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Valerie Rutenberg

The Tikvah program was everything I’d wished for during my high school years. I’d always wanted to discuss rich, abstract questions in my English class at school that weren’t limited to the particulars of Romeo or Atticus Finch. In history class at school, I’d wished the dates and events would transcend their significance as mere data and contribute to a greater conversation about the world today. I’d always longed for a professor who doesn’t simply lecture, but actually facilitates student debate on their ideas.

I got all of this and so much more at Tikvah. I got to ponder questions surrounding my own identity and my place in the world as a Jew. I got conversations with students of the highest intellectual caliber inside of the classroom and are incredible friends outside of it. The questions and knowledge I gained from the program have shaped me as a thinker, person, and Jew.