Touro Law Center Summer Abroad Programs

India Program Recap from Professor Douglas Colbert

2011-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Dharamsala two days ahead of the students. My 15-year old daughter, Abi, and I had left Shimla where we had been holding our law classes for two weeks in our charming Oberoi hotel. Abi had a return flight home that night from Delhi. We traveled by car right after my morning class ended and eight hours later, we had arrived. Abi had become another of the faculty kids who loved her three weeks in India. She attended class every day, liked learning about international human rights, loved the many India desserts, enjoyed the long walks and jogs in the woods, discovered the beauty of India fashion, and fit in beautifully with the law students. I definitely found myself missing her as soon as she disappeared in the airport.

The next day, I flew to Dharamsala along with my colleague, Paul Kibel, who teaches International Environmental Law. I had been warned years ago during my first trip here not to fly to Dharamsala, but the Kingfisher flight was excellent and I highly recommend it. I have always found Dharamsala the highlight of Touro's India program and this year was no exception. From the moment Paul and I arrived, I felt the huge difference of being here. For me, the Tibetan struggle for self-determination and freedom provides an excellent opportunity for teaching and learning. I invited two Tibetan political prisoners to class and the Convention Against Torture took on added meaning. We viewed a documentary about the 2008 Uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule and the Political Convenant and issue of freedom rights became more clear to students and faculty. I have enjoyed this group of law students tremendously.

They are a great group of people to spend time with and have shown time and again that they are a mature, responsible, fun and interesting group. Of the 23 law students, we have 4 law students from Calcutta's law school and 19 from U.S. law schools. I sense that most of the students find Dharamsala to be a very special place, too. Not that they did not enjoy Shimla, which is a beautiful hill station town in the lower Himalayas. It is an easy transition for students to spend time in Shimla first after arriving, and I took advantage of our India hosts to invite an NGO to discuss India's pressing human rights issues and to witness human rights issues in the places we visited. Yet while I praise Shimla's beauty and thank our wonderful friends in Shimla, I find the Dharamsala experience incredibly interesting and thought provoking. Here we see two conflicting cultures: the Tibetans and monks who are searching for a way to return to their country and to hold onto their culture and religion live on one side of town; on the other are the Westerners who seek to find escape from the material and maddening world we live. I find myself fascinated with interviewing young Israeli soldiers who have just completed their three-year tour and who want to find ways to regain their bearings again after a war experience in which they retell many human rights situations.

This week in Dharamsala, we had the great fortune of gaining a personal meeting with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

After our meeting, we attended the Dalai Lama's outside teaching where more than 10,000 attended. Though I found the commentary and translation difficult to follow for the first hour, I soon began to rely on my neighbors who had studied Buddhism for years to make more sense of the scripture. By the second day, I heard the Dalai Lama send a message that certainly rings true for myself and my U.S. friends and colleagues: he encouraged us to use our intelligence and knowledge to help people and all sentient beings, to rid ourselves of the feelings of negativity that interfere with this purpose and path of life, and to see our inter-dependence with others to overcome our self-centered orientation. I began thinking about the legal profession and how it would transform itself to an organization that served all people's legal needs, that is those who cannot afford private counsel. I began imagining the different public view of lawyers if we re-dedicated ourselves to fulfilling the lawyer's pro bono ethical duty. What a difference that would make in the lives of ordinary people's access to justice.

I found the highlight of this year's learning experience was meeting Tibet's new Prime Minister, Lobsang Sangay. I remember reading the announcement in the New York Times, maybe a month before we left for India. I immediately contacted the director of this year's Touro Law program, Professor Marjorie Silver and suggested we invite him to class. Marjorie contacted our India colleague, Trisha Sharma,
who had the fortune of meeting the Prime Minister at an India function. I had already reached out to Lobsang through email and persuaded my Baltimore colleague to interview him on a public radio program. By the time we arrived in Dharamsala, we had exchanged several messages and Trisha had arranged for the Prime Minister to speak to our group, who were joined by another interesting group of people from India and other countries who were studying Buddhism.

The Tibetan people have chosen well. Prime Minster Sangay, who spent the past 16 years earning different degrees at Harvard Law School presents the ideal image of a people's leader who combines knowledge, intelligence, wit, charm, humor, passion and commitment to meet the huge challenge Tibetans face today. He was impressive in so many ways for engaging his audience while giving a history lesson of his country, by accepting questions from everyone who raised their hand, by giving attention to every person who spoke, by integrating many questions into one comprehensive and informative response, and by joking about the serious matter of what lies ahead for the Tibetan people. Indeed, at one point, the Prime Minister told of his time in Boston only to face the unfriendly comment from someone with a Yankees baseball cap, "Are you a Red Sox fan?" Defending his cherished Red Sox, the Prime Minister began by expressing some negativity toward the Yankees as any baseball fan might, then turned to me (he had asked that I moderate the discussion): "Doug, that was not very Buddhist like, was it?" "No,, I answered gently, "His Holiness would want you to show more generosity of spirit," Sangay then praised the Yankees for their many baseball skills, while adding that the Red Sox also possessed great skills. He used the metaphor of the underdog Red Sox winning a World Series a few years ago for the first time in nearly 100 years with the uphill climb of Gandhi defeating the British against overwhelming odds, and Mandela defeating South African apartheid and escaping from Robbins Island. "We Tibetans have only a tiny chance, too, but what if we were able to succeed. Think of the difference it would make for World Peace." Showing his humility at all times, the Prime Minster explained that he accepted this difficult position of succeeding the Dalai Lama as Prime Minister because "It's my Karma. We all have a job to do. I will do the best I can. I promise I will show no lack of perseverance or will."

I think all of us who were present left feeling certain that Tibetans have chosen a wise and confident leader, someone who will enormous appeal to the Tibetan people, and who will succeed famously before English-speaking audiences.

Professor Douglas Colbert

The Dali Lama

2011-06-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo from the India summer program, with His Holiness the Dali Lama, and standing next to him is Professor Marjorie Silver, Director of the India Program for summer 2011. He found a few minutes in his very busy schedule to meet with just the Touro Law contingent and to greet and bless them!! An exciting moment for these young law students.

Meeting with the Karmapa Lama in India

2011-06-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

An image of the students who attended the public meeting with the Karmapa Lama in India.

Images from Israel

2011-06-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of the group hearing from some soldiers. These young ladies are with the educational arm of the military. They answer questions about who's buried there and as much details that they provide about the individual soldier. The stories bring tears to your eyes.

Here is everyone having some Halavah.

Rugalach Treats From Our Director!

Croatia: An Excursion to the Kornati Islands

2010-08-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

Pictured here are Ian Clark, Blinera Osmani, Prof. Jack Graves, the Tour Guide for the Kornati Excursion and Linda Kalayjian on the boat to the Kornati Archipelago/Islands. The program took a day-long boat trip to the Kornati archipelago, a group of about 130 islands and reefs off the Dalmatian coast, just across from Zadar where the Croatia program has been located from July 17 through August 6. The Kornati islands have no permanent inhabitants, as there is no spring water. Rainwater is collected, and the islands are home to vineyards, olive groves, and grazing sheep. The Adriatic Sea around the islands has a large variety of marine life.

Professor Deborah Post - Farewell Dinner

2010-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

We have come to the end of our time in China for the summer 2010 abroad program. Here are some photos from our final farewell dinner:

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China 2010

Professor Marianne Artusio - May 28-30

2010-06-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

On the road again! We were up early, bleary-eyed again to board the bus and find our way back to Delhi. The morning was beautiful, warm and clear, but not many of us saw the dawn sky because as soon as most of us hit the bus seat, we were fast asleep again. The countryside had the same drowsy, Indian timeless aura, with animal huts plastered with drying dung patties and water buffalo wallowing in the streams. Here’s a picture of some of them.

We arrived back at our hotel and met the rest of our group, so now there were 26 of us ready to visit Parliament. We were told to bring nothing but our passports and that security would be tight. Well, we were frisked and went through a metal detector, but no one checked our passports, so maybe Parliament knows and trusts Touro by now or security isn't as tight as advertised. The Parliament is a huge, round building (sort of shaped like a drum or a big doughnut) with a large garden in the center "hole". It was built by the British in the early 20th century and has a ponderous feel. After the bombings in Parliament a number of years ago, public visits to Parliament were curtailed, so our invitation to tour the building and meet with officials has always been a special privilege. We were ushered into a large conference room where every seat had a microphone, and we introduced ourselves to a room full of Parliamentary officials. They treated us like we were visiting dignitaries, patiently answered our questions, explained how the Parliament works and then hosted a lovely reception, with Indian delicacies, tiny delicate sandwiches and an elaborate cake. Why we deserve such gracious treatment I don’t know, but Indian hospitality is practically limitless and it was on display. So the world’s largest democracy pampered our small, not-very-important group. The Parliament chambers were huge, dignified and very old - the patina of time and weighty decisions hung about every room. The only modernity that we could see was the electronic voting system. We tried an experimental vote, but most of us had some difficulty mastering the sequence of button clicks to register our vote, so we flopped, sorry to say and the government of India did not get to learn how we voted on the important question of whether we were enjoying our trip to India. Most moving of all was the Joint chamber where both houses of Parliament meet together. It was in this chamber at midnight on August 15, 1947 that Indian independence was declared in a famous and magnificent speech by Nehru. To be in the same spot where Indian independence began and the fulfillment of Gandhi’s campaigns of non-violent protest was realized - well, it was intensely stirring.

The next morning, again, we rose with the dawn and boarded our bus. The trip to Shimla was long, uneventful and blessedly shorter than we anticipated. We drove through the agricultural fields of Harayana, past fields of all sorts of crops and huge chicken barns. Strange, for a mostly vegetarian country, this part of India produces huge numbers of chickens. Finally we got to the hills and then our journey began its winding, switchback, bumpy, jolting progress up into the Himalayan foothills. Arriving at Shimla at night is magical - the lights of the city glow in a rainbow of colors and spill down the hillside, like a cascade of gems. You just catch your breath when Shimla first comes into view. The air is cooler here, the pines are tall and straight and the mountain views stunning. So, a bit bedraggled we were met at our hotel by warm and friendly faces and a large buffet that was waiting for us. Again, the hotel entrance was fronted by a magnometer, spoiling the hotel’s traditional entry. We are so well treated by our hotel staff here in Shimla- it feels like visiting an over-indulgent friend.

Sunday was a day to rest, unpack, explore the city and prepare for classes. So explore we did and most came back with armloads of great bargains. It was the beginning of serious, heavy-duty shopping that never seems to end in Shimla. Our opening reception featured a talk by the Director General of Police for the state of Himachal Pradesh (a good person to know). What a resume! Trisha started to read it and then gave up - it was too long. He had degrees in German, business, physics, yoga and others that I can’t remember. We peppered him with questions, especially our students from India, who pressed him on many points, especially police corruption and disregard of rules, so it was a good discussion.

All of Shimla seems spruced up for our visit. The Gaity Theater has been restored and is now presenting performances and entertainment. It was a theater for musicals and other performances during the British Raj when the British decamped to Shimla to escapee the heat of the plains. But it had crumbled from neglect in recent decades and has been in some state of restoration for the last few years. Now it is glowing. There musts have been a big sale on lavender paint, because it seems that half of Shimla is newly painted with it. The police barracks is a lovely shade of pale lavender, with a bright green roof, and many homes sport this lively shade as well. The YMCA has been painted a bright, clear red, so the building on the hillside can be spotted from miles away. Houses are pale apricot, with electric pink trim or deep blue with traditional red roofs - this has become a very colorful place.

By Professor Marianne Artusio, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2010

John Nicodemo - From Prussia With Love

2010-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Since the moment I arrived in this extraordinary city of Berlin, a city which heretofore was unknown to this well-traveled tourist, I have been intending to contribute to this blog. My wish was to recount the story of my experience in this country which is both steeped in culture and stigmatized by the dark period that was the twentieth century.

But, I put off writing about my life over the past month for a number of reasons. I was quite busy with my studies, I wanted to visit the historic sites, I needed to sample the beer, I availed myself of the many museums, I needed to sample the beer, I traveled to other countries, I needed to sample the beer...okay, I think you get it. Joking aside, in order to give the reader a good idea of my experience here in Germany, I first had to have an experience here in Germany. Now that the summer abroad program is nearing its end, I can honestly say that I have had an incredible four weeks. I would really like to share.

I have never been to Berlin before. Quite frankly, I did not know what to expect. Here is a city within a country that, until 20 years ago, was divided by cultural, economic and political differences made clear by a 12-foot wall separating the eastern and western sections. I was surprised to find a Berlin that is like a phoenix rising from the ashes. New construction sites are everywhere. Areas of the city that, a short time ago, were falling apart from years of neglect, are now trendy districts reminiscent of the villages of Manhattan.

Berlin's TV tower rises above Alexanderplatz at night.

Yet, despite its attempts at Westernization, the Berlin of today is a noble city that reminds its citizens and its visitors about its regretful past. Whether visiting the Mitte area with its juxtaposition of tourist-centric Checkpoint Charlie and the quiet solemnity of the Jewish Holocaust Memorial or traveling to the area of Grunewald where the condemned were taken by train to their deaths in the camps, Berlin wants the world to remember what took place. It is a city that is not afraid to show its scars, and the scars that were left on the world. Imagine standing atop Hitler’s bunker while a German tour guide holds nothing back in his description of the actions of the despicable mad man. These people seem to be begging for the world’s forgiveness while they themselves are healing.

The Ampelmann, a relic from the former East Berlin, lets pedestrians know when it's safe to cross the street.

All this culture and moving history was, of course, a complement to the reason for traveling abroad: to study. Mediation and International Human Rights are the two classes I took. Because I am earning four credits from a Judicial Clerkship, I was only able to take two two-credit courses. A majority of the students also took International Criminal Law and Comparative Constitutional Law.

I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing a class in Mediation taught by the dynamic Barbara Swartz, a woman whose fan club I am now the president of. Her class was interesting, insightful, and fun...yes, fun! She is warm, inviting, and extremely intelligent, and she cares deeply for her students. I felt as though I were in good hands here in Berlin with Professor Swartz at the helm.

