I apologize if I center many blogs on this topic, but the community that I joined when I took a gap year to study in a seminary in Jerusalem is extremely salient in my life. The yearlong program, Midreshet Lindenbaum, is comprised of girls just finishing high school that come from literally all over the world with the common goal of immersing themselves in Jewish studies and learning about Israel and its culture in depth by experiencing it firsthand.
According to Haythornwaite, it would be described as a Gemeinschaft as it fostered a community among girls with a shared objective and identity. It also created a social network of strong ties with the eighty girls of my year, since as we spend an intense time during our first year away from home together. Not only did I become a member of the community consisting of the girls from my year, but also my community was extended further to include the extensive network the alumni and faculty members of Lindenbaum.
Last year, accessing my friends, who were from all over ranging from LA to Berlin, was so effortless as everyone would mingle on Ben Yehuda, a pedestrian sidewalk similar to Ho Plaza. CMC, though last year rarely affected the community, now has a tremendous role (and in many cases is the only tool used) in keeping us in touch with one another. One of the most effective CMC methods that the seminary has been using is the Alumnae Newsletter as it updates everyone about the school and the activities of the alumni and faculty. Through the newsletter, we’re also informed about reunions and exposed to variety of opportunities. Former students have found employment and met their husbands through utilizing their weaker ties with alums and faculty members.
Additionally, Facebook has been a great means of catching up with the girls, especially with my international friends like my suitemate from New Zealand, because I don’t have to bother with calling cards or calculating the time differences in order to speak to them. Although the formulation of our friendships happened offline, we’ve moved into the world of the Internet to keep our community flourishing.
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Hey Hannah,
I liked your post about your friends you made in your year abroad. It seems like Haythornwaite's idea of common ground played a huge role in the friendships you made during that year. All the girls you were with all shared a passion for Jewish studies. It is interesting to note that during that year communication was effortless, but now that everyone has gone back to their respective homes/schools, contact is a bit more difficult. CMC will help, but do you think your relationships will suffer due to the lack of FTF contact?
Vaishal
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