Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Jessi | Israel


Jessi Donaghe is a UW senior who traveled to Israel during the summer of 2012 as part of a Faculty-Led Program. During her Faculty-LedProgram, a group of students, led by a UW faculty member, earned academic credit while traveling throughout Israel studying “Religions of the Middle East.” Jessi learned about Judaism, Islam, and Christianity while visiting historic sacred sites and meeting with leaders in cities like Galilee and Jerusalem.

The group stayed in hostels during most of the three-week course; Jessi really enjoyed the experience. One of her favorite parts of the trip was visiting Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a tunnel under the City of David, which is mentioned in the Bible (2 Kings 20:20). Another highlight of Jessi’s trip was travelling to Egypt and climbing Mount Sinai. She reflected on the experience saying, “Now I can say I had breakfast where Moses was said to have gotten the Ten Commandments. That is an amazing thing to be able to say.”      
        
Jessi’s greatest challenge during the trip was finding her way around Israel. She admitted that she got lost in a busy city market. However, she was able to find her way after asking for directions. Jessi recommends that UW student’s pre-designate meeting places when wondering in a new city!

If you are interested in traveling to Israel, studying religion, or participating in a Faculty-Led program, feel free to contact Jessi at jdonaghe@uwyo.edu