Judge Robert Levy instructed the class in International Human Rights. I must admit that the idea of a Federal Judge with a vast experience in human rights issues helming the class was a bit intimidating at first. Then, I got to know the judge. Not only is he one of the most welcoming people I have ever met, but I also believe I have learned more in the short two weeks under his tutelage than many have in an entire semester. He has a style that allows a student to want to learn. Clerking under him would be a dream job for a new attorney...uh, did you hear that, judge?

Finally, I want to mention my classmates. I find it fascinating that, in a matter of a month, a group of people met and formed bonds that will not soon be broken. Some of the people are schoolmates whom I already knew and counted as friends. Some are schoolmates whom I recognized from school but never actually met. Some are people from other schools who were completely unfamiliar to me. One month changed all that. These people, all future attorneys who will be practicing out in the world with me, are now my friends. Perhaps my greatest experience of the entire summer abroad program was the opportunity to widen my circle of friends. These men and women are now part of my family, and having known them has made me a better man.

Thank You, Touro, for a fascinating experience.

By John Nicodemo, Student, Touro Law Center Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

Professor Rodger Citron - A Visit From Justice Gabriel Bach

2010-06-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

My course on “Selected Political Trials in Israel” this summer focused on two trials. The first, known as the Kastner trial, was a criminal libel trial involving the author of a pamphlet that made defamatory statements about Rudolf Kastner, an Israeli government official who had been involved in negotiations with the Nazis near the end of World War II in order to save Hungarian Jews from extermination. The pamphlet criticized Kastner for collaborating with the Nazis. Although the trial did not attract much attention when it began, it became a central political event in Israel. Because the author of the pamphlet insisted that the statements were truthful, the trial effectively put Kastner on trial and concluded with the trial court judge excoriating Kastner for having sold his soul to the devil. (The trial court later was reversed on appeal.)

The second trial was the more well-known trial of Adolf Eichmann, which occurred from 1960 through 1962. For Israel, the symbolic value of conducting a trial of a former Nazi official responsible for the death of millions of Jews during World War II was enormous – and not without controversy. (Eichmann was convicted of many but not all of the criminal charges against him and sentenced to death by hanging; he is the only criminal defendant to have been executed in Israel’s history.) The most (in)famous account of the trial was rendered by Hannah Arendt in her book, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil.

The high point of the course came during the second week of class, when former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Bach met with the students in class and then continued the discussion over lunch in the cafeteria. I had met Justice Bach once before and knew that he had been one of the three prosecutors who tried the case against Eichmann. I did not know, until he told me before class, that he had worked on the government’s brief to the Supreme Court in the Kastner case. (In Justice Bach’s view, the trial court judge was shocked and offended by Kastner’s conduct, which led to his exoneration of the defendant on nearly all of the charges.) We could not have a more relevant speaker for the class.

Israel 2010 participants gather with Justice Bach in the courtyard of the Agron Guest House in Jerusalem (photo courtesy of Sergey Korolev - Touro Law Center)

Over the course of an hour, Justice Bach shared some of his life story with us as well as a number of interesting anecdotes about the Eichmann trial. He was born in Germany in 1927, left with his family in 1938 to go to Holland, and then they departed for Palestine in 1940 shortly before Germany invaded Holland. After studying law school in England, he returned to Israel and embarked upon a long and interesting career in the State Attorney’s Office before becoming a justice on the Supreme Court.

After Eichmann was abducted from Argentina and taken to Israel, Bach coordinated the pretrial investigation of the defendant. Bach rejects the notion that Eichmann was a mere bureaucrat following orders. He noted that, for example, it was Eichmann’s idea to have Jews detained in Auschwitz, a concentration camp, send post cards to family members and friends saying that the camp was enjoyable and that they should join them. Justice Bach also recounted several stories that illustrated Eichmann’s commitment to exterminating Jews – despite requests or orders made by other high-ranking Nazis to save certain Jews, including, in one instance, an arrangement made by Adolf Hitler to maintain a neutral position toward a number of Jews in Budapest, Hungary.

Perhaps the most interesting remarks by Justice Bach concerned Hannah Arendt and her book about the trial. Eichmann in Jerusalem is controversial for, among other reasons, its contention that the only legitimate purpose of the trial was to determine the defendant’s guilt or innocence (hence the testimony of many of the Holocaust victims was irrelevant and should have been excluded) and its apparently somewhat sympathetic depiction of the defendant. To be sure, Arendt was convinced that Eichmann was guilty of at least aiding and abetting the murder of millions of Jews and that he deserved to be executed for his crimes. Nevertheless, Arendt seems most interested in Eichmann as a representation of a new form of evil – bureaucratic evil in the modern age of totalitarianism.

According to Justice Bach, Arendt declined an invitation to meet with the prosecutors before the trial and never did meet with them. Bach nevertheless insisted that she be provided with copies of documents and evidence introduced during the course of the trial. During our meeting, Justice Bach said that Arendt willfully misrepresented certain aspects of the trial – including critical exchanges during the trial testimony – in order to support the thesis of her book. His comments were of great interest and became the centerpiece of class the next day.

The discussion focused on the following question: If Justice Bach is correct that Arendt intentionally misinterpreted the facts of the trial, is her theory about the “banality of evil” in the modern age still valid? The students responded in a number of ways, all interesting; all plausible. Personally, I cannot avoid feeling as if Justice Bach had successfully directed a wrecking ball at Arendt’s theory: Eichmann’s knowing and intentional efforts to exterminate Jews during World War II confirm rather than supplant traditional notions of good and evil.

By Professor Rodger Citron, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Brian Elliott - A Tort Waiting To Happen

2010-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist.

Below is a picture of a button that is present on the doors of the U-bahn trains in Berlin. Before the trains come to a complete stop the buttons light up green. This indicates that they can be pressed, thus opening the door. That is - opening the door while the train is still moving. This becomes a game to U-bahn riders who see how soon they can step out onto the platform before the train comes to a complete halt. Of course, my law school-infected brain sees this as a tort just waiting to happen. Although I figure there has to be an assumption of risk defense in play.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

Brian Elliott - What Makes Berlin Stand Amongst the Rest of Europe

2010-06-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

What makes Berlin stand out to me in comparison to every where else in Europe is the fact that the city is truly the nexus of two major events in 20th century European history - the Second World War and the subsequent rise of the Iron Curtain in the East.

Nowadays, Berliners seemingly make little effort to mask either dark chapter. One tour that should be considered essential to any visitor of the city is a trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp just to the north of Berlin. What made the biggest impression upon me when I visited was just how easy it would be for Germans to simply raze this awful site to the ground and pretend that the atrocities that took place here never happened. But instead, there is a sense here that it is more honorable to wear one's history on their sleeve, regardless of how reprehensible the past might be. There is an important lesson to be learned through understanding that a place like Sachsenhausen exists, because people who do visit these places gain an understanding that the events of the Second World War and the Holocaust must never happen again.

The words "Arbeit Macht Frei" (loosely translated to Work will make you free) would greet prisoners brought to Sachsenhausen during its time of operation from 1936-45.

Another more out of the way, but no less chilling of Germany's darkest chapter in history can be seen at the Grunewald train station. On the way back from the Gribnitzee campus, the S7 train makes a stop at Grunewald where visitors can see a quiet memorial to where thousands of Jews were transported by train off to extermination camps in Poland during World War II. Although rarely indicated in any Berlin guidebooks, bronze plates along the tracks provide a reference to the dates and the number of Jews transported out of Berlin.

Plate along the tracks chronicles the worst moments of 20th century European history.

As compelling as the impact of World War II is on Berlin, one cannot forget the division of the city under communism after the war.

Standing these days in Alexanderplatz is a display commemorating the events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the Fall of 1989. To me, these events have such relevance because they actually happened in my lifetime. I'm old enough to remember there actually being a country called East Germany, and taking the time to walk through this display chronicling how stressed East German society became gave me a better understanding of events that I saw play out on the news when I was very young.

Photograph at the free display in Alexanderplatz shows an East German couple escaping to Hungary mere months before the Berlin Wall fell in November of 1989.

Visitors to Berlin should not miss the DDR Museum! This is an interactive museum designed to show what life was like under communist rule. Here, one can sit in an East German made Trabant (basically the East German response to the West's Volkswagon Beetle), watching Stasi (East German secret police) surveillance video, and even sample a variety of programming from the DDR era. The fact that you can actually pick up and hold much of what is on display at the DDR Museum makes it a fun experience, and provides fantastic insight into history that is not that distant.

The trunk of a Trabant.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

James Durham - Signing Out

2010-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my final day in Israel. I have been touched intellectually, aesthetically, and spiritually by this remarkable country - and, in particular, by Jerusalem. Several weeks will pass before experiences are analyzed and organized in my psyche. Right now, I'm still awash in rich sensation - the stinging midday sun, the cool evening breezes, lapis skies, the smooth slide of ancient stone streets, and the sweet-sharp lift of mint lemonade. I'm grateful - appreciative of a city that sings its soul so sweetly, and happy for a career that sends me to far corners of the globe. I'm challenged and I'm soothed. I'm centered in a city that some consider holy. Thank you for following my journey...and the journey of our students, who are learning the law...and experiencing so much more!

A dinner in the terraced garden of Little Jerusalem (also known as "Ticho House"), the former home of Israeli painter, Anna Ticho, located about two blocks from the entertainment district of Ben Yehuda Street.

Videos:

June 16, 2010 - Students and staff enjoy a fountain located in Muristan, near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

June 16, 2010 - Evening on the Roman Cardo, a marketplace in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

June 16, 2010 - The grand finale of a sound and light show at the walls of the Old City.

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Professor Deborah Post - Chinese Spirituality

2010-06-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

Visiting China is always an adventure in cross-cultural understanding. Probably the one issue that defies translation is the system of beliefs that constitute religion or spirituality. I made my annual visit with students to the Buddhist temple at Nan Putuo. We watched as the Chinese visiting the temple placed gifts of flowers or fruits, burned incense or knelt before the images of Buddha and the compassionate Bodhisatva Guanyin with her 100 arms and two heads. The students took up the game of pitching pennies or yuan onto a rock or into a pagoda’s tiny doors, or hiked the mountain to the shrine at the top of the hill, and I took myself to the stand at the base of the path up the mountain that offers items tourists want to buy and ritual paper money.

Behind the store is a large furnace, and pilgrims to the temple take paper wealth to that furnace and burn it. If the Chinese are right, my parents have a little pocket money now in that other dimension inhabited by human spirits. The Chinese believe that burning paper money or cars or computers or flat screen televisions works to deliver these items to ancestors. Actually, my volunteer, Chenhuan, tells me that she is not concerned with remote ancestors. She burns paper money for her grandmother, and her father does the same for his grandmother. Between the two of them the Chen family is providing for physical and financial comfort of the prior two generations.

Chenhuan also warned me that in the year of the Ox, the Chinese astrological sign in the year of my birth, I must wear red underwear or at least a red string on my wrist to fend off bad luck or bad spirits. I wish I had known this last year, 2009, which was indeed the year of the Ox. If I had known, I might have avoided some of the challenges that presented themselves during the year.

If you are a fan of Amy Tan, who introduced us to the Kitchen Gods Wife and to the spirits that inhabit Chinese cosmology in The Hundred Secret Senses, or if you pay attention to something other than your food when you eat at a Chinese restaurant in the U.S., you won’t be surprised at the ubiquitous shrines to local small “g” gods that we found in China. I finally asked Hannah and Charles the identity of the god in one Cantonese restaurant, and I was told that the god was Cai Shen, the god of prosperity. In Chengzhou, in the home of Charles’ mother, I saw another shrine, and I asked the identity of that god. The figurines on the shrine looked remarkably like Guanyin, but I was told that this is a shrine to the god of the earth, Tu Di. I have since learned that Tu Di is a very local god. Each locality has its own earth god, but apparently these gods share the same name. The god of prosperity and the god of the earth are both protector deities. Makes sense that farmers would want to propitiate the god of the earth and that merchants would look to a god who was concerned with profits. The gods in China are quite specialized.

This god of the earth, if the figurines are actually the gods and not handmaidens to the god, looks a lot like Matzu, the goddess of the sea who looks after the fishermen in Jimei and Xiamen. Matzu in her turn looks like many of the figures of Guanyin that they sell in Nan Putuo and some versions of Guanyin begin to look a lot like Madonna and child.

I have heard it said that the current government has been reinstituting old traditions, like the tomb-sweeping holiday that takes place in the Spring, QingMing. I don’t think much encouragement is necessary. I am not sure that these traditions were ever really abandoned, except perhaps by those who were immediately and intimately involved in the Cultural Revolution. It is pretty hard to eradicate traditions that are deeply rooted in centuries old cultural traditions even when the ferocity of youth is unleashed and directed at the “old” or the “feudal” in society.

I try not to probe too deeply into matters of religion with our volunteers. It came up only twice this summer. Once I asked as delicately as I could about the arrest of public interest lawyers. I did not name them: Gao Zhisheng and two other lawyers, Tang Jitian and Liu Wi, the two lawyers most recently disbarred. The Chinese student looked confused. “Why would a lawyer be arrested?” she asked. “Because they represented unpopular clients, like the members of the Falun Gong movement,” I answered. Her response was immediate. “Falun Gong is evil. It encourages its members to kill themselves.” There was a case of self immolation by a member of Falun Gong a while back so I was not surprised by her response. If this law student is typical of the average Chinese then the government has been quite successful in persuading people that Falun Gong is a threat to public safety.

What I did not expect was the discussion I had some days later about Christianity. I was told, somewhat to my surprise, by a volunteer that she was considering seriously the advantages of Christianity after viewing the last episode of Lost. I am not sure why Lost would inspire one to convert or whether the producers of the show knew or intended the show to have this effect. Who knew that Lost could be used to proselytize? If I understood the student correctly, she thought that Lost proved that there are things in life that cannot be explained by science. Why a work of fiction would have probative effect I am not certain. In any event, it seems to me that people who burn money for the benefit of ancestors have already acknowledged the existence of the supernatural and its proximity to our own world. What exactly was in that episode of Lost?

Anyone interested in a more authoritative discussion of spirituality in China should visit Speaking of Faith to hear an interview with the anthropologist Mayfair Yang.

