Brown students from Israel and Lebanon were able to arrive safely on campus this semester despite ongoing conflict between the two countries, according to University officials.
Steven Cornish, associate dean of the College and dean of first-year studies, said he knew of no first-years who had difficulty traveling to Providence from either Israel or Lebanon. "We have a very short list of first-year students who haven't arrived," and none of these students are from either country, Cornish said.
Russell Carey '91 MA'06, interim vice president for campus life and student services, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that upperclassmen from Israel and Lebanon were also able to arrive safely at Brown. Carey wrote that the University has no records of students from either country having to withdraw from the University because of the ongoing conflict.
Only one member of the class of 2010 is from Israel, and no members are from Lebanon, according to Annie Cappuccino, senior associate director of admission. The Office of Admission was only able to provide numbers of students who reported having citizenship in either country.
The Office of Foreign Students, Faculty and Staff Services keeps records of students from foreign countries. According to Brian Williamson, the office's administrative assistant, only eight undergraduates are from Israel, and none are from Lebanon. The office only documents students who have a visa issued through the University, according to Williamson. There could be other students from either of these countries who are not included on this list.
Two Brown students who live in or have ties to Israel or Lebanon voiced different reactions to the political unrest that began there in July.
Alexandra Jabre '06.5, who is Lebanese but currently lives in London, was in Lebanon for part of this past summer and left the country immediately before the conflict began.
"I left literally two days before everything started and didn't go back the whole time it was going on," Jabre said. "My parents went back to Lebanon and we talked every day."
Jabre, who spends her summers in Lebanon and has family there, described some of the effects of the conflict.
"A lot of people were hiding in ski resorts, but they were safe there," she said. "A lot of my friends got out on evacuation boats."
Jabre commented that although she is safe, the area where her extended family lives and where she often returns has been devastated.
"The entire infrastructure has been destroyed - every road, everything that has been built is gone," she said.
Still, Jabre said she believes many people were reluctant to leave the area.
"People could get out through Syria or Amman, but a lot of people wanted to stay - this is their life," she said.
Jabre said she experienced added anxiety because lines of communication to people she knew in Lebanon were disrupted.
Roxanne Horesh '08, who originally comes from London but whose family lives in Tel Aviv, Israel, spent time in Israel in July and August.
Though she had taken a vacation prior to the start of the conflict, Horesh returned to Israel once the fighting was underway and worked at an Israeli newspaper for the rest of the summer.
"My main job was to read the responses people sent in, which were really appalling. This war just brought out the worst in everyone," she explained.
Horesh described some aspects of the war she experienced firsthand while in Israel.
"It was weird in a sense because if you were at the beach you would hear helicopters flying over," she said. "People were still going to restaurants, clubs. It was like everyone was in denial about what was going on."
Jabre and Horesh are now safely at Brown, but both have many friends and family who remain in these countries.
"It's kind of hard being back at Brown. But it's over for the moment and my family is safe," Jabre said.
Though the semester is underway, Horesh said she thinks often of the conflict and family members in the affected areas.
"At times I get nervous, just being away from my family. I try and stay involved in what's going on, I'm helping out with this Muslim-Jewish dialogue on campus," Horesh said.
"When I hear a helicopter I still get nervous," she added.
