November was a busy month socially for our International Students. With weekly coffee-time get-togethers online and in-person, Diwali celebrations, Thanksgiving dinners, and more, the students are making the most of their campus social lives. COVID-19 regulations are followed at all events.
In addition to the students’ events, Bar-Ilan participated in MASA Israel’s Gap Year Zoom Event. More about this after the social activities.
A Holiday of Thanks
At the end of November, international students celebrated Thanksgiving together with the International School. It was a wonderful evening of mingling, enjoying the refreshments, and talking about the meaning of the holiday.
Diwali Celebration of Lights
BIU’s International School celebrated the Diwali festival of lights together with the Safed (in the Galilee) campus students. It was a hybrid event where students in each city lit candles arranged in different patterns (including Bar-Ilan’s logo) while sharing their respective events in an online Zoom session. We also had the pleasure of welcoming the Indian Embassy in Israel’s representatives to our celebrations. See more photos here.
Dorms night
International students living on campus had a great opportunity to meet their neighbors as the open-air dorms night. The weather was still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors.
Games Night
When students from Canada, Brazil, United States, India, Mexico, and South Korea meet at Bar-Ilan’s International School, they get to play Catan and Set, two games that Israelis love.
MASA Israel’s Gap Year Zoom Event
MASA Israel held a 24-hour online Gap Year Fair on Sunday, November 15. Teens and their parents were able to learn about all the options to spend a gap year in Israel, and get a chance to speak to program organizers one-on-one to get the full scope of the programs and how they’ve adjusted during the pandemic.
Bar-Ilan University had two departments represented – the International School and Israel XP at BIU. They each had virtual fair booths that were open for 24 hours and held Zoom info-sessions about each available program.
“Since MASA was not able to conduct their usual annual gap year fair tour in person, they sought to expand their reach so participants could join from the comfort of their own homes,” said Natalie Menaged, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions for Israel XP at BIU.
“Each participating organization created a virtual ‘booth’ where visitors could learn about their programs. There was also a livestream of various resources, such as alumni, guidance counselors, and videos of various programs.
“Israel XP created a content-filled booth and conducted two live Zoom ‘open house’ sessions for prospective students and their parents. It was a great opportunity for staff and potential recruits to engage face-to-face. Thanks to MASA for putting together this opportunity,” she said.
Israel XP’s virtual booth