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China 2010

Professor Louise Harmon - Petra: A Dream Come True

2010-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

So often the seeds of dreams are sown in elementary school. In this instance, the dream germinated not from my own elementary school experience, but from that of my daughter Kate’s. Her second-grade class had been responsible for the Middle East at her school’s International Day Fair, and Kate’s job was to educate her peers about Petra. I promised myself: This is her school project, not yours. Just provide the materials, and keep your nose out of her project. Let her do the work, not you.

Ha.

That’s how I first learned about the amazing engineering feats of the Nabateans. I was so glad that Kate was the child who was with me this summer since it was she who had sprinkled gold glitter over a poster board-rendering of the Treasury, lo those 13 years ago. It was she who had stood tall before the second grade, solemnly imparting information on the Arab tribes of southern Jordan to all who would listen. (And there were not many…)

Last weekend, Kate and I finally got to Petra. Along with 15 law students, and four faculty members, we took a day-long tour from our base in Eilat, where we had spent the day before snorkeling with dolphins in the Red Sea, goggling at tropical fish on the coral reef, and hanging out at the motel pool, made tepid from 105-degree weather. The bus trip to Petra took several hours from Eilat, and we arrived at noon, just in time for a full baking from the unremitting desert sun. Several of us bought a keffiyeh, Jordanian head gear, and we all slathered ourselves in ritual fashion with SPF 45, donned sturdy walking shoes and sunglasses, and prepared for the blinding walk down to Petra.

Professor Louise Harmon adapts to the Jordanian heat and sunshine.

Once we made it into the Sik, the name given to the narrow, winding gorge that leads down to the ancient city, the sun ceased to be a problem. The high, rugged, rose-colored cliffs on either side created narrow bands of dark shade to stand in, and for some reason, a wind blasted through the canyon, drying us out and cooling us down. For me, one of the most amazing things about Petra is its entry.

Rock striations in the Petra Siq (canyon).

For reasons having to do with nothing in particular, I’d spent the spring of 2010 obsessing about Frank Lloyd Wright, and I took him with us to Petra. Wright, with his love of secret, understated entry ways that turn suddenly into large, open spaces, would have approved of the entrance to Petra. You have no way to anticipate what is about to confront you as you meander down the Sik, dodging the clattering horse-drawn carriages that hurtle down the canyon ways at break neck speed, carrying elderly tourists who opted for a thirty-dollar, bone-rattling chariot ride over the more leisurely descent on foot. The pathway twists and turns, but with no sense of purpose, taking its direction from the patterns of erosion, and the cutting edges of once rushing water – not that there’s a drop of water in sight now. Suddenly, you take a minor, inconsequential turn, and you’re standing in a huge, cavernous public space, staring at t he Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury. Carved in the first century BCE as a tomb of an important Nabatean king, its primary influence is Hellenistic, and it’s many stories high – an imposing architectural expression of masculine importance and power. With his love of the understated and the horizontal, Frank Lloyd Wright would no longer have approved. But both of us were enthralled, and told Frank to take a hike.

The “Treasury” building of Petra (actually, a grand mausoleum).

Carved from the cliffs…

Just a bit further into the site, I think Frank Lloyd Wright would have once again joined us in wonder – this time over a work of nature, not of man. Our colleagues were prepared to continue further down into the site. We’d made it as far as the theater that originally seated 3,000 under the Nabateans, but had been expanded to hold over 7,000 by the Romans. It was amazing, but Kate and I were dripping, over-heated, crabby and tired. We’d been seduced by a Bedouin and his ragged horse to take a carriage ride back up, but our wonderful guide, Adnan, kept begging us to just take a few steps further, to go inside some lesser caves that had “beautiful, beautiful colors in sand…. Just one more beautiful thing, madam, one more beautiful thing.”

A chariot driver and Kate Jordan in the Siq of Petra.

And there inside those cool caves, we found swirling striations of sand stone in every hue – purplish blue, orange, yellow, salmon pink – in outrageous, abstract and modern patterns. The walls of those caves made me recall Frank, and he too was moved by them. Their beauty was organic, and in his colors. I wish that I had words to tell you about that sandstone in the caves at Petra, but you’ll have to see my pictures, and take my word for it – it was one more beautiful thing.

Beautiful striations…

And more beautiful striations…

Sometimes dreams that come true are disappointing. Sometimes they are not.

By Louise Harmon, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

James Durham - East of the Old City

2010-06-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

East of the Old City of Jerusalem, just outside the wall, lies the Mount of Olives and several sites of religious significance. The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed on the night before the crucifixion, is beautifully maintained by friars. The Garden is home to several ancient and venerable olive trees, contorted with age but still producing olives. The Church of All Nations, also known as the Gethsemane Basilica of the Agony, lies within the Garden and protects a stone outcropping where Jesus prayed. Two other churches have stood on this site, and their ruins are preserved in the Garden. The Tomb of the Virgin, the burial place of the mother of Jesus, is adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane. The site is shared by various Christian sects, and also is venerated by Muslims because Muhammad is reported to have seen a light over the tomb on his journey from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Grotto of Gethsemane, next to the Tomb, is where the disciples are said to have rested while Jesus prayed in the Garden. The Mount of Olives also contains the largest and oldest Jewish cemetery in the world. Several notables, such as Prime Minister Menachem Begin, are buried at the site.

One of several aged olive trees protected within the walls of the Garden of Gethsemane.

Arches, columns, and capitals of the portico at All Nations Church on the Mount of Olives.

An altar within the Tomb of the Virgin.

Steps within the Tomb of the Virgin.

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Professor Deborah Post - Explorations in China

2010-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

It was pretty early in the morning when we all piled on the bus to head for the home of Charles Guo, the coordinator of this year’s China program. I am sure there was nothing that everyone would have liked more than a little sleep, especially as the trip would take more than two hours. Sleep was pretty hard to come by under the circumstances.

Once you get outside the city of Xiamen, driving through the pretty spectacular undersea tunnel, an object of national pride on the part of Chinese volunteers who joined us for the day, the mode of transportation changes. There are fewer cars and many, many more motorbikes. Motorbikes carrying mother and child; motorized bikes with truck beds balanced precariously on top and heavy loads of materials, mostly granite or pipes or construction materials, carried in the back. For the students in the back of the bus, it felt like our bus driver was mad, furiously hitting his horn as he swerved to pass trucks, motorbikes and pedestrians. The students all said they were afraid for their lives. Those of us up front, though, had a first-hand view of the driver's attempt to avoid the cart pulled by a buffalo blocking traffic or the last-minute maneuvers to avoid motorbikes and pedestrians who appeared out of nowhere. The remarkable thing to me is that there are not more catastrophic accidents in a country where there are few traffic signals at all. In reality I was more concerned about his frequent expectoration out the side window. If the wind blew the wrong way...

China 2010 students and faculty aboard the bus.

Charles and his family were quite generous with us and treated us to a fabulous meal at a local restaurant with all manner of seafood including flying fish and turtle soup. We adjourned to Charles's family home, which we in the U.S. might call the homestead, and while the other students and our guests, Peter and Melissa, wandered around the house, I had an English/Chinese lesson with the children of the cousin of Charles. It is quite an extended family and one that has not complied with the one child rule at all. There are exemptions from this rule for those who live in the countryside but in this particular case, the family paid the fines that the government levies against those who violate the law. The result though is fine extended family with three different households.

Professor Deborah Post with the children of the cousins of Charles Guo.

China 2010 program coordinator, Charles Guo, with his nephews.

The best thing about the trip, as far as I was concerned, was the chance to get out of the city and to see mountains unobstructed, or only partially obstructed, by high rise housing. Sweet potatoes, peanuts and eggplant seem to grow wherever the farmers find some empty space, but the main crop was clearly rice – fields and fields of rice. The most popular animals were goats, chickens and ducks, and there were the most remarkable or ingenious woven baskets that served as “homes” for the chickens. The rooster, at least, seemed pretty comfortable inside as well as outside the house singled out one front room for his favorite place.

China 2010 students Robert King and Melissa Ausili.

We were served watermelon (how could we be offered anything but) and tea and then we took a walk down a well-trod path (no sidewalk here) and under a railroad trestle where we got a great view of the DaWu mountains (I think that is the anglicized version of the name), which means Big Fog or Foggy mountains. The DaWu mountains provide a backdrop for their sister chain, the "fairy castle" mountains. And yes, that is cattle out there grazing in the rice fields.

China 2010 student Ben Shaw

Of course, the farming methods in China are not mechanized. How could they be with each family owning a small piece of land that they cultivate? The fields are filled with women with hoes and old women and men carrying the “natural” fertizlier we know as “night soil” out into the fields. It makes for a verdent green field, a bumper crop of vegetables and rice, but the smell is a little off putting. I have the same reaction to the cow manure and the chemical fertilizers that they spread all over the landscaping work done at home in Long Island each Spring. I left my farming roots back in upstate New York more years ago than I like to remember, and I have no interest in renewing that connection. I don’t want my hands in the soil, but the fields and the animals and the hardworking Chinese people in the countryside are an inspiration and a quiet place to meditate on the beauty of the countryside that seems to be disappearing in an massive effort at "rural/urban integration" here in China.

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China 2010

All photos courtesy of Chenhuan, my chinese volunteer

James Durham - Sunshine and Sand in Eilat

2010-06-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Several student and faculty participants in the Israel 2010 program recently took an extended weekend excursion to Eilat (in Israel, on the Red Sea) and to Petra (in the Jordanian desert). Eilat is a sunny Israeli resort where summer temperatures regularly surpass the 100-degree mark. Sunscreen, a hat, and bottled water are necessities. Our group took advantage of several recreational opportunities during our sojourn: snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, sunbathing, and jeep excursions into the desert.

A wooden yacht passes beach lounge chairs on the Gulf of Eilat. (Photo courtesy of Sergey Korolev - Touro.)

A leaping dolphin at the Eilat Dolphinarium. (Photo courtesy of Peter Mancino.)

Colorful residents of the Rare Fish Aquarium at the Underwater Observatory Marine Park in Eilat.

In southern Israel, looking through barbed wired to the Egyptian border and Sinai.

The mausoleums of Paula and David Ben-Gurion (the first Prime Minister of Israel) in the park-like setting of their burial site in the Negev Desert, near the kibbutz of Sde Boker.

Moshe Hesed -- our guide for recent trips to Masada, the Dead Sea, Eilat and Petra. (Photo courtesy of Sergey Korolev - Touro.)

Happy campers at a faculty dinner in the resort of Eilat.

Video: June 14, 2010 - Sleepy students on the air-conditioned bus from Eilat to Jerusalem, recovering from too much sun and sand.

Professor Louise Harmon will soon be blogging about the Petra portion of our visit to southern Israel. Stay tuned for exciting explorations and more lovely photos...

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Brian Elliott - An Excursion to Prague

2010-06-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

During the first weekend in June, 18 students from Touro Law's Berlin Summer Abroad program hopped on the train and headed south of the border to Prague. While everyone had to battle a massive sea of tourists (it was the first warm Spring weekend in Central Europe in a long time, and everyone and their mother descended on Prague at the same time), we still managed to take in one of Europe's most beautiful cities in a short period of time.

To really do Prague with only one full day it's best to start in Malá Strana at the Prague Castle and take in some amazing views of the Prague cityscape from atop a cliff. Then one can make their way down a stone walkway past several cafes and tourist kitsch shops before reaching the banks of the Vltava River. There, one can walk across the Charles Bridge, a pedestrian bridge adorned with Baroque statues depicting various patron saints from the 17th century. From there it's a short walk into Prague's famous old town square where it'll be time to reward yourself with a beer!

Taking in the scenery near Prague Castle

Touro Law student Megan Landy on the Charles Bridge

The 18 of us all found things that weekend to do on our own. Some took in Prague's landmark Jewish Cemetery on Sunday, while others hit the town hardcore and danced 'till dawn at Central Europe's biggest club.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

James Durham - The Biblical Zoo

2010-06-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens (also known as "The Biblical Zoo") is located about 25 minutes from the Old City in Jerusalem. Several students and faculty have enjoyed strolling the landscaped grounds (with labeled tree specimens) during a free morning or afternoon. The Biblical Zoo harbors a collection of animals mentioned in the Bible, and also participates in breeding programs for rare or endangered species of animals from around the world. Their web site may be found at www.jerusalemzoo.org.il. Here are a few of the fascinating animals featured in their collection:

Syrian Brown Bear resting on a rock.

Leopard contemplates dinner resting on a rock above his head.

Asian Elephants explore a "treat niche" in the retaining wall of their exhibit, in search of healthy snacks.

Nubian Ibex surveys his surroundings from a rocky perch.

Graceful Scimitar-Horned Oryx huddle with herd members for security.

A grand Pelican on the shore of a pond at The Biblical Zoo.

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Brian Elliott - World Cup Mania

2010-06-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, Touro Law students in Germany got to experience what it's like to be in a football (soccer, for those of us in the States)-mad country during the World Cup. Everywhere you look, German flags are hanging from apartment buildings or are waving from a passing car.

Several of us went down to Hackesher Markt Sunday evening to watch Germany defeat Australia 4-0 in Germany's opening game. What I remember the most is that every time Germany scored, something nearby would explode. Hopefully it's harmless.

Getting in the spirit are Touro students Jessica Della Sala, Jamie-Lynn Burns, and Kayce Cronin, along with John Marshall student Ramina Odishoo, and CUNY Law student Maggie Palmer.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

James Durham - Jerusalem Gastronomy

2010-06-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

Who knew the food in Israel would be this good? In previous summer programs, I typically have lost weight due to increased exercise and hot weather. Despite the warm days (followed by cool evenings) in Jerusalem, I have succeeded in expanding my waistline in a few short weeks. Israeli cuisine is delicious, and Jerusalem is blessed with an abundance of very good restaurants, often in lovely venues. Here are a few of the food items I've grown to love...

Lemonana: fresh-squeezed lemonade combined with crushed ice and shredded mint leaves. "Nana" means mint in Hebrew.

Israeli Salad: chopped Israeli cucumber (slightly different than U.S. cucumbers) and tomato salad, usually tossed with fresh parsley and vinaigrette.

