During Study Trip to Jerusalem, Lazarus ’10 Explores Further Her Catholic-Jewish Upbringing

As the daughter of a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, Amy Lazarus ’10 says she found herself in a difficult position growing up. She’s grateful that her parents didn’t push a certain religion on her, but regrets that she never developed any religious identity because she was torn between two faiths.

Deciding to come to Holy Cross, she says, was a smart decision.

“My parents allowed me to explore both faiths when I became an adult and to choose my own path, so coming to Holy Cross has been an amazing resource in exploring the Catholic faith,” she says.

Earlier this year, Holy Cross offered Lazarus, an English major from Worcester, an opportunity to deepen her understanding of Judaism and her mixed-faith upbringing.

During the entire month of July, Lazarus immersed herself in the history and culture of Jerusalem as part of a study abroad scholarship program. Lazarus was one of two Holy Cross students who took part in the new program at the Rothberg Summer Institute at Hebrew University. The program is sponsored by the Kraft-Hiatt Program for Jewish-Christian Understanding and the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.

“I truly look at both my time at Holy Cross and in Jerusalem as complementary pieces that helped me do exactly what my parents wanted me to — to explore both faiths as an adult,” she says. “I’m still looking into both religions but I feel this will really help me create a dialogue between the two that is important for my own search for religion.”

As part of her studies, Lazarus took a geographical history course titled Jerusalem: Past and Present, in which lectures were held at different sites in the city, including archeological parks, museums and the Old City, among others. The class explored the history and changes in geography of Jerusalem by examining the landscape of the city through history. Outside of class, she attended field trips around the country (to Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv and Jaffa, and caves in the dessert), as well as doing some independent travels with classmates.

“I cannot express how much I learned both about the culture of Jerusalem and its history,” she says. “Academically, the course was extremely intense and gave me the entire history of the city and how various events and periods shaped it into what it is today. I also spent lots of time with Orthodox Jewish students who gave me an insight into their life, living Kosher, following the hundreds of laws and how it is part of their everyday life. I visited the western wall on Shabbat, and I had amazing cultural experiences by attending a traditional Shabbat dinner.”

Lazarus also encountered some harsh realities facing the Middle East by simply living in Jerusalem.

“The city is very segregated with separate Arab buses in addition to the public buses and there are sections of the city that are all defined by one religious or cultural group that lives there. It was an eye-opener that taught me a lot that I never could have learned from a book,” she says.

Now that the trip is complete, what’s next?

“I cannot say how much I wish to return,” she says, adding that she is eligible for the birthright trips that send young adults of Jewish heritage to Israel for a free 10-day trip. Lazarus, who works in the Study Abroad office at Holy Cross, is also looking forward to sharing her stories with her classmates.

“It was an incredible experience,” she says. “The culture of Jerusalem and the opportunities to experience it were numerous and I took advantage of so much that I really want to share all I have seen and done. I would love to explain the atmosphere of the western wall at sundown on Shabbat and the experience of a Shabbat dinner, for example.”

Pictured: Amy Lazarus ’10 on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock can be seen on the right.

Related Information:

• Study Abroad Program