When I enrolled in my first Judaic studies course during the fall semester of my sophomore year, I had already declared English as my major, though my future after graduation remained unclear. However, Hollywood and the Jews, the only course in my schedule which was exclusively an elective, quickly became the class I looked forward to attending the most. As the semester drew to a close I declared Judaic studies as a minor, since I wanted to continue exploring additional courses that the department offered.

When the second semester of my junior year began, my future after graduation still remained ambiguous, and I wrestled with the possibility of going to law school. However, after speaking with professors Joel Berkowitz and Barry Trachtenberg about my ambivalence and concerns, they suggested alternatives to law school that I had not really entertained before – namely, graduate school. Because of their support and guidance, my ultimate decision to add Judaic studies as an additional major was relatively easy, and I plan to use this experience as a foundation for graduate work in the field of Jewish studies. I was also fortunate to enroll in a graduate seminar with Professor Trachtenberg, which gave me some exposure to the graduate school atmosphere as an undergraduate – an experience that will benefit me through the remainder of my undergraduate career, and has helped to prepare me for my future graduate work.