Shakshuka: a Middle-Eastern dish of cooked tomatoes, olives, and spices, combined with eggs, and baked in an iron skillet.

Sea bass, with roasted potatoes, lemons, garlic, and chives. Fresh fish is plentiful because of Israel's proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. (Photo courtesy of Sergey Korolev - Touro)

Almond-pear tarte in sweet crème with a glass of dark coffee.

Ringed loaves of fresh bread await customers at the Jaffa Gate in the Old City. (Photo courtesy of Sergey Korolev - Touro)

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Programs in Israel 2010

James Durham - Blue Sea and Bauhaus: A Day in Tel Aviv

2010-06-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Tel Aviv is merely a 45-minute ride by sherut (inexpensive shared taxi) from West Jerusalem. Students and faculty are taking advantage of Tel Aviv's proximity for afternoon sightseeing, sunbathing on beaches and nightlife.

Sometimes known as "The White City," Tel Aviv is home to thousands of buildings built in the architectural style known as "Bauhaus." The Bauhaus School in Germany, known for its production of modern art and architecture, was closed by the Nazi regime in 1933. Several Jewish architects from the Bauhaus School fled Germany and landed in the British Mandate of Palestine (later Israel). From the early 1930's until the 1950's, entire neighborhoods of burgeoning Tel Aviv were constructed in the sleek Bauhaus style. Most of these buildings were painted white, coining the moniker "The White City."

The striking angles of a Bauhaus apartment building.

On a recent visit to Tel Aviv, I took an audio walking tour of one of Tel Aviv's Bauhaus neighborhoods, bounded by the following streets: Yael, Shlomo Hamelech, Dizengoff, Frug and Frishman. The audio walking tours are provided by the Bauhaus Center of Tel Aviv, located at 99 Dizengoff Street. The Center sells a wide array of Bauhaus books and souvenirs. To learn more, try Dwelling on the Dunes, Tel Aviv: Modern Movement and Bauhaus Ideals by Nitza Metzger-Szmuk, a leading book on Tel Aviv's Bauhaus architects and architecture.

Hot pink bougainvillea highlights a Bauhaus apartment building with shuttered porches.

A beautifully restored Bauhaus apartment building on Frug Street.

The port of Old Jaffa is a short ride from the Bauhaus neighborhoods of Tel Aviv. Mosques, churches, and gardens terraced in limestone provide a lovely and peaceful stroll, away from the bustle of modern Tel Aviv. Old Jaffa provides panoramic views of Mediterranean beaches and the skyline of Tel Aviv.

A minaret in Old Jaffa, next to rocks in the harbor where Andromeda is said to have been tied for sacrifice to the Kraken.

A panoramic view of the coastline of Tel Aviv from atop the terraced gardens of Old Jaffa.

After sightseeing, the restaurants of Tel Aviv provide good respite. We visited “Orna and Ella” at 33 Sheinkin Street, had a leisurely meal, and encountered the American actor Paul Giamatti, ineffectively hidden behind dark sunglasses.

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Professor Barbara Swartz - Experiences in Berlin

2010-06-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

Lately, Berlin has been warm and sunny and green, filled with flowering trees and people enjoying late nights in restaurants and cafes. This is a contrast to when we first arrived and found the weather to be cold and rainy. Berlin had the coldest May in their history but this has all changed. Right now, we're in the middle of the World Cup, actually taking place in South Africa but you'd think it was happening here. People drive around the city with German flags attached to their cars, honking and cheering. Germany won its first match last night against Australia, and everywhere you went, people were sitting in front of TVs at cafes drinking, laughing and singing. I saw the match at a German friend's house, and every time Germany got a goal (they got four), a little girl would come out on the balcony across the street and wave the German flag.

The students are thriving. The first weekend we were here, most of them went to Prague. This weekend, a group are in Paris; next weekend they plan to see Berlin; and the last weekend, many will go to Amsterdam. They're really making the most of their time in Europe.

In between, we've had a long bus tour around Berlin, eaten at a typical German student restaurant under the train tracks where each room is painted in different colors, had a human rights lecture by a German law professor and had a guided tour of the Reichstag, where we were able to see parts that normal tourists never see. This week, we're looking forward to a talk by a Princess whose father was a resistance fighter in World War II. We've arranged for her to speak in the building, now a museum, where Count Von Stauffenberg, played by Tom Cruise in the recent movie Valquerie, worked and was executed for his participation in a plot against Hitler.

Students who have stayed in Berlin this weekend spent the time exploring the many flea markets, going on a long bicycle tour around Berlin, visiting a concentration camp and seeing several of the numerous museums in this city.

In between, and most importantly, we have school. Most of our classes are held at a part of Potsdam University which is very close to Sans Souci, a wonderful castle built in the 19th century by Frederick the Great, similar to Versailles, with huge gardens where you can picnic, walk or bike ride. I've just finished my class in the Practice of Mediation. I think I was able to combine a genuine learning experience with lots of fun. During the breaks, I had the students stretching while doing the Hokey Pokey or playing Simon Says, which is actually a wonderful way to practice the skill of active listening. Many in the class, who didn't really understand what mediation was, now say they'll use in their practice. Some are even talking about becoming mediators.

It's hard to believe that we're already half through our summer experience. Time has gone so quickly. I know we'll all leave full of memories, new friendships, and some profound learning experiences, about life and academically. I think many will find this a life-changing summer.

By Professor Barbara Swartz, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

Brian Elliott - Fun and Games and Mediation

2010-06-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Time has been split this summer between Potsdam University's two campuses: Park Sanssouci and Griebnitzee.

Germany 2010 students outside of the Park Sanssouci campus. From left to right are Touro students, Alexandra Stevens, Kevin Mulligan, and John Simon, with Albany Law Student Jackie Accetturi

Getting to either campus requires a harrowing morning commute that lasts over an hour on the train. Each of us has found their own ways to maintain sanity on these long train rides, whether that involves getting the day's reading done before class, squeezing in another hour of sleep, or talking (quietly) with other students about everyone's night. I myself managed to slip into a coma on the train ride home today due to the fact that I keep getting awakened by the 4:30 a.m. sunrise every day.

Luckily a lively class of Mediation keeps the blood flowing and minds active. Today we got brought back to kindergarten by doing the hokey pokey during our ten minute class break.

Professor Barbara Swartz leads Touro students in the hokey pokey. From left to right, Stephanie Platt, John Nicodemo, Fareeha Malik, Gina Rizzuto, Jamie-Lynn Burns, and Binny Seth take part.

The other class for the first part of the program, International Criminal Law, has really challenged everyone on topical issues that have forced us to set aside moral feelings and look at how serious international atrocities fit within a legal framework. Discussions about the prosecutions of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, to detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and the very recent and relevant incident involving the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza have produced lively discussions.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

Professor Marianne Artusio - Thursday, May 27

2010-06-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Oh the glories of the Mughal dynasty! We entered the Taj Mahal garden, just after sunrise. It is truly magical. In any light the Taj shines, it glows, it just wraps you in its magic. The day was cloudy and the Taj seemed adrift on a silken cloud. Of course, we all “oohed and aahed” and took 1000s of pictures and marveled at all its intricacies. A man was mowing the field just below the Taj with a cart pulled by oxen and their reflection followed them in the Yammuna river, just beyond. Who expects to see such things? I wandered around the mosque that is part of the grounds (a mosque on one side, a guest house on the other) and discovered the most beautiful marble screen, tucked away on the side. Apparently it separated a small area where the women were allowed to pray. But how could they concentrate on prayer when right in front of them was a screen carved in while marble, sculpted with such delicacy that defies description. Here is a picture of a few of our group on this lovely morning at the Taj.

Then we went onto the Fatipur-sikri, Akbar’s City of Victory. It was built in the 1500s to celebrate the Mughal King, Akbar’s first son, and he moved his entire administration here - to a remote place where a holy man lived who had predicted that each of Akbar’s wives would bear a son. How could they have built a city so fanciful? A city made entirely of red sandstone, with palaces, mosques, audience halls, swimming pools, temples, terraces, performance space and huge plazas entirely of red sandstone, with intricate carvings. There was even a pavilion for the court astrologer made of red sandstone. No wood, no granite, no marble – it is other-worldly. Even the ceilings and roofs are huge blocks of red sandstone. We saw Akbar’s immense plaza, where the blocks were laid out as a Parcheesi board and the King would play Parcheesi with concubines as the pieces. He rolled the dice and they moved! Again, it was blistering hot and we sought whatever shade we could find, sitting in the meager shade of these abandoned red buildings. Next we journeyed on the Agra Fort, another jewel of Mughal architecture and full of exotic splendors. Much has been destroyed since Shah Jahan was imprisoned there by his son, but you can just imagine the magnificence: Ceilings inlaid with jewels and mirrors to catch the light, great doomed roofs covered with gold, elaborate patterns in inlaid marble everywhere, and bubbling fountains and watercourses, flowing through the gardens and the rooms to cool them. The Hall of the Public Audience was so gorgeous, and you could feel the awe that this magnificent building must have inspired. It is an open pavilion with carved and inlaid columns, and a throne seated on a balcony high above the ground, backed by 100s of niches that at one time were filled with different colored glass. Having an audience with the Emperor in that setting - most people probably could not say a word. The peacock throne once was here, and the Mughals sat on jewels and gold as they dispensed their “justice,” but it was carted away by the Persians and India has had no success in getting it back.

A good day, very hot, but a good day.

By Professor Marianne Artusio, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2010

Brian Elliott - Touro Law Tours the Reichstag

2010-06-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 8th, Touro Law's 2010 Berlin Summer Abroad Program got an exclusive tour of the Reichstag, the primary German parliament building (the equivalent to The Capitol in Washington, DC).

The building, originally constructed in the late 19th century, has transformed dramatically after its reconstruction due to allied bombing from World War II. Although the building's interior retains a modern feel, parts of the original walls remain exposed behind a layer of renovated stone walls revealing the ghosts of the past. Because the building was a primary target of the Red Army, you can still see Russian graffiti written on the parts of the old exposed wall.

The Reichstag ceased to be used as a parliamentary building after World War II, however, the powers that be decided to reconstruct the building, and it was subsequently used as an official meeting quarters by West Germany (the Reichstag is situated in the former West Berlin).

It wasn't until German reunification and the decision to move the German capital to Berlin that the Reichstag regained its status is the main parliamentary building. The building's most recognizable feature is its glass dome - a beehive-like glass structure built in 1999. Visitors can walk up to the top of the dome via a spiral walkway, and enjoy spectacular views of Berlin's skyline.

Touro Law students John Nicodemo and Kaycee Cronin taken from atop the dome.

The dome taken from inside the main parliamentary chamber.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

Professor Marianne Artusio - Wednesday May 26- Thursday May 27

2010-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

On the road to Agra and the splendors of the Mughal dynasty. We left early, and as there were only 14 of us, we had plenty of room to lounge in the big bus. The city is so torn up, it looks like an explosion in a construction site everywhere. Delhi will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in October, and the city is in the midst of building and refurbishing everywhere. Sidewalks are torn up, leaving piles of paving stones and debris littered across the roads. There are immense, unfinished elevated highways arching over shattered streets. Construction cranes and bulldozers and gargantuan trucks tower over our bus. In the heat the dust forms a rolling haze so thick that you can practically reach out and grab it. India has 1.3 billion people and probably half of them are working on construction within Delhi: people lowering huge blocks of stone to make retaining walls, drilling with jackhammers, squatting on the pavement laying bricks by hand, carrying loads on their heads back and forth across congested streets. Delhi has a population of 13 million and they are dodging paving machines and dump trucks as the work goes on. It seems impossible that it will be finished in time, but everyone tells us it will be done. An entirely new international airport will open in a few weeks, so maybe it will be so.

The ride to Agra was peaceful, with classic Indian village scenes along the way: women in brightly-hued saris drawing water from the well, dung patties drying in the sun, small roadside dhabas with rows of empty plastic chairs, crowded under a flapping awning awaiting a customer or two. Life seems slow and unchanging in the countryside, and we saw small villages, a huge marble temple and long lines of women with big loads of long stalks of grain balanced on their heads walking along the road. Our guide, Anil, had lots to point out, so we learned a bit of Indian history along the way. We stopped at Sikandra to visit the tomb of Akbar, the third Mughal King. It is set in a beautiful garden, and as you enter through a massive red sandstone gate, you are transported to another time. The 21st century melts away, and you just feel the pomp and magnificence of the Mughal court. Of course, Akbar’s tomb is the plainest of the Mughal tombs, but it overwhelms, just the same.

After lunch in Agra, we were off to visit another Mughal tomb called the “Baby Taj,” the tomb of Emperor Jangahir’s father-in-law. The inlays in jasper, marble and other stones are like a kaleidoscope and you can get dizzy just looking at them. Here’s a picture of the entrance gate, looking back from inside the tomb:

Antelopes roam the grounds and as you take off your shoes and shuffle along the inlaid floors, geometric patterns splashed under your feet, you truly feel the heady excess of the Mughal rulers. Here are more pictures of the tomb and the inlay that covers every inch:

We are tired and hot, but ready to be entranced by the Taj Mahal tomorrow.

By Professor Marianne Artusio, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2010

James Durham - Exploring Jerusalem

2010-06-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Our Israel 2010 students and faculty are afoot, exploring the archeological and spiritual treasures of Jerusalem. After morning classes, participants can be found wandering the souks (marketplaces) of the Old City and touring religious sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of St. Anne (the grandmother of Jesus), the Western Wall (Kotel), and the plaza of the Dome of the Rock. Others don sunscreen to trek the rigorous Ramparts Walk along the top of the stone wall of the Old City, enjoying panoramic views of Jerusalem. Some venture beyond the Old City to the Israel Museum, and tour the Shrine of the Rock, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. The truly adventuresome undertake the Tunnel Tour, which explores underground tunnels near the Western Wall and displays streets from the time of Herod the Great, ancient cisterns, and a Crusader moat.

Please enjoy these videos:

June 5, 2010 - Shana Slawitsky (Student, Touro Law Center) takes a ride on a camel at a roadside stop on the highway from Ein Gedi to Jerusalem.

June 8, 2010 - Israel 2010 students take an evening tour of the underground tunnels adjacent to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

And here are a few photos from our adventures:

A view of the Dome of the Rock and an adjacent minaret at twilight.

