Hello all! I’m Luke Friedman hailing from Houston, Texas, and I’m so excited to get to write about my perspective in Siena for all of you. Living in Siena was never a reality I thought I’d get to have, as I never really considered Italy out of the three program options until I started asking my friends for advice on where to base myself. With an overwhelming recommendation to live in Siena, I knew I had to go. Additionally, the trip goes far in depth with religious identities and medieval history, which provides some external context to the topic I’m exploring whilst I’m here, Judaism.
All my life I’ve been Jewish, but in the past two years I’ve taken my religious identity more seriously. In turn, I’m very aware of the situation that started in October 2023 and how so many people are scared to be Jewish right now. Due to that, I wanted to come to Siena as a social experiment, to see how people would react if I was publicly Jewish, as well as how Italy treats people who identify with a place currently in conflict. If anyone asks my religion I answer honestly, and I’m also visibly Jewish since I wear a ring with the Shema, a common Jewish prayer. Italy is a place I’ve never been to, and besides a little amount of research for safety reasons, I mainly turned a blind eye to how I would be treated based on past events, so I wouldn’t arrive with any pre-conceived notions. Thankfully, I’ve never felt fearful as a Jew in Siena, but in some bigger cities my luck wasn't as strong. Before arriving in Siena, I was in Florence and while I was walking around town, a man was waving a flag, shaming the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). Unfortunately, I couldn’t decipher what it said since it was in Italian, and he would turn away from me each time I got close to him. As upsetting as it was to not be able to try to understand his perspective with the language barrier, and me being unable to translate it with my phone in time, I needed to base the perception of Judaism in Italy off how I got treated as a person. Unless there’s an extreme political hatred towards Jews in Italy that pops up, I’m basing my findings on how I'm treated, instead of battling any negative opinion I see from a stranger, since most of the time I’m incapable of doing so because of my Italian language barrier.
Setting aside my religious interests, arriving in Siena has been truly a magical experience. The city sets you back in time hundreds of years, but doesn't feel underdeveloped at all; every single building is built masterfully with slopes and stairs elevating the city of Siena, giving it a royal feel unlike anything in the states. A common comment from me and my peers is the view we get to see every single time we walk back home with the city blossoming at many different heights, shapes, and looks. While there was beauty in that, I failed to grasp the challenge of being in a place with people I don’t know, at a place I’d never been to. Having no familiarity helped me forge new connections that I’m now super grateful for, but also required me to learn how to live abroad for the first time with people I’d never met. Regardless, the combination of the amazing group I get to travel with, plus the endless areas to explore in Italy, make pushing through any uncomfortable feeling 1000% worth it. I’m excited to get to document my trip more in depth once I’m more accustomed to my new home, and appreciate anyone that tuned into my entry. Alla prossima e Arrivederci - Luke.
Luke Friedman, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Advancing Your Academic Success: Pre-Freshman Studies In Siena
