If you would have told me when I entered Dartmouth that 20 years after graduation I would be an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi living in Israel, working as an experiential educator and teaching the History and Religion of Israel toteens, I would have thought that you were crazy! But that is exactly where my circuitous path has taken me.
[more]When I arrived at Dartmouth in September 1980 I had spent my childhood attending Mass and catechism classes at our local Catholic church. I was intending to major in History, but an upper classman suggested I take a Religion class as the program had a great reputation. Freshman Fall I took the Intro survey class (Religion 1) and it turned me on my head. It lead me to ask questions of things I had never really looked at. I suddenly became conscious of the water I had been swimming in all my life. The initial questions lead to other questions- and I was hooked. I majored in Religion bec
[more]When I entered Dartmouth, I thought I was going to be an Engineering Physics major and go on to live the life of, well, Dilbert. But being in an academic environment like Dartmouth changed my perspective.
[more]I can't tell you how many times in my adult life I have received odd looks from people when I tell them I majored in Religion at Dartmouth. People just don't expect it and seem to have trouble understanding it beyond the typical "did you want to be a minister/pastor/priest?" Despite those awkward moments I wouldn't change my decision on my major for anything. I have found that my Dartmouth education and my Religion major have served me well in my life, both professionally and personally.
[more]I recall thinking, as an undergrad, that Religion was interesting and unique because it was a prism through which I could explore the liberal arts broadly. It provided a coherent excuse to take courses related to Philosophy, Anthropology, History, and Sociology, all under one roof. I now have an MBA and a JD, and I work in biotechnology with MDs and PhDs---all a far cry from Mahayana Buddhism or Spinoza--but I still find myself thinking about Turner's "Betwixt and Between," among many other great readings.
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