My Life Abroad in London

By Jillian Gruber
Binghamton University

Studying abroad has been one of the best experiences of my entire life. I never thought I would get the chance to cross Abbey Road, see The Sistine Chapel, and climb the Eiffel Tower all in one semester. I spent five months living and learning in London, a city much like my home city of New York. During my time there, I did a lot of things similar to the things I do when I am studying at Binghamton. Going to classes, reading a lot, writing papers, and meeting and hanging out with friends were only some of the things I did. One thing that I usually do or take part in at Binghamton that I did not get a chance to do in London was to be a part of the Jewish student body.

At Binghamton I attend Shabbat dinner and participate in events held by Hillel. The university that I attended this semester did not have events like these. I did not really feel like there was a way to connect with my fellow Jewish students. Through friends, I heard that there were organized Shabbat dinners hosted by different organizations in London. I never got a chance to attend any of these dinners and that is one thing I really regret not doing. I think a big part of the reason why a sense of Jewish community was lacking in my university was that it was a commuter school in the middle of a large city. At a school like Binghamton, everybody lives in close vicinity and it is more accessible as well as easier to communicate about such an event.

On a more positive note, I did meet a lot of Jewish students, most of whom were international students from the United States. I never met any Jewish British students, although I believe it would have been very interesting to hear about any customs or traditions that might differ from country to country. Although I did not get the opportunity to fully embrace my religion, I still had an amazing experience.

Jillian Gruber is a senior majoring in human development at Binghamton University. She lives in New York City and loves reading, hanging out with friends, and music.