Posted January 21 2008
Lets Go Terps!
Universities are known for their exceptional skill of aiding the personal accommodation of those desiring an education. But with finals on Saturday mornings, concerts on Friday nights, and Thursday night football games on Rosh Hashana, where does the average Orthodox Jewish college student fit in? At first glance, a public university like University of Maryland may not seem as inviting as a school specifically targeted to a Jewish population. However, for the past two-and-a-half years, I have been a student at the University of Maryland, able to live my life as a proud Jew. While there have been some obstacles to overcome and teachers who were not cooperative, still, there has always been another option.
Finals after every semester are a difficult time at any school, both for students and their professors. For instance, the math department and a variety of other classes have their finals on Saturday at University of Maryland. The action of asking (or in some extreme cases, begging) the professors to switch their finals on top of studying is rough. It is very fortunate that University of Maryland has a long history of a large Jewish student population. Most of the professors can accept an email or formal meeting with the student, describing how the final cannot be taken when it is originally assigned. One time, one of my friends had a final on Saturday right in the middle of the afternoon. He received permission from his professor that allowed him to take the final after Shabbat, whenever it ended. My friend went directly after havdalla to the classroom and took the exam without a problem.
One of my favorite things about University of Maryland is Shabbat. For example, if there was a concert or sporting event, most likely, missing it would not be a personal tragedy for the average Jewish student. Many times, we spend our Friday nights with an intense game of Apples to Apples or Taboo, and we always sit and talk for hours. While some may argue that Jewish students are not obtaining the “full college experience” with our insular activities, this simply is not the case. Sometimes, we have concerts from Jewish or other a capella groups, or to be creative, we sing in personal groups to have a more festive Shabbat. If there is a football game on Shabbat, there are ways for Jewish students to still participate. Our beloved Byrd Stadium has many areas where one can look onto the field without having to break Shabbat by entering with the electronic ticket system. However, there are also ways to bypass the issue with scanning tickets. University of Maryland has a very accommodating system of allowing students with this issue to obtain bracelets the day before the game that act in lieu of tickets. With this wonderful innovation, Jewish students can watch the game in the stadium with not only Jewish students but all students.
University of Maryland has one of the largest and, in my opinion, greatest, Jewish communities in the country. Jewish students have shaped a bubble that on one hand keeps them together but at the same time, allows them to enjoy the benefits of living in a secular world. It is possible to be an avid Terps fans and get to know the professors one-on-one while living life as a “normal” college student. Personally, there is no better match than University of Maryland for me to receive an education and be a happy observant Jew.
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