COMMENT & ANALYSIS My Erasmus Experience in Jerusalem

Rebecca Cleere Deputy Editor

In Trinity, Erasmus is a rite of passage. For all its merits and demerits, studying abroad has become a cornerstone of the college experience. Each September, thousands of Irish students travel abroad to experience new cultures, languages and friends.

In February, I began my own Erasmus journey as I arrived in Jerusalem, Israel. For many people, the Middle East is a chaotic, misunderstood region that does not conjure images of what one would expect from a fun, carefree Erasmus. As I waited for my flight to Tel Aviv, I wondered if I had made a colossal mistake. Jerusalem plays a central role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and my student accomodation was in East Jerusalem; an area infamous for its political tensions.

Unlike my semester in Spain, I had concerns about my safety, my identity and my commitment to spending several months in Israel.

Thankfully, I was wrong. Politics and religion define life in Jerusalem, but they don’t define the lives of ordinary people. The city is separated into Jewish, Christian, Armenian and Muslim quarters but on Thursday nights, everyone converges on Ben Yehuda street for “street parties”.

Although I do recognise that I am very privileged, I feel extremely safe in Jerusalem. Security is taken seriously here, and the people are exceedingly kind. While visiting Ramallah, a Palestinian man drove us to the checkpoint as buses were not working. When my luggage was lost upon arrival, my Israeli taxi driver drove around the city to retrieve it. I have been invited to Shabbat dinners by strangers and been given restaurant recommendations by an American priest.

Of course, there are simmering tensions in the city, especially during religious holidays. While most people are more committed to their communities than politics, protests about judicial reforms have occurred frequently. In Jerusalem, I have become an expert at “reading the room”.

Living in Jerusalem is an education in itself, everyone has stories to tell. Interacting with locals has given me a greater understanding of the conflict, and my classes have a practical, people first approach to teaching politics, religion and history. In essence, while this has been a non traditional destination, I have learned more than I bargained for.

The Middle East is a beautiful region, and every time I explore a new country I am reminded why I chose to study Middle Eastern studies. Nuance is so important when discussing the region and its conflict as things are not as black and white as they seem.

To me, therefore, Jerusalem is the most fascinating city in the world, and given the chance, I would live here forever.