I just walked home with my professor Jewish Cultural history (David Ruderman). He’s an American (have to write a paper very soon so maybe I’ll need some of you guys again to edit it :D) working at the university of Philadelphia. A very friendly and warm-hearted man. As we were chatting, he offered me the opportunity to work next summer (2006) in Israel for a couple of months, as a historian (working on an exclevation site). I know I’ll be used for the dirty work most likely (I’m by all means not a professor) but I still think this is a huge opportunity for me. Should I try to go ahead with it or do you all find this a bit dubious?
By: F-18 Hamburger - 25th May 2005 at 07:43
You should do it, just be mindful of certain areas you go to, they’re quite obvious and should be well within common sense. Don’t do what Natalie Portman did in Jerusalem 😛
By: Ben. - 25th May 2005 at 07:26
Well never been to Israel. Told him though it’s on my top list, but a bit difficult to get there because I don’t know any people living there. So he suggested this and gave me his email-adress. I hope English will be sufficient because I was not planning to take a course on Hebrew 😀 eventhough this might come handy one day.
However, they do need historians as well. So I hope to do a bit more than make coffee for the rest :). I regret though I know hardly anything about ancient Middle Eastern History, but that can be fixed I guess. I would make my Curriculum Vitae more interresting as well.
By: Snapper - 24th May 2005 at 23:10
Do it Ben.
When I finished my A Levels at 18 I spent 3 months as a deckhand on my aunt’s game fishing charter boat in South Africa (she was starting the business). Long hours, hard work, and due to the exchange rate it wasn’t for the money! Absolutely loved it and a great start to working life. Came home, a few months later I went to work as a maintenance labourer on a farm in Denmark for the summer. 1 day off every 13, hot, sweaty hard work. Fantastic. Face it, you’ll be a long time in the office…..
Some things you can’t get through the normal channels. What will you learn? Loads. What will you see? Loads. What (professional) good will it do you? None at all. Will you regret it? Never. You get to stay in a foreign country doing something that you’ll always remember. Not to mention the fact that it is perhaps the most fascinating historical and religious area you can find.
And two last things. Wear a hat and drink plenty of water.
(ps – if you go into the old city of Jerusalem, enter through Damascus Gate and head down to the left – I think – on your left is a cavern-like building that is a bar and eatery for the backpacker crowds. The walls are covered in names and dates – perhaps mine is still there somewhere – and order yourself a curry and a beer, for me. Best damned place I found in the country.)
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May 24, 2005 at 9:02 pm