Please read and react, either by commenting or even writing a letter to the presidents themselves; whatever we can do to save the program. I have a friend who is looking forward to participating in this program in Fall 2012, and he won't be able to if the program is canceled. Thank you.
John Sexton - President of NYU
john.sexton@nyu.edu
Jerry Hultin - President of NYU-Poly
hultin@poly.edu
_______________
Dear President Sexton and President Hultin,
My name is Joshua Rubock and I am currently a graduate student in the NYU-Poly Master's in Israel program. As you know, I have been living in Israel as a participant on this program since last October and will finish the program within the coming weeks. All participants have been notified by Israel Way-Oranim's Director of Admissions, Ofir Teva, that the university wishes to discontinue the NYU-Poly in Israel program and no one directly associated with the program was notified about it from NYU or NYU-Poly administration. I urge you to reconsider your positions.
Joining this program nine months ago has provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that cannot, and will not, be compared to anything of any sort EVER. First of all, finding this program allowed me the ability to come back to Israel for the first time since going on my Taglit-Birthright Israel trip three years ago, and getting my Master's degree here has allowed me to accomplish my objective earlier than I had thought possible. I discovered the program by Googling "Israel opportunity programs" for an assignment for my Hillel internship two years ago at the University of Connecticut. Now that I look back, it was the best decision of my life.
While studying for my MS in Organizational Behavior, I have done so much that no NYU-Poly student in Brooklyn can say they have done by gaining an international experience in graduate school. We are taught by Israeli professors, providing a different view of the world than the traditional American view; they educate us on how American companies run and how Israeli companies run, too. I have traveled all over Israel and outside of Israel; Oranim has taken us on trips to Eilat, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, the Negev desert, Safed, and every place in between while learning about Israel's unique history and culture. I have traveled on my own (or with friends) to nearby cities while living in Tel Aviv, the cultural capital of Israel. I have learned to speak Hebrew while engaging with locals, the best way to learn about a new culture. I have made many new friends in other MASA programs, not just from the United States but also from Canada, South America, Europe, and Russia. I have traveled to Jordan and Europe with friends, learning more about other cultures around the world. I have participated in several security and diplomacy programs and seminars, becoming more Zionist than I had ever been before and paying more attention to world news than previously. I have even worked an internship that has taught me about the human resources field by selling a new service by a start-up company.
I am not the same person I was nine months ago. When I return to the US in ten weeks, I will have become more knowledgeable about many cultures, about human resource management, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and have grown so much thanks to every opportunity I have taken advantage of. If I had done the same program in Brooklyn, all that would have changed was learning about human resources and getting my degree. However, now I have friends from all over the world and knowledge from many different sources.
A friend of mine from high school applied to join this past Spring semester, however, since NYU-Poly decided to postpone the incoming class because a minimum number of people had not applied, he was not able to come here. He applied because he saw what I have been writing on my blog (http://gradschoolinisrael.
The program has not had very much success admitting students because it is not marketed enough, and Oranim cannot do it alone. I have searched all over the Internet and all over the NYU and NYU-Poly sites, and NOTHING mentions the NYU-Poly Master's in Israel program as an option to study. It is only mentioned on Oranim's website and MASA's website and their social media pages, and they often have trouble getting the word out because the only other type of people they have to spread the word about the program is alumni. This program needs all the help it can get to market it. Without such information the program is sure to crumble, however, with your help it can thrive again. Undergraduates at NYU get the chance to experience something similar to what NYU-Poly offers and it's all right here: http://www.nyu.edu/
When I first applied, I was blown away to find such an amazing program already available. Why take it away from others in the future, like the 50 current prospective applicants planning to start in Fall 2012? They can learn so much from living for a year in a country that is the only free democracy in the Middle East and is a global leader in culture and innovation today with its technological start-ups. NYU and NYU-Poly fit well with Israeli culture and society, focusing on i2e, innovation and entrepreneurship are in both the blood of NYU-Poly and Israeli culture. Please reconsider your thoughts and actions of discontinuing the NYU-Poly Master's in Israel program and give future students the ability to learn in an environment in which few can.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Joshua Rubock
Josh, your letter is positively brilliant! You actually captured the essence of what it's like to be on the program. As a reader, I am convinced of the program's immense value and that it should continue. I would be shocked if this letter doesn't raise some eyebrows in New York.
ReplyDeleteWe needed a Communications (and Psych) major to get the point across to them and you not only fit that bill but came through big time! Thanks from all of us. You taught me a lot.