2009 Testimonials

• "I found that the seminar radically informed my conceptions ... by presenting me with work of the great Jewish minds, ancient and modern, and the thoughtfully considered and challenging opinions of staff and peers. These all sharpened my thoughts, forced me to measure my beliefs and stances against all of the new material I encountered" - Yedidya Schwartz (Yale University)

• "This seminar seriously affected my understanding of Jewish thought, how I understand myself, and how I envision my future work." - Colin Bottles (Carleton College )

• "The seminar's fusion of intellectualism with implicit activism provided the groundwork and assumptions for discussion all too often absent in American/Diaspora-Israeli joint programs...I was inspired by the variety of serious students participating with me." - Yair Rosenberg (Harvard University)

• "The seminar was a wonderful important opportunity to learn about Jewish thought and enduring questions with people from all sorts of Jewish, and non-Jewish, backgrounds...I feel even more certain than ever that the importance is in the questioning itself, and in the exploration of multiple approaches, even if no conclusive answer or definitive solution may ever be reached"- Rebecca Mintz (Yeshiva University )

• "The social aspect of the seminar was very significant for me. Aside from meeting new people and forming new relationships, I feel that the seminar opened me up to new ways of seeing things, and enriched me culturally."-Hillel Walfish (Ben Gurion University )

• "The experience at Princeton was filled with growth on numerous levels, but one of the most important things that I learned was the importance of creating a culture of learning. The beautiful facilities at Princeton and the delicious meals at the Center for Jewish Life generated a community of learners. The knowledge acquired during the sessions was processed over food and long walks. In a sentence, I observed that the right atmosphere allows for wisdom to come to life though lively conversation." -Noah Cheses (Yeshiva University)

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  Dining and Discussion at the CJL

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• "The topics of the seminar very much affected the way I think and feel about some of the more pressing and enduring questions I have confronted in my life. The readings were especially well-selected..."-Lauren Gottlieb (Columbia University)

• "Deepening my understanding of these abstract terms [at the seminar] and what Judaism has to say about them, is very important for my professional future and not just my intellectual curiosity" - Omri Davidov (Tel Aviv University)

• "I feel very strongly that I am just beginning a new chapter in my religious education, one which I will continue to pursue largely thanks to the continued support and thoughtfulness of students and teachers I met at the Tikvah program. There is no doubt that this seminar and the relationships that it formed will go on to be very impactful  in my life, both as a Jew and as an academic." - Erick Rabin (Duke University)

• "The seminar further affirmed my conviction that no matter the date of a text, its ideas may be as pertinent and as essential now as they were when it was first written." - Adena Shier (University of Toronto)