The Jewish Bubble

By Arielle Feit
List College/Columbia University

I am a product of Jewish education. From pre-school through high school, and now onto a double degree program at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, I admit to living in the Jewish Bubble, at least in terms of school. Sheltered? Maybe. But I'm unashamed, and feel lucky to have spent the last 19 years in a love affair with my education.

As a high school student, I was involved in USY, played volleyball, performed in school plays, and spent a great deal of time with my family and friends. Don't get me wrong - trying to find time to do the work that came along with a double curriculum wasn't always easy. But it was in that time – the time I spent learning from scholars, not teachers, and studying concepts that may have been outdated but were nonetheless fascinating – that I realized my passion for Jewish learning. I was able to question my teachers, to challenge their beliefs and interpretations, and to develop my own understandings of our sacred texts, our traditions, and our people. I learned from my peers, and taught them in return. I was invested in my Jewish education – Torah lishma – learning for the sake of learning, learning simply because I loved it.

High school was an incredible experience, as the teachers I connected with really became my mentors. The thought of leaving behind that little Jewish Bubble, even for a slightly larger Jewish Bubble, was terrifying, but little did I know that I was headed towards a big city with a beautifully tiny bubble. New York City may be huge, but my learning community is very small and tightly knit. Being at JTS, I am surrounded by some of the top Jewish scholars in the world…and they know me by name! I eat lunch with them, discuss personal issues with them, and even celebrate with them at community and religious events. But what's more – I get to learn with them, not just from them. Just like my high school teachers, my college community cares about me as a current student and as the person I will be when I leave. Not only am I invested in my education here, but my school is also invested in me – as a student, as a person, and as a member of the Jewish community.

What I think is unique to Jewish Education is the emphasis on ethics, on morals, on being a good human being and not simply a good student. The classes may be tough and the curriculum may be rigorous, but the professors are just as invested in our well-being and success as people, as they are concerned with our academic success. Jewish education is not just about the Torah, the Mishnah, the Gemara, or the plethora of commentators that go along with them. Jewish education is about creating knowledgeable Jews and good people. It's about developing a deeper understanding of the thought that went into the Talmud, and a deeper sense of compassion for the suffering of people in Sudan, in Guatemala, and in New Orleans. It's about loving our neighbors as ourselves, Jewish or not, and about appreciating the earth we have been given and leaving it better than we found it. Jewish education tries to instill in its students a passion for learning and a curiosity and drive for knowledge. But more than that, Jewish education strives to invigorate its students with the wisdom to understand, the compassion to listen, and the courage to help. After all, coming from a small Jewish Bubble doesn't mean you can't make a big difference.

Arielle Feit, originally from Los Angeles, CA, is a junior at List College, majoring in Urban Studies at Columbia, and Talmud and Rabbinics at JTS.

[Posted 12/16/09]