IU confirms no students abroad in Israel

No students are currently studying abroad in Israel, an Indiana University spokesperson confirmed as the Israel-Hamas War rages on.

The university sponsors two education abroad programs in Israel: the Israel Summer Business Academy and a Hebrew University of Jerusalem program. The HUJ program with IU’s Jewish Studies program offers year-round and semester programs in Jerusalem, and applications for spring 2024 are closed. 

When asked if programs in Israel will continue next semester, the spokesperson said IU is “monitoring the situation and will adjust plans accordingly as the spring semester approaches.”

“Our biggest priority remains the safety of our students,” the spokesperson said. 

Other colleges suspended education abroad programs in Israel, and the U.S. Department of State reports thousands of students study there each year. The University of Notre Dame was forced to relocate students in Jerusalem when the war broke out.

The Jewish Studies program says study in Israel “is considered an integral part of the Jewish studies curriculum.” The program has a 50-year history with HUJ, a Jerusalem Study Abroad Handbook said. 

The State Department currently lists Israel, the West Bank and Gaza under a travel advisory. The government said Israel is under a “reconsider travel” advisory due to “terrorism and civil unrest” at the time of publication. 

The HUJ program runs through the Rothberg International School. The school strongly urges students to avoid travel to Israel in an Oct. 11 update. It recommended students in Israel to stock up on emergency supplies and familiarize themselves with instructions for rocket attacks.