On cool afternoons, faculty and students head to the Ramparts Walk, along the top edge of the wall of the Old City for some of the finest views of Jerusalem. Here, Peter Mancino treks the ramparts, with the Tower of David in the background.

The Tower of David, as viewed from atop the Rampart's Walk along the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls.

By James Durham, Touro Law Center Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Sumit Raghuvanshi - Exploring Delhi and Shimla

2010-06-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Coming to India was not my first foray into the Subcontinent. I have visited this nation numerous times, but usually with family, and never as a student. I landed in Mumbai, to attend a family wedding. However, after the wedding I went to New Delhi, and without the comforts of having family around with me, Delhi was as new of a city to me as to the rest of the majority of the students. Although a bit scary, there were new sights, sounds, smells, and not to mention the heat. After my first night in Delhi, a group of us ventured around the city amidst the 100 plus degree heat. But we went to different sights and saw impressive monuments. Although impressive and grand, what impressed me more was exploring the city by foot.

The program may have began in Delhi, but the purpose of the program was to study in Shimla. Delhi is a huge city, hot, sticky, and polluted; however, as we ventured across the country to Shimla, 14 hours by bus might I add, we all saw a changing landscape. It was in Shimla that I saw a new part of India. Shimla, a city in the mountains with forests covering the landscape was absolutely beautiful. Across the mountain there were buildings, bazaars and temples. Prof. Artusio put it best when she said that Shimla looks as if a fairy sprinkled the mountainside with gems. Currently, I have visited only a fraction of the city, but from what I have seen so far, I can tell that Shimla is a caring, warm, loving city.

Although Shimla is a holiday city for most Indians trying to escape the heat, for us students in the India 2010 Summer Abroad Program Shimla means school. Classes are interesting. Although there are mostly American students, and each has unique perspectives, we also have some Indian students joining us. This rich diversity, for me at least, allows me to improve my perspective. As an attorney, it is our responsibility, in part, to interpret the law, and seeing different interpretations is fascinating. I just hope that they are enjoying learning from us as much as we are learning from them.

Outside of class, I am exploring the city. Yesterday, I went to the Jakhu Mandir, whose principal god is Hanuman. Hanuman’s has monkey features, and as such his Mandir (or temple) is surrounded by monkeys. The temple is situated at the very top of a mountain, and the path to get there, although paved, is steep. Safe to say, that if you reach the Summit, you also get a decent workout. Being a Hindu, going to the Mandir had another critical feature in that I am learning more about the vastness of my religion.

My trek to the Mandir was a little more difficult because I had to hide my glasses. We were told that monkeys steal people’s glasses in exchange for food. When I got to the actual Mandir I could see the surroundings. The temple is laid out at the top of mountain surrounded by forests. The entire landscape is utterly beautiful and quiet, something that is rare in the cities. There are actually two temples there: one is a small temple, but the other is at the very top, and surrounding it are corridors. I had to hide my glasses again, but from what I could see there were monkeys to my left and to my right. There were monkeys all around me, staring at me; the baby monkeys wanted to play. Safe to say, it was a little bit creepy. But to see the actual Hanuman Mandir at the top was well worth the fear of the monkeys. I won’t describe the top, but it is a must see.

By Sumit Raghuvansh, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2010

Professor Marianne Artusio - Monday, May 24- Tuesday May 25

2010-06-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here in India at last! It is wonderful to return, I feel so welcomed by everyone here. But, the heat is beyond description. Your eyeballs burn, your tongue dries out, your breath is a furnace and your clothes drip behind you as you walk. How do people live in this heat? I guess like all people in tropical climes – by resting during the scorching part of the day. But here in Delhi I see people, looking cool and undisturbed, walking on the street in crisp clothes, while I am melting.

Nick and I took a short, meandering stroll through Chandni Chowk, the bazaar of Old Delhi. It is a maze of tiny alleys, miniscule shops, darkened hallways, hanging electric wires and exotic-looking nook and crannies, ablaze with every color of the rainbow (and some even beyond the realm of physics), sparkling fabrics, glittering with sequins and gold thread. Add to this the aroma a street food, sizzling and spattering at every corner – samosas and other treats, lined up on oiled trays, so full you can knock them over as you pass. On the sidewalk, cooks wielding long-handled ladles stir and mix all manner of mysterious delights that smell of the East – spices I can’t identify that lure me to linger over the darkened pots of bubbling oil. Chandni Chowk is a hodge podge of many bazaars and we found ourselves in the fabric bazaar – endless alleys full of tiny, tiny shops, full to overflowing with cloth of every imaginable color and type. Shops no bigger than my closet at home, lined up to the ceiling with bolts of cloth, great swaths of it hanging on the doorposts and draped across the floor, with a crisp-looking shopkeeper cross-legged on the floor folding endless lengths of cloth. And the people! Everywhere there are women in saris, men carrying large bundles on their backs, children running and darting among the shops, shopkeepers crying out to us to see their shop, men driving bicycle rickshaws, people chatting in doorways and crowding the streets. Walking through Chandni Chowk is really battering your way through a crowd. My feet were stepped on a few times and I probably returned the favor many more. But the most astounding thing to me (and I have seen this in other places in India) is the electric wires. Below is a picture, but it can not convey the tangle and chaos of the electric wires that spew from every pole, making great looping arcs and spider web snarls.

We did not buy anything – the heat and chaos drained my urge to buy and we made our way back to the hotel by the modern subway. The subway is clean, fast, well-marked and the signs are in English and Hindi, so we could get around easily, except for one thing – security. To get on the subway we had to go through an electronic screening, have our bags go through the machine and then be frisked! I would hate to have to use the subway during rush hour. Back at the hotel we found security changes as well. Every hotel now has a security checkpoint we need to walk through. My heart sank when I saw the beautiful old cream and amber colored marble floor of our lovely hotel covered by a big, ugly security scanner, big enough for the largest suitcases and packages. But our students for the Agra trip have arrived, and we all went to our favorite restaurant in Connaught Place for a fine beginning for our adventure. They were mostly tired, but anxious to take in everything, so after a delicious tali meal we finished the day.

By Professor Marianne Artusio - Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2010

Professor Louise Harmon - A First Taste of Israel

2010-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Our first week in Israel has been amazing – and intense. We’ve toured the Israeli Supreme Court and the Knesset, and from the safety of our bus, viewed Jerusalem and its environs from every conceivable angle. We’ve also survived five days of class in an arctic, subterranean classroom located on the “minus 3” floor of the Agron Street Guest House. We’ve walked miles and miles in the brilliant, sometimes blinding, sunlight, trying to learn the ways of this fascinating city.

All of this against the backdrop of an international crisis in Gaza. This city virtually hums with politics, but the events at sea this past week turned the volume up on the hum. The U.S. State Department was issuing travelers’ advisories about going into the Old City, and our families and friends were plying us with worried and worrying emails, inquiring into our safety. Oddly enough, while the presence of the military was perhaps more acutely felt on the streets and security was tighter, the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants seemed to be in a state of peaceful equipoise. It was much more calming to be close to the eye of the storm than in its outer path.

By the end of the week, most of us were sorely in need of a break. On Friday and Saturday, we took about 20 of our students on a bus trip to Masada, Ein Gedi, the Dead Sea, and then for an overnight stay at Kibbutz Almog at the north end of the Dead Sea. Masada was the mountain fortress built by that master, maniacal builder, King Herod, where the zealots made their last stand against the Romans. About half of the students climbed up to Masada; it took about half an hour, and they were drenched in sweat and panting when they arrived at the top. Others (more sane) opted for the air-conditioned cable car; we were not drenched in sweat and panting when we arrived at the top. By the time the tour was over, however, we were all drenched in sweat and panting. (I have decreed that my entire allotment of sweat for the remainder of 2010 is going to be spent during this month in Israel, and that when I come home, I am not going to sweat again until May 2011.) The anecdote for this sweat fest was a brief hike in Ein Gedi until we came upon the first rushing waterfall and swimming hole. Then almost all of the participants of the Israel 2010 summer program stripped down, and cooled down in the fresh, emerald green water of this desert oasis.

Kate Jordan (Professor Harmon's daughter) and James Durham (Program Administrator) have just taken an arduous, air-conditioned cable car ride to the top of Masada -- and are resting from the strain.

Israel 2010 cooling down in the oasis of Ein Gedi.

Refreshed, we moved on to the Dead Sea where we engaged in the ritual torture of mud baths and floating in the highly salinized water. I love the Dead Sea for its stunning visuals, but frankly the sensation of salt water ten times more potent than the sea assaulting a myriad of as-of-yet undiagnosed injuries on my pickled body, while trying to navigate my stinging, besieged nether regions along the razor sharp accumulations of crystallized salts that make up the floor of the Dead Sea – well, suffice it to say, I am more of a desert oasis, waterfall and fresh water pool sort of woman. Some disagreed, however, and took to the Dead Sea like – I was going to say, like a duck to water, but no self-respecting duck would, or could, take to that brine. To me, it is one of those required tourist endeavors that are far more fun to have done, than to do.

Israel 2010 students slathering Dead Sea mud.

Israel 2010 floating in the Dead Sea.

The rest of the trip was spent hanging out at the Kibbutz Almog that sat in the middle of the desert under the shade of trees, towering, flowering bushes, and on a spread of highly irrigated, lime green grass. The Kibbutz had splendid food, a pub, and an inviting, large swimming pool that we shared on Saturday with the other guests of the kibbutz, mostly families on Shabbat outings with their many, many children. Some of us took a morning trip to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a shepherd boy in 1947, and its accompanying archeological site. On the way home, we stopped at a roadside café/gas station/camel riding stand, and for 20 shekels, our students rode around a small grassy area perched atop a few ungracious, geriatric, sputtering camels. Many photo opportunities, two of which we will share with you.

Babe Root (Florida International) on a camel ride.

Shana Slawitsky (Touro) leads a camel being ridden by Kate Jordan.

Now we are back home, showered, nursing sunburns and too much pub time, and sleeping off our fatigue. Classes begin again for this week on Sunday afternoon, but by then, we’ll be rested and ready.

By Professor Louise Harmon, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Brian Elliott - Touro Law's Annual Berlin Summer Abroad Program is Underway

2010-06-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

Twenty travel-battered (and finals-battered) law students have made their way to Berlin, one of Europe's most important cities, to experience all that it has to offer. Those things might include gaining a new perspective about the wall that divided the city from 1961 - 1989, or sampling Germany's fine beer and cuisine...and maybe pick up a little German along the way.

Classes began on Monday. Many students participating in the program are taking Mediation and International Criminal Law. Besides learning subjects, many of us have already learned some important cultural differences. The New Yorkers among us have had to shake our tendency to jaywalk with impunity and talk on public transportation - two things which are just not done by the local populace.

Still, it's early in the program, and there will be much more to write about as the days go on.

For now, here's a picture of Berlin's TV tower which dominates the city's skyline.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010

James Durham - Visiting the Supreme Court of Israel

2010-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Touro Law Israel Summer Abroad group recently visited the Supreme Court of Israel, located in Kiryat David Ben Gurion, the center of Israeli government in Jerusalem. The modern facility, built in pale Jerusalem stone, was constructed with funds from the Rothschild Foundation, the result of a gift from Dorothy de Rothschild in the name of her late husband, James de Rothschild. The same gentleman donated funds in 1957 to build the Knesset, also constructed in Jerusalem stone.

Students and faculty received a short lecture on the structure of the Israeli court system from an English-speaking guide. Then, they observed a portion of arguments (conducted in Hebrew) in a labor law dispute, appearing before a three-judge panel.

After visiting the Supreme Court, the group took a bus tour of southern and southeast Jerusalem, narrated by an Israeli guide. The group visited the "wall of separation," which was constructed to protect Israeli Jewish neighborhoods from terrorist attacks, and viewed a West Bank checkpoint where Palestinian workers were returning home after a day in Israel.

By James Durham, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Israel 2010

Professor Marjorie Silver - Winding Down in India

2009-07-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

So I’ve figured out how to maximize one’s bargaining position: open your wallet and show the shopkeeper that you only have X number of rupees left. It has worked pretty well for me a couple of times now—it also means I’ve come home sans rupees more than once!

As I said to Marianne on the way back from yet another shopping spree, I believe I’m done with my shopping—at least until I buy something else. It’s absolutely an addiction here. Only way to cure it, I fear, is to return to New York. But I am the proud owner of several exquisite pieces. Including my first Thangka!

Things are certainly winding down. Students are distracted by exams and plans for afterward. The level of commitment in class—at least in my class—has certainly fallen off considerably from where it was the first three weeks. Three students absent yesterday, with nary an explanation. Five today (one, Daniel, was actually ill). The explanation is fairly clear to me—they figure they can cut my class to study for their other exams with minimum repercussions, given my take-home exam for which they have had half the program. There is, however, the professionalism component to their grade for my course.

Despite that, there has been a sufficient critical mass to keep the discussion in class both flowing and interesting. Still, it is a disappointment.

Out and about:

On Sunday, Marianne, Doug and I hiked up to Dharamcot, via Bhagsu. We didn’t mean to take the Bhagsu road, and wished we hadn’t—the traffic was horrible, the fumes spoiling our “walk in the woods.” But it was a good workout, and the return trip from Dharamcot a lot more pastoral. Sunday evening, Ved, Catharine and I checked out a traditional Tibetan music hour, a sort of fundraiser for a benefit of vague description. One announcer, one performer, two instruments, some singing, some dancing. More quaint than compelling. At a school with another great vista, however. Oh, those snow-capped mountains!

Marianne and I walked the outer road around the Monastery Monday. It’s magical—great vistas, interesting Tibetan carvings and paintings on the rocks, a small temple here and there. And then had another terrific pizza at what Marianne calls the Dalai Lama’s pizza parlor. Who knew some of the best pizza anywhere was to be found in McLeod Ganj!?!

An elephant walked through town yesterday, accompanied by old men with beards and begging bowls. Happily, I spotted it from a distance on Temple Road and was able to capture its approach with my Flip. Click here to view the videos.

