Student Profile: Alyssa Rodes
Alyssa Rodes, Judaic studies major.
Alyssa Rodes, a follower of the Mennonite Christian faith, grew up in the small town of Goshen, Indiana, and is set to graduate with honors from the Department of Judaic Studies (JUST) in spring 2022. Faculty members in the department identified her as their most talented student, all the more impressive given that she does not come from a Jewish background and did not pursue Jewish religious instruction while in high school or junior high school.
Professor Sharon Flatto remarked that she had been calling on Alyssa in class, and because she wore the modest clothing of many conservative Jewish communities and gave perfectly correct answers regarding ancient Jewish texts, she had assumed that Alyssa had gone to a yeshiva. But one day after class, Alyssa approached her to say, "I just wanted to let you know that I never studied any of these things before and I’m not Jewish." Indeed, Flatto was surprised and said that "Alyssa's success in Judaic studies is a tribute to her brilliance and perseverance." And she declared that Alyssa can "read and retain everything!" But one may ask how a young woman from a Mennonite community in Indiana became a Judaic studies major at Brooklyn College and winner of its highest achievement award two years in a row?
Alyssa and three friends playing in an amateur quartet at the Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem.
Alyssa's journey to Brooklyn College started when she was in Indiana. She and her mother watched a film called Arranged, where one of the scenes was set in the Brooklyn College Library. After Alyssa moved to New York at age 22, she remembered this film and decided to check out the school. "I was looking at their degree options and I saw Judaic studies and I was like, oh my goodness this is amazing, so I went for it." But specifically, when asked why she was drawn to the department, she replied that her interest in Judaic studies grew out of her desire to read the Bible in its original text. This aspiration is what drove her to want to learn how to read and write in Hebrew. Furthermore, Alyssa revealed that she had felt an interest in Judaic studies since she was a child and found herself reading a lot of historical fiction that centered around the Holocaust and other events in Jewish history. From those early days, she was fascinated by the historical texts, culture, and languages connected to Judaism.
Alyssa (front row, far right) and her classmates at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University.
Before Alyssa came to New York, she was presented with the opportunity to study abroad in Jerusalem for a year with some friends. She enrolled part time at the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University, where she studied Modern Hebrew. Her studies proved to be very practical and useful during her time in Jerusalem. She was able to immerse herself in the culture and even joined a Palestinian Catholic Choir, which she states was a different but rewarding experience. One of Alyssa’s favorite things about Jerusalem was the unity and community that formed during the Jewish holidays. Alyssa states that "it was neat to see the whole cycle of religious holidays that were celebrated and observed. Then to feel like an entire country was all in on it." That sense of shared space and celebration all around really opened Alyssa's eyes to the richness of Jerusalem and its culture. Although Alyssa's academic journey did not continue right after her time in Jerusalem, she definitely believes that her time in Israel pushed her to ultimately decide on pursuing a Judaic studies degree.
Since Alyssa moved from her small town in Indiana, which had a pretty homogenous community, to New York, she has found the diverse environment of many flourishing communities to be very refreshing. She mentioned that her favorite thing about Brooklyn College is the diversity in the cultures and students that are present on campus. Alyssa finds herself immersed in Brooklyn where the deep-rooted Jewish communities surround all areas of the college and undoubtedly further enrich her learning experience as a Judaic studies major.
Storefronts in Goshen, Indiana.
Alyssa's favorite classes have been with Professor Flatto, and she has taken six of them! She explained her love for Flatto's classes is owing to the fact that she is always challenged academically and that at the end of the semester the professor pieces together all the contexts presented throughout the course such that the class can explore and discuss the context at hand with their newfound understanding. Alyssa particularly mentioned Flatto's classes in Modern Jewish Thought and in Mysticism and Kabbala. "I really liked her class on Kabbala," she said. "It’s an important part of Jewish history and Jewish thought that has been overlooked. But it's also deeply embedded in current Jewish thought. Specifically, in the Hasidim. So that’s been really good to get into those concepts and understand the ideas that developed and shaped current expressions of Judaism." Overall, those courses have proved to be a catalyst for Alyssa's academic development and have given her a great well of knowledge that she will go on to use in her academic career.
One of Alyssa's current projects is her senior thesis. After moving to New York, she became very curious about the Jewish history of her hometown of Goshen. She was surprised to find that in the past, there was actually a large Jewish community that used to run many of the brick and mortar stores and financially contributed to the first library and hospital that were built in the town. She noted that although the Jewish population started to decline in the 1920s and 1930s, the community's legacy in the town had not been forgotten by everyone. Alyssa said that her great grandfather's memoir mentions going to clothing stores where the names of the store owners were Jewish. Although Alyssa was completely unaware of Goshen's Jewish community while growing up, this bit of knowledge sparked her interest, led her to dive deeper into the history of the town, and ultimately led to her deciding on the topic for her senior thesis. "I think it's really special because it feels like a full circle moment here," she explains. "I was born and raised in Goshen, I lived in Jerusalem, I'm doing a Judaic studies degree in Brooklyn, but now I'm bringing it back home and trying to resurrect this Jewish story from my own hometown."
Alyssa's overall journey from a small Indiana town to pursuing a degree in Judaic studies at Brooklyn College is a perfect example of how rewarding knowledge can be. Coming to Brooklyn College, she was able to expand on her interest in Judaic studies and learn how to apply that to her past, present, and future. This true representation of academic excellence is yet another pillar supporting the notion that the Brooklyn College experience is very rich in learning, and challenges students to expand their scope of thought and culture. The college furthers the knowledge and excellence that brings forth deep curiosity. That is perfectly represented with how Alyssa is using what she learned while pursuing her degree and then applying it to her own hometown history. As she said, "coming full circle."
