Hebrew College college students travel to Korea to discover musical landscape

Students of Hebrew University’s Korean scientific studies pose with regular Korean instruments for the duration of a samulnori (standard percussion new music) workshop as section of their seminar journey to Korea in August. Lyan is next from proper in the front row. Courtesy of Irina Lyan

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Sixteen students from Hebrew University’s Korean scientific studies program embarked on a journey in late August to construct a cultural bridge between the two nations though going through the sounds of Korea ― from the pulsating beats of K-pop to the special sounds of the country’s regular new music ― emboldened by a enthusiasm for cultural comprehending and innovation.

Guiding the students was Irina Lyan, the head of the Korean reports method at Hebrew College. Also identified as Ira, she delivers a loaded and assorted track record to her purpose, pinpointing herself as Jewish, Korean, Russian and Israeli.

Born and elevated in Khabarovsk, a metropolis in significantly-jap Russia, Lyan grew up in a household with a Korean father and a Jewish mother. Inspite of the existence of both Jewish and Korean communities in her hometown, she often felt out of put, but later learned a perception of belonging in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Jerusalem.

“I experience like remaining in this specialized niche of connecting Israel and Korea alongside one another is my spot,” Lyan reported in the course of an job interview with The Korea Moments on Aug. 25.

Lyan has been in charge of the Hebrew University’s Korean Experiments program for three yrs. A sociologist by schooling, she took interest in Korea’s article-war enhancement and explored techniques for Koreans and Israelis to collaborate a lot more effectively, beating cultural gaps and stereotypes.

She is particularly keen in the part of innovation and technology in shaping the contemporary identities of Korea and Israel as both of those are recognized for their technological enhancements, even with lacking natural assets like oil.

“The Israeli authorities today market the image of innovation: A startup nation with revolutionary technologies,” she said.

Her emphasis shifted to the cultural side with the rise of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, specifically immediately after Korean Television set dramas started off airing in Israel close to 2006. She is also passionate about deepening the knowing of Korea other than what is normally portrayed in Tv set dramas and publications.

“I do try out to carry my personalized tale to class. I see what learners are really interested in is not just that figured out from publications, but figured out from folks,” she said, highlighting the worth of relocating outside of stereotypes to foster authentic comprehension and coexistence.

Daegeum (big bamboo flute) player Lee A-ram, still left, and geomungo (plucked zither) participant Kim Min-younger, left, accomplish in front of Hebrew University’s Korean research method college students through their seminar to Korea in August. Courtesy of Irina Lyan

Long run bridges concerning Korea, Israel

This vacation, which marked a third traveling seminar of the Hebrew College Korean scientific tests system, focused on exploring the “Koreanness” in Korean culture, especially new music.

“One particular of the explanations I arrived in this article with learners is just to master by myself. Most persons about the globe have encounter Korea by Tv set drama, and it can be good, but I want far more like I want them to have an understanding of really, what does it suggest to be Korean?” the professor stated.

“Beneath the countless examinations and assignments force in the course of the educational 12 months, pupils can quickly drop enthusiasm and fail to remember that they opt for Korean experiments out of their enthusiasm for Korea. It was remarkable to see this enthusiasm in motion and the skill to connect what they learn about Korean society, history and language to the seminar’s content.”

Lyan is specifically delicate to the assorted spiritual backgrounds of her college students, which include Christians, Jews and Muslims and tried out to present a in depth understanding of Korean tradition that goes outside of a spiritual lens through their seminar trip to Korea.

The seminar provided a in depth glimpse into Korean society by way of a wide range of ordeals, ranging from lectures on ethnography and Christianity in Korea to fingers-on lessons in traditional Korean instruments and explorations of K-pop landmarks.

Israeli pupils reported the seminar provided a more layered and nuanced insight into Korean tradition via its musical traditions.

Limor Choukron, a junior in Korean scientific studies and international relations, mentioned “there is no superior position than Korea to analyze about Korea, its language, folks and culture.”

Choukron, who took part in an exchange program at Seoul Nationwide College and internship at the Israeli Embassy in Seoul previous year, experienced an possibility to function on a new music video clip celebrating the 60th anniversary of Israel-Korea relations, which was a joint project of standard Korean and Israeli musicians.

“This encounter made me understand that I would like to understand more about Korean music and the neighborhood new music business,” she explained. “Throughout our tunes seminar, I felt that we zoomed out from the productive K-pop impression and experimented with to comprehend diverse genres that are usually still left apart from the spotlight. We achieved a trot singer, an independent hip-hop artist, a jazz producer, conventional Korean audio artists and a lot more.”

Israeli college students expressed that the seminar available a far more layered and nuanced insight into Korean lifestyle by using its musical traditions.

Rachel Feldman, a further junior studying Korean studies and literature, mentioned the seminar and her four-thirty day period trade software at Hankuk University of Foreign Research helped her regain self-assurance in her significant and commitment to hold on learning about Korea and its language.

“I imagine that new music is a vital component in most cultures and in particular in Korean tradition. Due to the fact of that I preferred to go and expose myself to the varied Korean songs scene. I believe that that this way I was in a position to get just a very little little bit closer to comprehending this state and its persons,” Feldman reported.