When UW-Madison announced April 3 that it was suspending its study abroad program to Israel, four students had to make a decision about whether they would stay at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and study as students not affiliated with the university, or come home by the April 11 deadline set by school officials.
UW-Madison juniors Josh Beraha and Naomi Abelson are two of the students participating in the study abroad program in the midst of the escalating conflict in Israel. Beraha chose to stay in Jerusalem. Abelson's plane leaves Thursday.
Beraha said UW-Madison should have made coming home optional for students, as most other universities are doing, and perhaps had them sign something saying they would not hold the school responsible if anything happened to them.
\I personally decided to stay because I have a dedication to the state of Israel and I think it's really sad that Wisconsin and a lot of other schools cancelled their programs,"" he said.
But not being a UW-Madison student will add some complications to Beraha's immediate future, such as transferring finances and earning credits.
""I'm not even sure if I can register next week,"" he said.
Although Abelson said she also feels deeply about the country, she had been thinking about coming back to Wisconsin and the university's announcement last week reinforced her decision.
""I had been thinking about this for a while, and my parents and I decided to wait out the week'this last week'and see what was going to happen and then we were going to discuss it this next weekend, but that's a little late,"" she said. ""Ultimately it was Wisconsin that gave me the push.""
Both Abelson and Beraha said it is still difficult for some to fully comprehend what the situation is like in Israel.
""I think people have a false impression of our life here. ... We don't walk down the street with tanks rolling around,"" Abelson said.
In addition, when Beraha spoke to Joan Raducha, director of UW-Madison International Academic Programs last week, he said it was unfair for the university to make this kind of call without giving students a choice.
""I told her that she can watch the news and she can read all the State Department warnings she wants, but until she comes and she's living in the dorm and in this part of Jerusalem, I don't think she has the right to say,"" he said.
While Abelson and Beraha are currently in the same dorm on campus, within a day or two they will be thousands of miles apart and living completely different lives. Abelson will go home to Shorewood, Wis., where she will finish her courses by e-mail correspondence with her professors.
""It's sad to leave friends and to feel that I'm losing a month and a half, two months of what I thought I was going to get, but situations happen and you have to adjust to it,"" she said.
Meanwhile, Beraha said he knows his experience in Israel is far different from any other study abroad programs to the country previously. He rarely takes the five-minute cab ride to downtown and never takes the bus.
""Imagine not being able to go to State Street because you're afraid State Street Brats is going to blow up,"" he said.
Still, he is just trying to go about his day-to- day life, such as continuing to spend time with his Israeli roommate.
""We were watching TV tonight, 'The Simpsons' were on, we were playing FIFA soccer on his computer,"" he said. ""It's not like we're at war and we have to be in the bomb shelters. We make a couple of changes here and there, and it's scary when we go out. But I think the most important thing is to try to move on somehow.""
