The beauty of New York City is its intensely condensed population of people from many locations around the globe who bring with them their language as well as elements of their food, expressions and behavior. To compare one’s own thoughts and mind with those around her is the key to learning, and there seems no better place than Manhattan to do so.
Stern College for Women, located at the absolute heart of this magnificent city, is a ground for education, connections, friendships and diversity. Each year, many students from all corners of the earth decide to enroll in one of the only colleges with combined religious and secular opportunities. Whether it be from The United Kingdom, Chile or Brazil, young Jewish girls make the bold decision to leave their families, friends and all things familiar to come to a city full of new and interesting people, a wild array of incredible opportunities, and new ways of thought and knowledge to gain.
Dasha Sominski from St. Petersburg, Russia, majoring in Neuropsychology and Creative Writing, did exactly this. She left her familiar life in Russia and created a new and exciting life for herself at Stern College.
“Ambition is something quite unheard of in Russia,” she said. “I was coming from a limited sort of perspective to New York, but I found a window into new ways of thought and a new identity.”
Coming from a religious background, Sominski expressed that “No school is similar to what Stern offers, with the ability to solidify the Jewish life with religious studies as well as the ability to earn a degree.”
Majorie Ferreira from Sao Paolo, Brazil, an Accounting/Management major and president of the sophomore class of 2017, began her experience in the United States as an exchange student in Arkansas at the age of 16.
“It then became my dream,” she said, “to come to a university in the U.S, and I specifically sought out universities with large Jewish communities.” Ferreira stumbled upon Stern College, and it became one of her leading choices.
“There is a very strong, warm Jewish community at Stern and in New York, and when coming from a different country to the new and unfamiliar, there is already something I have in common with everyone else—a shared sense of Jewish identity—which instantly helps.”
To the south-west of Brazil lies Chile, where a flourishing community of Ashkenazi Jews thrives. Melanie Hes, majoring in Psychology, is a native Chilean who made the daring decision to come and live in New York City as a student at Stern College.
“My Jewish identity and continued education is very important to me as well as my parents,” Hes remarked. “Stern Collage for Women has a flourishing department devoted to enhancing the students’ sphere of knowledge and exposure to Jewish studies and life, as well as great degree of opportunities. Stern opens up so many doors to girls seeking to continue there religious studies as well as acquire a degree. This combination was perfect for me.”
Stern is also home to students from Great Britain. Rebbeca Hye, a native Londoner who just completed a year of seminary at Midreshet Yeud, has just begun her first year at Stern and is “excited about this new chapter of life that has just begun to unfold.” She is double majoring in accounting and finance and stated, “New York City is the best place on earth to be in the world of business. It is a powerhouse of brilliant people with brilliant opportunities to offer.”
Upon being asked why she chose Stern specifically, Hye replied, “The connections are endless and the education is very stimulating and challenging. I also value immensely the continuation of my Jewish studies and influence, and Stern is ideal in this sense.”
Ester Eliashev, from Strasbourg, France, studying Neuropsychology, feels similarly about the excitement of pursuing education in America. “There are new lessons to learn each day, new challenges to face and immense growth potential. I feel it is a huge accomplishment in and of itself that I have challenged myself to compete my degree in English.”
Upon comparing society in France to that of New York, Eliashev explained that “there is a lot of anti-Semitism in France, and to see such a liberated display of religious belief go undisturbed in New York is a beautiful thing. After spending a year at Michlala in Israel, I yearned for [a university which would allow] a religious atmosphere to follow along with me into college,” Eliashev added. “Stern certainly does so.”
New York City is home to millions seeking out a dream, whether for success, for happiness, or for nurturing a lifelong passion. Stern College has a very similar dynamic. Girls from various countries decide to live here in this fascinating city in pursuit of a degree as well as all the experiences they will happen to come across along the way.
As the popular saying by Robert De Niro goes, “I go to Paris, I go to London, I go to Rome, and I always say, ‘There’s no place like New York. It’s the most exciting city in the world now. That’s the way it is. That’s it.’”