In the Heights

A month or two into my first semester, I visited a senior center on 181st Street with a few friends. Fresh from Israel and focused on schoolwork, I hadn’t given much thought to the neighborhood in which I was now living. Upon entering, I sat down at a table and tried to make conversation with an elderly man using the few Spanish words that I knew at the time. The air was festive. Salsa music was playing in the background, and brightly colored decorations lined the walls. Seeing as I was struggling with my Spanish, the man got up and motioned me to follow him to the center of the room. And for a few minutes on 181st Street, we danced.

My Zeyda likes to tell stories of growing up in Washington Heights. In many ways, his Heights was like ours, culturally diverse and full of energy and life. In summer, you’d see children running under the errant spray of open fire hydrants and neighborhood block parties extending into the late hours of the night. Stepping onto the street, you could hear four or five languages spoken at once, in voices that reflect the diversity of America. Above all, for my Zeyda and many thousands of others, Washington Heights meant community, generous and welcoming. 

This is the Heights that I’ve gotten to know throughout my time here at YU. 

My experience at the senior center is one of many that I have had over these past years that testify to the warmth and character of Washington Heights residents. It also made me realize just how much of the surrounding community I had been missing. 

Soon after, I started going to local public schools to work with students as part of YU’s START Science Club. While I didn’t expect much going in, the mornings I spent with those students proved to be among the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my time in college. 

I remember walking in on the first morning and sitting down next to a curly-haired boy at the back of the class. We got to talking, and I soon learned that he loved basketball and, like me, was a frustrated Knicks fan. Over the next few weeks, I came to know the rest of the class through paper airplane contests, bridge building, and other activities. By the end of the semester, we knew more than each other's names. In a small way, we had become part of each other’s lives and entered into each other's worlds. In this way, START Science and other clubs like it help bridge the gap between the Jewish and broader Heights community. 

I believe that building these inter-communal relationships is essential, especially in the world of increasing distrust and isolation that we live in. Connections that foster empathy and understanding are necessary to build trust and create bonds across cultural lines. Taking part in the local community gives both YU students and other residents of the Heights a chance to learn about and appreciate each other. 

Living in the Heights also puts YU students in a unique position to have a direct positive impact on the neighborhood. For students looking to have this impact, there are many clubs at YU that aim to do just that.

For example, the West Side Campaign Club has weekly hours for packaging and distributing food to local residents in need. The Project Feed NYC and Food for Thought Clubs also combat food insecurity by distributing extra food across the Heights and enabling students to get involved in local soup kitchens and supply drives. Students who are part of UAID (United Against Inequities in Disease) work to provide healthcare to underserved residents and attend training sessions to learn how to save a life in the case of an overdose. Embracing such opportunities in support of our neighbors is what should distinguish YU students above all else. 

In many ways, my time at YU has given me more than just an education; it has offered me a second home. Through the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve built along the way, I've had a chance to experience and take part in the rich fabric of the Washington Heights community, a place where cultures blend, and the city makes neighbors out of strangers. The Heights is more than just a backdrop for our college years; it is a place full of opportunities to grow through extending yourself and connecting with others. 

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Photo caption: Connections that foster empathy and understanding are necessary to build trust and create bonds across cultural lines.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons