The Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies

International Experiences

Traveling abroad provides an exchange of ideas, an exchange of traditions, and an exchange of cultures; it provides "a firsthand education that does not compare with any classroom," said student Janet Valencia. "We all come from many different places, but really there is more that is the same than different." To that end, the Glazer Institute funds student travel to Jewish communities in Israel and worldwide as part of the students' cultural, educational, and spiritual journeys at the undergraduate and the graduate levels.

The Internship Program in Israel allows students representing every school at Pepperdine to delve deeper into the culture of Israel. Students leave their comfort zones and explore firsthand what life in a Jewish state is really like. Participants live in Israel for eight weeks while interning for an Israeli organization that parallels their academic interests, career goals, and interest.

At Seaver College, the Glazer Institute also sponsors study abroad experiences in Israel and in Jewish communities in Europe and South America. In these programs, students have the opportunity to visit sacred areas of spiritual pilgrimage and historical significance, while learning from experts in the fields of religion, history, and politics. When combined with on-campus educational activities, these experiences offer opportunities to expand and challenge preconceived notions of faith, Judaism, Israel, and interfaith relations.

"Israel is a place you hear about in the news. It is a land mentioned time and time again in ancient history class or Religion 101. If I open up my Bible I can read all about the events that took place in Jerusalem, Galilee, Jericho, and Nazareth. However, it wasn't until I stepped off of the airplane in Tel Aviv and filled my lungs with the salty sea air that I realized Israel is not just a land of stories but a promised land with a pounding pulse, a land where history is not sedentary but perpetually being made and shaping the lives of its people."--Chelsie Corbett, Seaver student and participant in the Israel Educational Field Trip with the Florence Study Abroad program in Spring 2010