I went to my friend’s sister’s home in Zichron Yaakov and that was so fun; it was so beautiful there. Her husband just came back from milium and it was really nice to hear about everything he experienced first hand and see the family reunite.

What has been the highlight of your year so far?

We had a shabbaton with just the girls and it was really nice to hear everyone’s life stories and it was just a cozy environment.

How do you think this year will prepare you for the rest of your life?

Being here during this year, I’ve learned a lot and have seen everything first hand, and I’m really happy that I am getting experience to educate people at college next year.

Sam Savetsky of Bergenfield is a Shana Bet student currently studying at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah in Modi’in.