By Professor Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Professor Doug Colbert – Visit with the Karmapa Lama/Class Discussions in Dharamsala

2009-06-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

I thought you would like to see the picture we took today when we visited the Karmapa, the head lama of the Kagyud sect of Tibetan Buddhism. He only had time for a photo-op but I think you'll agree it was definitely worthwhile to see him. I had a chance to say a few words like, "Good to see you again," and he nodded and agreed. I told him, "I teach International Human Rights and these are my faculty colleagues and students." I also told him, "You are looking fine but a bit older than the last time I saw you," and the Karmapa replied, "You think so? You think I am looking okay?" I said absolutely and then the Karmapa turned to Professor Ved Nanda who had more to say. Students were slightly disappointed that they didn’t have a chance to speak to him, but seemed pleased at having met him. We then visited Norbulingka and the Transit School. What an afternoon!

I love Dharamsala. My mornings are lovely. My walk/jog around the monastery is accompanied by a variety of old and young, monks and nuns, all going to the same morning service where they will celebrate the new day by singing and then throwing powder in the air. As the only jogger, I am definitely the strange bird in the crowd, but am welcomed as much as any outsider could expect. Afterwards, I continue on my run, finding it impossible to continue up a very long, steep hill before finally catching my breath enough to resume running, while always appreciating what I have just experienced. I then return for a sumptuous breakfast at one of the most special and loveliest of hotels, the Tibetan Chonor House, where I am staying once again in the Wild Animals room. I then join my morning class which has been engaged in discussions about U.S. and India policy and human rights practices. Class conversations are lively and informative, as students exchange ideas about subjects ranging from the prohibition against torture, and the economic and social rights of children, women and working people. It is never easy for a national of any country to discover their country has violated a treaty agreement or not ratified several of the main human rights treaties. U.S. students pondered the meaning of their government being one of only two countries that failed to ratify the Covenant on the Rights of the Child, as one example; Indian students reflected on their progressive constitution and activist judicial branch, while wondering whether the problems of child labor and illiteracy are intractable or will, one day, be eliminated.

Today, though, the conversation shifted to China. I had taken students to the Tibet Museum yesterday where they absorbed the moving photographs and accounts of the Tibetan struggle for independence. They saw a powerful, 90-minute movie which detailed and revealed the brutality of China's army and repressive political system toward the Tibetan people. I expect that explains the students' reaction in class today where I used Professor Richard Klein's article on cultural relativism as a way to explain China and the "Asian way" of respecting human rights. I was met with very strong resistance and was placed in the situation of presenting China's position, at least to the best of my abilities. Tomorrow, I hope to persuade the students of the importance of learning the other side of the argument, especially where they are convinced there is only one right side. Tomorrow we have a Tibetan NGO coming to class and a representative of the Youth Congress, too. I’ll keep you informed.

By Professor Doug Colbert, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Waste Not

2009-06-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

China may have lax environmental laws, but it is far from being a wasteful country. Everything is used. It’s rare to see garbage on the street. A common sight is people on bicycles pulling trailers piled high with cardboard boxes or paper. Or people begging to collect the empty plastic water bottles from tour buses. They weren’t begging for money. They wanted our empty plastic bottles. There isn’t a deposit on the bottles, but presumably the collectors get some compensation if they bring in enough bottles. Land is used. Looking through a fence hole, I saw a woman who lived in a huge apartment building collecting cucumbers from a plant she nurtured at the otherwise empty backyard of the building. There was only eight feet between the building and the fence. In the hutongs—the old-style way of living in Beijing, a sort of shantytown of connected courtyard residences centered around a water source—you see pots of vegetables and flowers and herbs growing in unlikely places. On the side of the highways you see thin rows of plants like corn, or fruit trees. And each swelling fruit is surrounded by its own burlap bag to protect it. When food makes it to the table, all of the animal is eaten. When a few of us went out for Peking Duck, the duck head, split in two, had its own special plate. I couldn’t face the eye or brain, but I did have a bit of duck cheek.

Kate Anderson at the Ming Tombs outside Beijing

Speaking of food, there are many differences. I enjoyed the eastern-ness of the “Western” buffet at the Beijing hotel: congee, bok choy, steamed pork buns, fried rice. And western foods not usually eaten for breakfast, namely soup and a salad bar. The meal fed to tourists at large restaurants was largely the same. Lots of dishes, and lots of variety, but again and again, pretty much the same: rice or fried rice, bok choy or another variety of cabbage, dumplings or spring rolls, chicken with peanuts in a spicy sauce, at least one dish with pork, another dish with beef, one with fish. Meat is fattier, and there is a much lower ratio of meat to vegetables than you find at Chinese restaurants in America. When the plate of watermelon slices comes out of the kitchen, you know the meal is over. Fortune cookies are not seen, as they are a completely American invention. Beijing street food is partially on display for tourists, or else why would there be English translations? The selection is staggering, and almost everything is served on a skewer, from fruit kebabs to grilled meat. Then there are the more unusual offerings: dog meat pot, starfish, mealies, scorpions, snake, sheep penis. These foods are not just there for show. Adventurous tourists order a slithery or crunchy skewer that then gets grilled or deep fried, but Chinese people are also ordering—and not on a dare.

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Boy Crazy

2009-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

China has a One-Child Family policy; the rule allows married couples to have just one child or pay heavy fines. While I knew that the Chinese have a preference for boy babies over girl babies, it was amazing to see this policy in action and the ways it plays out in day-to-day life. When people learned that I have three children, and all three are boys, I felt like a bit of a celebrity. In China, it’s common to see two grandparents out with their one grandchild. The child holds a grandparents’ hand in each or his or her own, and has the undivided attention of the adults. There are no frazzled parents in stores with four whining children in tow like you see in America. But what will all those only children become—confident adults with high self-esteem or little emperors used to getting their way? All the women I met spoke openly about the Chinese preference for boys. It was just a fact. I spoke at length to a woman who is pregnant. Because she is from a different region than her husband, her mother-in-law hasn’t welcomed her to the family. My new friend’s life will be very different if she gives birth to a boy. Obviously she could find out the sex of the baby, but she hasn’t. Maybe it’s better to wait and see. And hope. When I was with her, strangers she met would tell her they hoped she has a boy. When she saw a little boy, she would rub his hair for good luck. If she has a boy, then her mother-in-law will gladly babysit and the mother will be able to work. If it’s a girl, the mother will not work and will raise the baby herself. Imagine both your career and your family life hanging in the balance based on the gender of your baby.

The Entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Getting Acquainted with China

2009-06-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

The People’s Republic of China is getting ready for its 60th anniversary on October 1st of this year. I’ve traveled all over Europe and Australia, but it’s very different being in a country where the language has no commonality with English, and doesn’t even share the same alphabet. In China, saying something louder and more slowly—a strategy often applied by tourists in foreign countries—does not work at all. China could be a challenging country to visit without a guide, but that is not an issue for our program.

Many people speak English in Hong Kong—where our program begins. We had a tour guide for most of our visit to Beijing. And in Xiamen, where our program is based, we have a unique and propitious situation. As many as 40 volunteers from Xiamen University are on hand to help our students, faculty and guests. I knew about this program feature, but I couldn’t have imagined the importance of this, or the generosity of the Chinese students, without experiencing it firsthand. What’s in it for these volunteers? Practicing English. Getting some free meals. Being good ambassadors for their country. It’s all of these to a degree, but what the volunteers give is far, far more than what they get.

Touro Law 2009 Students in front of Olympic Stadium in Beijing

I had three volunteers helping me. Two people were assigned by the program to help me; the idea is that if one of the students is busy, the other might be available. Tide and Candy (they choose their own English names in school) spent just about every moment with me, and Tide’s friend Cindy came along as well. They took me to Nanputuo, an incredible Buddhist temple that attracts the devout from all across the country. The students showed me their campus and school buildings, they helped me shop for gifts in downtown Xiamen and on the island of Gulang Yu, and one of them even took me to the airport (the other two were on a school trip). I was overwhelmed by their generosity and helpfulness. We had fascinating discussions comparing life in China and America. With so many people and so much competition, students in China work hard. They dream of studying in America, but very few people achieve that dream. So they study in China, where dorm life is different. Clean clothes are hung to dry on the balcony of every building. Students only occasionally go out to clubs and bars. The electricity is shut off at midnight in the dorms, so one must get home before then or brush one’s teeth by flashlight. The students I met are positive and optimistic. They have economic freedom and opportunities their parents didn’t have, but still the government censors information and there is no freedom of speech. Is more enough?

Stree scene in Beijing

Street vendor in Beijing

China has become more expensive, but for Americans, mainland China is overall very inexpensive. The exchange rate of almost 7 RMB to the US dollar means that a ride on a bus, one yuan, costs about 14 cents. You pay double that for an air-conditioned bus, which is well worth it in summer. Taxis are also inexpensive on the mainland. Hong Kong is another story. Transportation is reasonable, but food prices are comparable to being in New York City. A drink at a fancy bar can be as expensive as an entire meal at a local joint. Beijing provides the most shopping opportunities, but be prepared to bargain. A number of our students were extraordinarily good at this. When you’re first quoted a price of 1600 RMB, but end up paying 60, you know there’s a huge mark-up for foreigners. Markets are awash in ‘double-A fakes,’ knock-offs of designer watches, wallets, purses, bags, and sunglasses. Quality varies, but imagine a department-store floor filled entirely with small stalls selling the same items. If the salespeople didn’t have what a shopper wanted, they made a call. A ‘sister’ would appear with the requested goods. You might get taken down to the basement for the transaction, or the purchase might literally take place under a table, as these are copies of trademarked goods.

The Long Corridor at the Summer Palace in Beijing

The signs are everywhere: I am humbly aware that I speak no Chinese, and what little I attempted was probably laughable and all wrong. But I loved the signs in China with unusual, humorous, and sometimes downright perplexing English translations. A few examples:

On a moving walkway:

"Maintenance in progress/Inconvenience Cause Regretted/Do not enter the dangerous!"

At the Ming Tombs:

"Notice: Cherish The Cultural Relics, Please Don't Climb up or Scribble."
"ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION OF THE SCENIC SPOT NEEDS YOUR CONSERVE"

Outside the Summer Palace:
"May we remind you: Please be self-restraint and be a good tourist to mold a well-mannered imagination."

Lynne Truss would have a field day....

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Professor Deborah Post - Music in China

2009-06-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Allie, a law student from Xia Da (short for Xiamen University), audited most of Sociology of Law and made significant contributions to the discussion of the idea of moral education, a big part of the educational program in China, which we compared to the U.S law schools instruction of law students in the ethical obligations of lawyers and the honor code that governs the conduct of law students.

Allie has been quite generous with her time, and she also has tried to include us in activities she thought might be of interest to us. One day she invited me to the recital for the students graduating from the music school at Xiamen. Xiamen has quite a musical tradition. There is a music park down the road from the stone writing park. There is a median in the highway just alongside the university with musical notes laid over the grass that light up at night. I am told that it is the song of the city. The concert to which I was invited was for the ancient Chinese harp, the guzheng. Two different students took turns playing selections. Sometimes they were accompanied by a pianist but other times it was the pipa (another ancient instrument that looks like a mandolin but is held straight up and down) and a flute or wind instrument that I did not recognize. Robert Anderson and John Bayard also attended.

The costumes were stunning. One was a gold sheer jacket with embroidery over a beautiful purple long gown. Allie said that it was in the tradition of the Han dynasty. One other was the traditional chipao, or the long mandarin dress introduced during the Qing dynasty. The concert included traditional and modern compositions for the harp. What amazes me is that the Chinese celebrate these ancient traditions and culture, to the point of making sure that people can still learn to play and be proficient on ancient instruments that are over 2,000 years old. I wonder whether any of the music schools in the U.S. instruct students in how to play the harpsichord?

All over the city there are signs that the government has put up extolling the benefits of a scientific approach to development. “Scientific” is a phrase that Mary says was popular in 1917, in an attempt to modernize China, then during the Revolution, one of the goals was to do away with superstition and to be more scientific, and finally, during the Cultural Revolution, there was a systematic effort to eradicate the “olds.” And yet, these cultural preferences don’t disappear. We are all grateful for that.

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Professor Deborah Post – Karaoke Night in Xiamen

2009-06-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

We were acting out our own version of Lost in Translation when we all piled in taxis and headed off to the brand spanking new KTV, right down the block from the two-story KFC. Once inside we piled goodies into our tiny shopping cart – containers of buttered popcorn that turned out to have sugar on them, lychee flavored potato chips, juice for the Chinese students, wine for me and beer for the American students. We began our evening at about 8 pm and left at midnight. When we left, the lobby was full of people dressed up and ready to sing until the wee hours of the morning.

In our very full private room with our computerized selection of songs, we found a much larger number of songs in English than I had imagined, although sometimes the translations were a little questionable. Even I can sing along with Beyonce’s Irreplaceable or at least the refrain “to the left, to the left, all your stuff in the box to the left” (my own questionable rendering of the lyrics. ) The Chinese students loved a group called S.H.E. from Taiwan. They have a catchy little number “wo bu xiang zhang da.” In English that is “I don’t want to grow up.” Both the Chinese women and the American women seem to like Avril Lavigne but 50 Cent did not go over very well with the Chinese. I insisted that we sing at least one Karen Carpenter song - We've Only Just Begun. I thought that the Carpenters were still a cultural icon here in China, but maybe now that is all changing. So many things have changed in the ten years we have been here in China.

Samantha and Charles, coordinators of our student volunteers, insisted that one of the students accompany me home even though the party would go on for a bit longer. In the cab we discussed the evening, and Mike confided that he didn’t know many of the American artists but, he added “I like Karen Carpenter.”

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Prof. Marjorie Silver – Visit with the Karmapa Lama, Norbulingka Institute, Transit School, Tibetan Children’s Village, Audience with the Dalai Lama

2009-06-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2009, Dharamsala:

FALSE ALARM! THE MONSOON HAS NOT ARRIVED! Since Tuesday, when I last wrote, the weather has been unremittingly sunny, not a drop of rain. And our days have been so busy, until this most welcome Saturday.

