2006 - Rothberg International School

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FOCUS 32 5
Mark Meskin and Ilana Perlman (Meskin) during
their year at the Hebrew University.
From North America to Hebrew University:
Three Generations Att end One Year Program
The Meskins: (left to right) Myra, Ilana, Mark, Diane
Fifty years ago, a group of North American students traveled to Israel
for fourteen days on a ship in order to study at the Hebrew University’s
nascent international program. One member of the group, Melvin Perlp
man, who was a student at Yale University, had never been to Israel and felt
that he was at a crossroads in his life: Should he go to rabbinical school or
pursue other academic channels? The year in Israel would end up having a
profound impact on his life in more than one way, although it was not an
easy year. “My father was literally hungry all year,” his daughter Ilana Meskin,
OYP 1976p77, recalls him saying, “He was so poor that he did not have enough
money to buy food!”
On the other hand, studying at the Hebrew University sparked an interest in
archeology, which in turn led to his pursuing a doctorate at Oxford University
in anthropology. Aside from giving him professional direction, the year ended
with his marriage. “He became friendly with a woman named Tina Waxsman,”
says Ilana. “When he decided to go to France at the end of the year, she gave
him two names of women who spoke some English to show him around, and
one was the name of the family of his future wife.” Pat Penn, an alumna from
that year, remembers that by the time the group returned by ship, Perlman
had a new bride, Eva.
This year, the original group of students is having a 50th anniversarypyear rep
union in Jerusalem [See front page]. Many of them are bringing their children
and grandchildren on the trip. Unfortunately, though, Mel Perlman will not be
one of them. He died of leukemia 18 years ago, but his legacy as a student at
the Hebrew University remained in the family. First, his daughter, Ilana Perlp
man Meskin, came in 1976, and this year, his granddaughter, Diane, is studyp
ing at the RIS (see article below).
Diane Meskin, 20, is a student at
the University of California at
San Diego, majoring in political scip
ence with an emphasis on internap
tional relations and a minor in Midp
dle East relations. For Diane, coming
to Israel was a natural move. First
and foremost, her family fostered
her love for Israel. She is the third
generation from her family to come
and study here. “It is special to feel a
sort of legacy,” she says with a smile.
“It is amazing that, 50 years after my
grandfather studied here, the School
is still strong and flourishing.”
“My parents were my ardent supporters when I decided to come to study at
the Hebrew University,” recalls Ilana. “When I came, there was a good internap
tional contingent at the School. We lived on Mount Scopus already, although
the Ulpan was in Givat Ram.” Following in her father’s footsteps, she came
home with her future husband. “I met Mark in Pesach Schindler’s Talmud class.
We both went to the Chanukah party at his house, although we only started
dating officially at Purim time,” she says.
After getting her bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from York University in Canp
ada, she married Mark and they moved to Los Angeles, where she currently
works as a director of human resources at Amgen. The year in Israel also gave
her husband Mark his professional orientation, albeit in a unique way. He bep
came interested in Jewish dietary laws, which led him to pursue a doctoral
degree in Nutrition. Today, he is the director of the Clinical Nutrition program
at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Mark fondly recalls that
the year was full of tiyulim around the country, including trips to places like
Hebron and Sinai, no longer destinations for students today.
Twentypnine years after their year at the Hebrew University, Mark and Ilana,
together with their younger daughter Myra, came to visit their daughter Dip
ane at the RIS. “One of the highlights of my visit this year was walking into the
conference room at the RIS and seeing a photo of the class of 1955 with each
person’s name handwritten below the picture. When I saw my father’s face, I
burst into tears,” she says. Meskin then promised RIS Provost Jaime Kapitulnik,
that her daughter would return from the Passover vacation with a huge, high
quality photo of the original class [featured on the front page]. “This is our way
of participating in the reunion and honoring my father’s memory,” she says.
“The Perlman/Meskin family cherishes their experiences and memories of life
on Mount Scopus – today, as well as 29 and 50 years ago.”
Second, she had spent three months
living with a family in Tel Aviv and
studying in high school as part of
an exchange program at the Milken
Community High School in Los Anp
geles, so she knew she wanted to
come back. She is also involved in
Israel advocacy on her college camp
pus. At the end of her freshman year,
she became heavily involved in the
San Diego Israel Alliance. She fought
to get the Israel program at the Unip
versity of California reinstated, but to
no avail. [UC cancelled their recognip
tion and representative to the RIS in
2001.]
Diane was sone of the first students
to be accepted into the new Middle
East Honors Program at the RIS. [See
box.] “This is a really strong program
and it is a good thing to offer stup
dents who have background,” she
comments. In addition to her studp
ies, Meskin is also interning at the
Jerusalem Post, writing about cultural
events in the Billboard Section of the
newspaper. “It is an interesting expep
rience,” she says. “I’ve always thought
of writing in some way, so any expep
rience is good.”
Dr. Melvin Perlman:
Ilana's father,
Diane's grandfather
Middle East Honors
Program
Newsletter of the
Rothberg International School
he RIS One Year Program instituted an
T honors program this year in Middle East
Studies. The program is open to a limited
number of students who have advanced
standing or are majors in Middle East studp
ies, international relations or political scip
ence. Application is competitive and an adp
visory committee selects participants.
“The program was instituted to offer more
challenging courses to outstanding stup
dents with related backgrounds coming
to study at the RIS,” explains Yoel Nesson,
administrative director of the Division of
Undergraduate Studies. In addition to adp
vanced seminars and a reading group, the
participants go on special field trips and are
privy to selected guest lectures. Twentyp
seven students were accepted into the prop
gram for spring semester. “This was our first
year of operation and it was extremely sucp
cessful,” says Nesson. “Next year, the School
plans to open a similar honors program in
Israel Studies, as well.”