Yoav Margalit looks to both philosophy and Jewish studies as a way to understand things. But learning about Judaism is, like philosophy, so much more than just learning about one thing. Yoav has learned about other perspectives that he never would have considered otherwise. Humanity gives its members names and titles. Who does it obligate me to be, if I am called a son? What does it mean for me to be a man when society names me male? And when I live as a Jew, what does it mean to be Jewish?
Taking classes in the Jewish Studies program at the University of Illinois teaches something of both what Judaism has meant over the years and what it means today. Yoav appreciates the rich insight that the program has given him.