Very good busy. Wednesday we visited the Karmapa Lama. The visit was far more pro forma than the one four years ago, when he chatted with our group for quite awhile, placed our white scarves on our shoulders himself, and gave us his blessing. This time, after a lengthy wait, we followed a long line of assorted individuals, his assistant monks did the white scarf thing, the Karmapa handed us each a red string without making eye contact, and, after another wait, took a hurried picture with the group. But then again, his importance in the world has certainly grown over the past four years. He looks older, too. Still attractive, to be sure, but at the advanced age of 23, I do believe his hairline is already receding!

Afterwards, we visited the Norbulingka Institute, toured the amazing workshops where the exquisite crafts are made, and had the chance to shop and/or refresh ourselves in their lovely garden café. Click here to see videos.

After that, we visited the Transit school, also in the outskirts of Dharamsala. Many of us were grumbling about yet another stop, but once we arrived at the unbelievably gorgeous view up the valley into the snowcapped Himalayas, all grumbling promptly stopped. The school was nice enough—got to see a group of teens rehearsing a dance to Chinese music for the Dalai Lama’s birthday next month, chatted with some lovely young people—but the view was just spectacular; itself worth the journey. In some ways the school—one only for older children— reminded me of visiting my daughter at French Woods Performing Arts camp when she was a relatively young teen—the place seemed like a teenager’s dream! Of course the French Woods campers had families to return to at the end of the camp session; these young refugees from Tibet do not. Still, if you have to leave your family and your homeland, it seemed like a pretty nifty place to end up.

Thursday we visited another haven for displaced Tibetans—the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV). Much, much larger than the transit school, it houses about 1500 young people from about age 2 to 20. We spent most of our time in the baby house, entranced by the dozen or so delightful toddlers and pre-schoolers, who gave and received boundless affection. Even our students who remained somewhat remote at first were, after a short while, sucked into the vortex of the children’s charm. TCV is an oasis of compassion, nurturing, and education (both Tibetan and contemporary), and one can’t help but be impressed with this haven for their young people that the Tibetans in exile have created in a relatively short time. Click here to see videos from our visit with the children at TCV.

And Friday was the capstone to our extraordinary first week in Dharamsala. Our audience with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Our appointment, scheduled originally for noon, rescheduled to eleven, then rescheduled again to 12:30, didn’t happen until more than two hours later, but regardless of what at the time seemed like an interminable wait, it was so worth it. He spent a good deal of time with us, and seemed so interested in everything. And that laugh! A laughing, living Buddha! You would think he didn’t have a care in the world. I asked what he thought of our new president, and he had appropriately wonderful things to say about our democracy, the election, and the possibilities presented by our first African American president. He frankly admitted, however, that it was too soon to tell whether Obama’s presidency would make any positive difference for the future of Tibet. He hopes to meet with him this coming year.

We were thrilled to see how healthy he seemed, after recent reports of his illness and hospitalization. I left with a warm, peaceful glow. And then we went shopping.

Click here to see videos in and around McLeod Ganj.

By Professor Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Rupavardhini B.R. - The Power of Education: The Pursuit of Happiness by Some Bright Young Girls of the Kasturba Girl’s Ashram

2009-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Freedom and liberty are lofty goals that most democracies have set for themselves. I have come to believe that education is an important tool in the realisation of these goals, especially in developing countries. Man or woman cannot be truly free and the fruits of liberty will hang tantalisingly out of reach until there is freedom from want. The gainful employment that education offers can help in the attainment of that freedom. I am a student in the final year of law school and am interested in issues relating to gender and child welfare. As part of the Touro summer program in India we visited the Kasturba Girls Ashram in Shimla. The girls in the ashram are not orphans. They are children from economically backward families who have been recommended for admission by the local Panchayats (bodies of local self governance) so that they may pursue their school education. While it is wonderful that they have the opportunity of breaking free of the vicious cycle of poverty, the fact that such young girls be deprived of the chance of growing up under the care of their families heightened the sense of tragedy that struck me in that place. It is a tragic failure of the State and the system that a child must choose between the emotional comfort and security that the institution of family can provide and the promise of material security that education makes. But these girls are fighters. They have the determination to be happy regardless of the circumstances, the will to overcome the obstacles that poverty has deeply entrenched in their path and the sociological constraints that their gender imposes. They have dreams big and small. The desire to lead their families out of the hovels of deprivation burns silently but steadfast in their hearts. The sad reality is that many of their dreams might be trampled upon. But am certain the innocence, optimism and the values of courtesy and sharing that shone brightly in the girls when they interacted with us and cheerfully sang and danced for us without a care in the world, will shield them. They all appeared happy and well cared for. The credit for this must go to the commitment and empathy of the dedicated group of people instrumental in the running of the place. As we left the place, the girls waved to us energetically. Their smiles put me to shame, for the every individual of this nation must accept the responsibility for creating a selfish society in which ashrams and not homes are the refuge of children. But I also left with a sense of optimism. These girls are the ‘new lights for old lamps,’ in them lies the hope of redemption for all of us. Someday when the little girls of the ashram grow up to be role models for all children, especially the girl child who has long been treated as a burden in this patriarchy, the winds of change that have begun to blow would have become storms that steer India into true light and freedom.

By Rupavardhini B. R., a student who is studying with the Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India. She is a law student at the National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata.

Professor Deborah Post - Chinese Fables

2009-06-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is language games. I was trying to explain idioms –phrases that if you translate them literally make no sense at all. I used "it’s a piece of cake." Charles (Guo Caishun), the coordinator of the student volunteers,explained that in Chinese the equivalent phrase is that something is "xiao cai yi die" - a small dish of vegetables.

But my favorite was the story behind another Chinese saying – sitting by a tree waiting for a rabbit.

To understand the meaning you have to know the story behind the phrase. The story goes that a farmer saw a rabbit run into a tree and knock itself out. He then feasted on rabbit. The next day he came back and sat near that same tree waiting for another rabbit to do the same thing. The man starved to death waiting for that second rabbit.

I suppose that when you say that someone is sitting near the tree waiting for the rabbit, it means they are involved in a silly or fruitless exercise, or maybe something really silly or stupid. The question for me was what is the English equivalent of this fable, and has it been reduced to some shorthand form? Turns out it is simply that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” The missing piece of the puzzle was the fact that the farmer neglected his fields while he waited for that rabbit. Click here for more information.

This fable dates back to the Song Dynesty and an author, Hun Fei, who lived from 280 BCE -234 BCE. It is also the title of a song by a group called Li Xuan. If you are looking for a Western equivalent, how about a band called Aesop’s Fables? Their one and only album was titled In Due Time circa 1969.

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Professor Marjorie Silver - The Monsoon Arrives/White Water Rafting on the Sutlej River/The Trip to Dharamsala

2009-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

THE MONSOON ARRIVED OVERNIGHT! And so, it is likely from here on in, the mornings will be stormy and very wet! But to paraphrase Doug Colbert (on other subjects at least), this is what was meant to be. I had my first painful attack of the intestinal thing today, so it felt quite cozy to stay in or near my room for the day. And the sky did clear in late afternoon.

I truly wanted to write sooner, to capture the wonderful experience of our rafting trip on Saturday, the 13th. Because one of the students needed frequent stops for motion sickness, we arrived at Tattipanne about an hour late, only to observe the only three rafts taking off with another group. We were told it would only be about an hour until they returned, but, in fact, it was more like two. So we made lemonade out of lemons and walked a short distance to a sort of beach. On the advice of an Indian woman on the bank, a few of us descended down close to the bridge to cross over to the beach, and what a mistake that was! We had to make our way over yards and yards and yards of large rocks, with no guarantee of sure footing. Facing my fears, I approached the task as I do 65 bluebooks: one at a time. And I made it safe and sound.

The river current was quite swift, so we had a limited area in which to “swim,” but as the water was icy cold, this wasn’t a drawback for many. I’m proud to say I made it all the way in, although gradually.

One of our students, Larry, scoped the area around a small cliff/high rock pile and found a spot where he was confident the water was deep enough for jumping off. I trusted his judgment; he clearly was experienced in such matters. Marianne, however, was having a major cow, entreating him NOT TO DO IT. Which he ignored. And he was fine. My concern was the “me-too’s” whose testosterone impelled them to follow suit. I wasn’t at all confident they knew what they were doing. But several did, and all were fine. At one point, I called to Jodie, who had Larry’s waterproof camera, to get a picture of his jump. Marianne chastised me for encouraging this wrongful behavior! I joked that Marianne clearly would never recommend me for the program director position. A little while later, however, Marianne asked Jodie to do the same! That was strange enough, but when a little while after that I heard a shout and a big splash, imagine my surprise that Marianne herself had jumped! So much for her credibility!

When we finally got off in our rafts, the skies opened up and a torrential rain descended. But it was fun! And the rapids themselves were terrific! For most of the time, I got to ride as gunner, sitting up front and center, not rowing, which was like being on the greatest water park roller coaster. It was a super day, and only helped to cement the bonds among this wonderfully cohesive group.

Sunday’s trip from Shimla to Dharamsala was very long, the bus was struggling up even modest inclines. But as I had slept quite poorly the night before, and took a Dramamine, I managed to sleep almost the entire twelve hours!

McLeod Ganj is far cleaner than I remember it, and Marianne finds it cleaner than even last year. She and I are sharing the same room Lucy and I had four years ago, Mythical Creatures. I love being back here, love having a patio, love the gorgeous jewelry on the streets. I didn’t plan to, but already on our outing yesterday, purchased a gorgeous silver pendent with Shiva’s third eye. Today my stomach problems kept me from spending more money!

Classes continue to go very well. Most of the students are so well informed, so well prepared, so engaged with the ideas. I learn so much from them. What a privilege to be here! And we just got news this afternoon that we have a Friday audience with His Holiness!

Click here to view videos of the group arriving at the departure point, "making lemonade out of lemons" at a nearby beach and having lunch at the destination point.

By Professor Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Jessica Reich - First Adventures in Germany

2009-06-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Note: Jess, Jen and Amanda go out on their Second Day

We go out to eat, and we want to find this place recommended by our 2L friend who went on the Germany program last year. So we go exploring, and eventually we found it. It was a nice little Italian place, and between the three of us, we split pasta in red sauce, a calzone with spinach, a cheese platter and garlic bread. Lesson: In Germany, the only cheeses they mention are hard and soft. We finally figured out how to order water without bubbles too, and Jess was happy! The waiter eventually invites Amanda and all of us out that night to go to some party with him. We tell him, “Maybe,” as we are all thinking, “Heck, no.” Jess tried every language she knew to speak to him, as he had a hard time in English, and when at one point Jess thanked him in Spanish, he says, "you’re welcome" in Italian. He invited us all to his birthday party in Rome at the end of July, all because Jess told him she’d been to Rome once. Then we paid and left.

We decided to wander around a bit, and try to find either a beer garden or a dessert place. We kept wandering, and lo and behold, we learned another lesson: Cars will run you over if you are still in the crosswalk after the light turns. And a third lesson: Bike riders have their own lane and have headlights. So while wandering, Jess got a kiss blown to her, and we all got whistled at. We came back to the apartment to research the nightlife. Google was tough in German. So, we headed out again, and found nothing. No bars, no dessert, no nothing. Then we got water balloons thrown on us from teenagers! What the heck? After that, we gave up our search and came home.

Day three: Orientation

Woke up still laughing about the water balloon incident. We decided to go out and do some food shopping. Another lesson: On Sundays, everything is closed all day, not just for siesta. We ended up going to a Lebanese food stand, and got half a chicken each. Then we went to a little pastry shop and bought a juice and some apple (apfel) strudel. We made it a goal to try as many different kinds of apfel strudel as possible. Then we went back to do some more homework before our meeting with the professor. While waiting to meet the professor, we had a few more laughs. I warned everyone that the toilet was at an awkward angle, but no one believed me until their knees hit against the bathtub. Also, we’re waiting for some interesting stories to happen because there’s a window in the shower. It’s frosted, but it does open.

We got bus passes and hopped on the MI Mitte train, and headed for anywhere. We found some great places to shop, and we ended up at this great little Italian place. (Yes, yes, we’re in Germany; apparently we went to the wrong country.) But the food was AMAZING. We were in love with the place, and the dessert was great - strawberries and ice cream; amazing ice cream. We came back and did more homework. Early to bed, early to rise.

Berlin Bus Tour

Waking up this morning was hard for all of us to do. Day three of classes went fine, and then we had an hour before we were supposed to meet to catch the bus tour. During that hour, we stayed with our guide, Andrea, and went to see a bombed out church from WW II. The tour was three hours long, and we saw everything! The Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate, the Hotel Adlon, where Hitler loved to stay, and where Michael Jackson dangled his baby from the balcony, the Reichstag, Embassy’s, shopping centers - everything. Then we went out for pizza since the professors were paying. Here’s a funny story: At first, the bus driver drove away with all the teachers still on the bus! The pizza was good, stone-cooked, and thin - yummm. Jessica had a strawberry beer which she liked. It was the first beer she found that she ever liked. Amanda and Jen tried a different kind of beer - a Hefeweizen (sp?) - which they thought was OK. Then we caught the train home, and did more homework.

Laundry Day

We decided that today was a day we needed to do laundry at the Laundromat/bar by one of the apartments. We ended up going somewhere else, and dumb Americans, we just assume everything works our way. We had gone out and bought detergent. Pointless Euro spent. Detergent comes with the price of the laundry. Then we learned that in order to use the dryers, it’s 50 cents per ten minutes. No brainer, right? Wrong. It turns out that for every 50 cents you put in, you have to push the button, so that one dollar=two pushes. At least the Germans are honest. Needless to say, it took a bit to do laundry.

Weekend

Today was the first day we all got to sleep in, and it was amazing. Then we went food shopping, got Amanda an ankle bracelet, and sat down to do the law review competition. We also discovered a new-found love for Nutella. Nothing too exciting seems to be happening today, thanks to school work. But that’s law school!

The Reichstag

Today we tried taking a new way to school. It took the same amount of time, but instead of switching midway through, we switched one stop before school. The station is closer to our house, and being on the train for that long in an unbroken time slot allows us to get more work done. Classes are fine. We talked about a case that dealt with porn. It was weird hearing the professor talk about that. Then we went to the Reichstag.

