Israel is a region of intersection. As Northwestern students made connections at clinics, often overlooked corners of Tel Aviv and religious landmarks, they saw health, community and spirituality weave together.
Bnei Brak
“The trip to the Tipat Halav clinic offered an interesting look into the specific ways that the Israeli government helps with infant wellness and the complicated issues involved. One nurse told us a story about a patient who refused to be seen by anyone who was not an Orthodox Jew, which creates difficult situations because there are so few practicing medicine and those that do ten toward hospitals. The conversation with the Orthodox woman was particularly interesting simply because we got to hear directly from a member of the community.” – James
“The presentations were excellent, [and] touring the facility and getting to sit in on appointments and classes was a fantastic opportunity. Rather than looking at Haredim from a political standpoint, we learned what being Orthodox means, and I know that really helped me better understand them academically as a minority, as well as on a personal level.” – Rebecca
Central Station
“We got to see an area of Tel Aviv that we might have otherwise entirely bypassed. The manager of the Levinsky Clinic was very accommodating, particularly on the often misunderstood and ignored sex worker population and what it means from a public health perspective. This trip was outside the scope of some of the more prosperous areas of Israel and a much more realistic view of some of the most pressing problems among the groups of Israeli society that truly struggle with health care disparities.” – James
“…After the sexual health clinic, we visited the refugee clinic. The staff explained their role in the community and how their staff is made up mostly of volunteers. They discussed the challenges they face when serving refugees as they must build a lot of trust and credibility in this population. We heard from an Eritrean refugee who described his story. It was difficult to understand his English, but I could tell from his tone and body language that the clinic had a large impact in his life which led to him serving there for the last five years.” – Mike
Christianity in the Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, “The Kibbutz,” the Golan Heights, Haifa, Zefat (Safad), Orthodox Jews in Israel, Historical Acre, the Baha’is and the Druze minority in Israel
“We stopped at each site and learned its basic history. A priest in Galilee blessed us by Peter’s rock, courtesy of our very own resident director. In Acre we met with a wonderful man named Hassan… he was so humble and kind, yet obviously wise. He fought for peace between Arabs and Jews in Israel, and he predated 1948 yet decided to stay in Acreo, regardless of his situation.” – Mike
