Purchase College, SUNY
Student Services Bldg. Floor 2
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 251- 6032
study.abroad@purchase.edu
E-mail: 
Password: 
Program Search
Program Type:
Program Country:
Program Term:
Major:

Israel

Description

Part of the Western Asian Levant, Israel is located in the Middle East. Israel borders the Mediterranean Sea to the northwest, Lebanon to the north, Syria and Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest through the Sinai Peninsula. The country experiences a hot and dry summer climate and cool winters, where in the mountain areas snowfall can be seen.

The biblical city of Jerusalem is Israel\'s capital, which houses the only parliamentary democracy in the Middle East. The President is the Head of State, which is largely ceremonial. The Knesset is the Parliament that is overseen by the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government. The country established its independence in 1948 by the United Nations Mandate. Albeit Israel doesn\'t have a written constitution, it is ruled by the \"Basic Law of Israel\". Although the Israeli government policies are criticized by human rights organizations, the country has an overall \"free\" standard of living, as rated by Freedom House.

As the only Jewish state in the world, Israel is clearly defined through its belief in Judaism and the Jewish history. Many travel and perform prayers at the Western Wall that is part of the destructed Jewish Second Temple, which is deemed as the holiest place for Judaism. Part of the Jewish tradition is the kosher kitchen. The Israeli cuisine is a collection of international cooking traditions, ideally prepared with the kosher tradition. Israeli music contains Yemenite music, Hasidic melodies, Arabic music, Greek music, jazz, and pop rock. Much of the music is inspired by the experiences of the initial leaders who built the Jewish homeland. The history of Israel is integrated though out almost every aspect of their culture.




Our Study Abroad Programs

Quick Facts

Population: 7,590,758
Capital: Jerusalem
Per-capita GDP: $ 31400
Size: 20,770 km2
Time Zone: (GMT + 02:00 hours) Kaliningrad

US State Department

Travel Warning: YES
See :
Country Specific Info.


Country information is adapted from public domain resources including the CIA World Fact Book and www.Wikipedia.org.
Please report errors or concerns to questions@abroadoffice.net.

Purchase College, SUNY Purchase College Abroad