The Reichstag was cool. It was the first parliament of the German Empire, was in ruins until the reunification of Germany, and was reconstructed in 1999, to house the new German parliament. We got a special guided tour around the inside of the building. Our guide was OK; he spoke decent English, but was very monotone. The history behind it was very cool. There was an awesome glass dome that we could walk in, similar to the Statue of Liberty. After that, we exchanged money, and took out money for our trip to the Czech Republic this weekend. Then we decided to get some take out from this little place we found, did some homework, and got ready to go to the casino. The casino sucked. Apparently American casinos are more lax. (We were asked to be quieter.) Also, the drinks were not free, and they closed the table down even though it was full of people. We found out later the casino is run by the Russian mafia. Awesome.

On the Way to Prague/A Night Out in Prague

We got up this morning, and off to school we went, bags heavy and ready to leave for Prague. We got to the train station in plenty of time. Once we knew where we were going, we went to get food. It’s a shocker, I know, but we had pizza, stuffed crust from pizza hut. It wasn’t bad, but not the best.

The cab ride in Prague from the train station was crazy! The people in Prague drive very fast. It was interesting, to say the least. When we settled into the hotel, we wandered a bit, and then found the Einstein pizzeria. We got gnocchi and chicken lasagna. The lasagna was OK, but the spinach gnocchi was AMAZING. We were in love.

The next day, we all woke up early to finish a final. What a fiasco it was, trying to submit them online. They took us all morning to write. Then I went down to get the Internet turned on. We decided we wanted to pay for it for the whole day, and then when I tried to connect up, I couldn’t find the cord. It turns out our room was the only room in the entire hotel without Internet---ugh! So we got all of our finals on one jump drive to send in one e-mail and finally sent it out.

After that, we got ready and went out and about. Prague is gorgeous! We went some place for a late lunch, where Jess tried absinthe 70%. Well, that was an interesting experience. The waiter had to show me how to light the sugar thing on fire and mix it in. It was still a rough drink though. Amanda had a minor panic attack because we weren’t used to the money, so when we got the bill, it was 700 Koruna. That’s actually cheap after the conversion.

That night we went out, and met a lot of nice people. We ended up first going to a punk-type club where the people were very nice. People from all over were talking to us, and would even walk with us, to show us where we were going. We went to quite a few different bars, and had lots of fun, met lots of people. The best part of walking around Prague at night are the gorgeous buildings. On our way to somewhere, we walked into this square with the most amazing building we’ve ever seen. It’s impossible to describe it, and pictures do not do it justice. Prague is really beautiful.

By Jessica Reich, Student, Touro Law Center Summer Abroad Program in Germany

Professor Marjorie Silver - Trip from Shimla and the Girls' Ashram

2009-06-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

On Monday, the students and faculty got into cabs and drove way out into the mountains to the girls’ ashram. It was a beautiful clear day. The ashram is so far away from Shimla, maybe over an hour through winding mountain roads. There are about 40 or so girls at the ashram, of all ages, getting an education. Most of them aren’t orphans, but come from families who are too poor to send them to school, so they come here for school, and to learn a trade. Every year, the students from the India program come out for a visit, to bring gifts, to tour the school, and mostly to interact with the girls. The visit is captured best, not through words, but through the videos I took. Click here to view videos from the girls' ashram. (The first video in this series is a trip that the faculty made to Justice Rajiv Sharma's home. His wife, Trisha Sharma, is the program coordinator in India.) (Editor's Note: Marjorie didn't want the first video posted because some of the shots of the faculty were less than flattering, but we couldn't separate the videos, so you get to see them as they were.)

I drove out with Trisha, our program coordinator, and she was in a playful, fun mood. We were stuck in traffic for long periods of time, but with Nick, our administrator, in the car with her as well, the conversation flowed, and the time passed with little stress.

Tuesday, Jon Van Dyke, who is teaching International Environmental Law, and his wife, Sherry and I, plus two students, took the toy train down to a stop called Kethleeghat. It’s certainly a small train, but by no measure the toy I had always envisioned. (See the linked video of the trip below.) As no first class tickets were available, we were forced into “general seating,” which segregated women and children from the men’s car. (Although apparently women and children were allowed in the men’s car. It was certainly more crowded.) We, too, were rather crowded, but it was an interesting experience---too long by half, however. I was rather surprised that almost none of the women---clearly from different regions---felt in any way obliged to make room for us, nor for that matter, for elderly Indian women who later boarded the train.I used my NYC subway skills to ask the four women sitting in the back banquet that was designated to hold five persons to please move one way or the other to allow me to sit. They did so quite begrudgingly! We became friendlier as I cooed over their babies, especially a one-year-old girl to my left. I pressed pictures of my grandson and daughter on her mother, whom I thought might have shown some interest, but apparently according to Fareeha, who translated some of what was said, she found it rather amusing, if not bizarre, that I would do so.

The most memorable---and anxiety-producing---part of the trip was when we stopped at Tara Devi. (Tara Devi is a beautiful 250-year-old temple between Shimla and Shogi.) The mother and child exited the train, but along with a man who apparently was the baby’s father, remained outside the window chatting with some of the others still inside the train, apparently friends or relatives. All of a sudden, I realized that the father had passed the baby through the open window to the woman inside! I began immediately to get nervous that the train would take off, with the baby separated from her parents. At a certain point, the woman held the baby balanced on the window ledge. And then the train’s horn tooted, and the train began to move! The parents did not instantly grab the baby, rather seeming to play a game of dare, running alongside what was then a rather slow-moving train. Perhaps they knew they could keep apace; perhaps they didn’t. All I know is that when the father finally reached up and grabbed the baby, I could let my heart return to its rightful place in my chest cavity!

The trip took about two hours, at least one more than we needed to get the full experience. Happily our taxi driver was waiting for us when we arrived at Kethleeghat. We stopped at a lovely Hanuman temple complex at Tara Devi, across the valley from Shimla.

The program had a party to say goodbye to some of our participants. I'm attaching a video of some of the fesitivities in the Oberoi Clarkes dining room: click here to view the video.

Tonight, Friday night, the Sharma family joined us as guests for dinner at the Clarke’s Hotel. We all dressed up in the clothes we bought here. We leave for Dharmasala in a day.

Click here to view the videos of the "toy train" from Shimla and the general seating in the women's car of the train.

By Professor Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Professor Barbara Swartz - Berlin

2009-06-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Berlin in early summer

Every summer day is like summer, fall, winter, spring. I carry layers of clothes with me; sometimes I shed, other times, I add as the day goes along. It seems to rain a bit every day, but it's fresh and not humid. The trees are green, the Linden trees have a sweet smell which permeates the city, and the flowers are out in full force. Berlin is filled with green spaces. When the wall was up, the free part of the city was surrounded by the East. It was difficult for West Berliners to leave. They could have, but not so easily, so they created parks and gardens everywhere. There are many lakes, some especially for nudists, and places to go kayaking and canoeing. The city is filled with cafes, and in the warm weather, they’re overflowing. Since it's not always pleasant to sit outdoors, people grab every opportunity.

Memorials to the German's Enemies

It is rare for a country to honor those whom they have conquered or defeated or murdered. In Germany, there are numerous memorials to the murdered. There are special memorials to the murdered 6 millions Jews, the gypsies and the homosexuals. Besides these, there are many extraordinary markers. On the K'damm, the most important shopping street, in front of Kee DeeWee, Europe's largest department store, there is a large sign noting all the death camps and how far they are from Berlin. You can't miss it unless you keep your eyes down.

In the exact spot of the book burning in 1933, where they estimated 20,000 books (mostly Jewish writers but also Communists and Socialists) were burned, there’s an underground memorial. It’s level with the ground and covered with glass. When you peer into it, all you see are empty bookcases capable of holding 20,000 books. There is a sign above with a quote from the German-Jewish nineteenth century poet, Heinrich Heine: “Where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too.”

In another area of Berlin, large signs on the street quote all the laws instituted against the Jews starting around 1936; Jews can't own dogs, Jews can't marry non-Jews, Jews can’t own property, Jews can’t attend Aryan schools, two Jews lived here and were carted away. Each law is on a separate sign, and the signs go on and on. If it weren't so grotesque, it would be Monty Pythonesque. Outside my door are two brass plaques embedded in the sidewalk commemorating two Jews who lived here and were carted away to their deaths.

Another site is in Gruenwald, one of the wealthier areas of Berlin and one of the few not to have been destroyed. At that railroad station, many of Berlin's Jews were taken to their final destination. It's impossible for people living there to say they didn't know what was happening because the Jews were brought by truck to the station which is in a very visible location. At the beginning, the Jews looked healthy and prosperous. Many were burgermeisters. By the end of the war, when they were still coming by the truckload. they looked gaunt and impoverished. This station at Gruenwald is still in active use, but the rail tracks from where the Jews were shipped are no longer in use. Instead, engraved into the tracks are the dates and number of Jews who were transported regularly. There is usually no one there; only a grave silence. There are many stones placed there which is the way that Jews often recognize and honor a dead person. I always leave a stone. It’s a place to contemplate and remember. I once read a letter taped to the tracks from the grandson of a victim, which read: "Dear Grandfather, although I never knew you, I want you to know that I've heard about you. Your memory lives on." For me, these memorials make a stronger impact than a museum or a monument.

In another area of Berlin, near Mexicoplatz and Spanish Allee, there is a sign in a grassy area commemorating Guernica. Angela Merkel visited Buchenwald with Obama and while laying a white rose on a monument, said she honored the 6,000,000. The Germans have been the most faithful friends of Israel in Europe. I think even the young, who had nothing to do with this horror, are still feeling some guilt.

Princess Constanza zu Lowenstein coming to visit

This week, my friend Princess Constanza zu Lowenstein, will be giving a talk to the students on the role her father, dubbed by his enemies as "The Red Prince," played as a resistance fighter. He was a journalist who by 1930 had predicted the rise of the Nazis and was actively engaged in fighting Hitler. By 1933, he was so well known that when the Nazis came to power, he was called to the Gestapo. He left with a packed suitcase not knowing if he would return. Fortunately a Nazi who knew him warned him that a cold wind was blowing, and it would be good if he left Berlin. He took the hint, and he and his young wife fled the next day. Most of their remaining friends were arrested or went into hiding. After wandering through Europe, without money, like most refugees, they finally arrived in the U.S. where he set up an organization to help artists, Jews and others who had fled. His organization was headed by Einstein and Freud, and they collected money and found places for the displaced. Unlike most immigrants, this young family---there were three girls, two of whom were born in the U.S.---returned to Germany in 1946 because the parents wanted to help with the reconstruction. Constanza suffered the same hardships as others in post-war Germany. Her stories are fascinating---it's an opportunity for the students to make contact with a "Good German" from WW2.

The next week, I'm taking the students to Saxon Hausen, the concentration camp located close to Berlin. It was a death camp, mainly killing homosexuals after using them to work in nearby munitions factories. Jews were also kept there, but were later shipped to Auschwitz to be exterminated.

Trip to the Deutsche Philharmonica

I hope this blog entry doesn't sound too somber. Last night, I had the magical experience of going to the Deutsche Philharmonica, which is one of the world's greatest orchestras. We saw Pierre Boulez conduct; he even played some of his own music. It's hard to believe that he's 84; he’s very alert, erect and conducted flawlessly. The orchestra was wonderful; you could hear every note clearly and they played together in harmony. The acoustics were excellent from every seat. These concerts are always sold out and the audience was very appreciative. They gave the orchestra many ovations. Some people even stood which isn't the German way. They usually just clap hard and sometimes stamp their feet.

By Professor Barbara Swartz, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany

Professor Doug Colbert - Report from Shimla

2009-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

It is 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon in Shimla. Until yesterday, the weather here was totally perfect. Blue skies, lovely sun, temperatures ranging from 80 degrees during the day to high-60s at night. Absolutely lovely. Yesterday, we had our first hard rain. In typical Shimla style, it ended as abruptly as it had begun, and the sun returned, allowing people to come pouring into the streets. Then this morning, I awoke early and witnessed a tremendous burst of rain, hail, lightening and wind. After about 45 minutes, it stopped, and I took my morning run. I still cannot jog all the way up the first hill going away from town, but I’m progressing nicely once I get to the top and run past the Governor’s house and into the woods.

View from the Oberoi Clarke's Hotel

The Oberoi Clarke's Hotel

Students and faculty just returned from a lovely trip to Kufri where we traveled to the lovely and refreshing mountains and witnessed an unusually interesting zoo. We saw snow leopards, black and brown bears, multi-colored pheasants and other birds, wolves, a small type of deer, yaks and other animals. It is Saturday afternoon now in Shimla, and all of us are enjoying our "day off" from school. Ten students left yesterday to take a whirlwind tour in which they will be traveling ten hours each way to one of India’s highest mountains and will return Sunday night. I decided to stay here and get to know Shimla again. I find much to enjoy here, although I cannot wait to arrive in Dharamsala. I walked up to the Jaku Temple yesterday four minutes slower than I remember walking two years ago, but still within the 30 minutes or less "expert" time for people who are supposed fit. I stopped many times to catch my breath along the way. The Jaku priest welcomed me with a big smile and remembered my earlier visits. Same was true when I went to the Rouen camera store and Cyberia internet and, of course, the stores near Clarkes. The music festival arrived this week. I went there with Marianne Artusio, Marjorie Silver and Sherry van Dyke, Professor Jon's wife and activist attorney.

Shimla Mall

A Tibetan porter

Faculty and students are doing extremely well together. Classes have been very good. Virtually every student seems to arrive prepared and having read most of the material. I have worked hard myself this week reading lots of new material since I last taught International Human Rights (you must read the Torture Memos - - how disturbing), becoming acquainted again with India’s progressive Constitution and judicial decision-making, and spending lots of prep time. I sense students are appreciating faculty's commitment, presence and engagement in the course materials. As I write this, the hard rains have once again ended suddenly and I see a beautiful sun reappearing. Looks like we are going to have a beautiful Saturday night with lots of good food and music.

By Professor Doug Colbert, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India 2009
Photos by Cat Allard

Sights & Sounds of a Tibetan Festival

2009-06-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Students and faculty from Touro Law Center's India Summer Abroad Program attended a festival at the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Shimla on Tuesday, June 2. Click here to view the remarkable videos taken by Professor Marjorie Silver.