Evaluation

Kete M. Ennis

Final Evaluation

Living Jerusalem 2011

Course Readings

            The course material for this class was outstanding. Karen Armstrong’s book was highly informative and allowed me to create a basis in my mind for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I really enjoyed how deep it went into the history of Jerusalem; it really allows a reader to see into details of why certain problems exist. Seeing where a problem began can help us in decoding how to solve it today, and I feel Karen Armstrong does a good job of doing that.

            I benefited greatly from Armstrong’s book, but the manner in which it was covered I feel wasn't highly effective. We were stuck reading dense amounts between short periods of time. I often times found myself skimming some parts just so I could finish in time. We read too much in too little of a time and that put a lot of pressure on students. In doing so, I feel I missed some important details about the conflict in general. The biggest advantage to her book though is that I gained a firm understand of the conflict and the history of Jerusalem itself. I now know so many historical dates and figures I feel as if I could write a book about Jerusalem myself.

            Other course material, such as the ones about the walls throughout the city or the artist Banksy, we very thought provoking. Although less academic, I feel they were more thought provoking and aroused more emotion than Armstrong’s book. I like getting to see a political situation through pop culture or through eyes of people today, not necessarily through a historical perspective. In terms of readings, I suggest that later classes read Armstrong’s book over a longer period of time and have smaller reading such as those discussing walls littered throughout to keep things interesting and fresh.

Blogging

            At the start of the year, the tremendous amount of reading combined with lengthy blog assignments made the homework load for this course seem fairly substantial. Adding tot hat having to comment on three different blogs made the homework seem very forced. Often times I found myself fishing for things to say, only to reword what someone before me had already said. After discussing it though and discovering how repetitive it was, we fixed it with the buddy system, which I feel will be highly beneficial to any future classes.

            I think a fun idea that would make this aspect of the course seem more natural is to have two required posts per week One, would cover material being discussed in class readings and lecture. The other would be something personal and could be about anything concerning Jerusalem or the conflict. Doing this would allow each person a slot every week to show something they have learned about the conflict in terms of their own interests and could make the class more fun and allow students learn about one another. Having the freedom to post about whatever you want allow for more expression and makes the blogging seem less forced. This way, there would be less repetition.

Video Conferences

            The videoconferences were, quite frankly, my reason for taking the course. Never have I had the opportunity to meet people so relevant and important to their fields before. We found ourselves outside of Bloomington in many classes, which I thought was really cool. Meeting people such as Mariam Said and Naomi Chazan was truly an honor and it definitely helped to broaden my perspective not only on the Jerusalem conflict, but also on the world. It revealed how similar we all are and just how ever shrinking our world is. The power to communicate transnational is something I wish all generations could have had. It’s so beneficial I can hardly put it into words.

            The only downside to the video conferences was how often times we took forever to start up and there were many awkward pauses during conferences. Another downside was the introductions we did during the first few. This was somewhat awkward and took up valuable time that could have been used to ask more questions. I feel in the future we should do more conferences in the beginning so we can all get use to it before we go onto ones with prolific figures on the subject.

Finals Projects

            Overall, the final projects were really fun. We were all able to research things that hold true to our hearts and we find pleasing. I was able to learn a lot from other students. I think that the final projects should be continued for future installments of this class. One change I may suggest though is requiring the project to be done in a group. This makes the overall quality of the project better. Not only that, it makes two people overcome any differences in creating a final piece. I think this is important because for one, I feel like I didn't really get to know anyone that well in the class. And two, it could be a model for the conflict. Taking two people who are unfamiliar with each other and have them complete a project together would put our words into action. We talk about how Palestinians and Israelis need to get along, but why don’t we lead by example? Having two people work together would serve as a model that people can overcome differences, challenge each other, and learn something in the end.

General Discussion of the Class

            Besides the lengthy readings, the biggest fault of this class is the lack of diversity in opinion that we receive. We never really get to see the negative sides of what a unified Israel and Palestine would bring about. Everything we read about or talked about or anyone we talked to was in favor of our project but I feel talking to someone completely against it would prove beneficial too. We never really get to see how the majority of people within the conflict feel. Getting to know the other side would help us see any faults in our mission. People are going to oppose the project for personal reasons and understanding why could be the key in reaching out to those that are in opposition. We need to be exposed to the other side that is not seeking a peaceful means to an end to the conflict. It is reality. We often seemed to focus on the fantastical and ignore the very real possibility that this issue may never be solved.

            I think the biggest improvement to the class would be to have students work in the community and campus more. I still know that many of my friends have no idea what the project is really about. IU has the resources and population to support such a group; we just need someone to organize it. I feel we do a lot of work in class and via the Internet but not so much as to getting the word out into the streets about the conflict. Having group functions outside of the class or perhaps turning the class into an academic club would not only increase the size of the project, but would also add new perspectives. I feel there was a lot of talking and not a lot of doing in this class. Instead of taking to blogs and rehashing the same material to one another, we should be educating people at IU about what is going on and get more people involved. Expanding the project and getting more campus involvement would be highly beneficial because it would put our words into action.

Personal View of the Course

            It may seem as if I didn't enjoy the course, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Before the course, I knew next to nothing about the conflict. Now, I find myself wanting to learn more and take another class on the subject matter. I took a lot away from this course and feel I have a better understanding of the complexities that human interaction can bring. What I have said are mere suggestions to improve the class, not criticisms. This is by far the most fun I have had in a class at IU and I hope it can continue here. The amount I have learned this semester from this class far surpasses what I thought was possible to do in a semester. All of this new knowledge came easy though, perhaps this is do the interactive nature of the class. In short, this class is spectacular. With a few tweaks, it could become more than just a class though and a social movement within each campus that it resides.

Link to my Prezi!

http://prezi.com/7xhpjxagtzj3/uniting-jerusalem-with-food/

Abby and Lindsey's Presentations

Abby: Your power point was really thorough and insightful. I knew a little bit about human trafficking before, but now I feel I have a firm base and even want to know more about it.

Lindsey: Your video was incredible. Very deep and moving, but I still took a lot away from it. I really want to see some of the movies you covered.

12/5 Presentations

Michael: Great presentation, the piece you made was pretty cool and does a good job of visualizing the issue at hand. The poems were moving too!

Addy: You're discussion of normalization allowed me to put some of the relations that Israel/Jerusalem has with other nations into a new context. You were excellent at explaining your ideas and everything you said made sense. Great job!

11/28 Presentations: Chris and Alex

Alex: Your presentation was pretty insightful. I'm a soccer fan, but I didn't know much about the dynamics within Israeli football and other sports as well. Like Ben said in class, it's crazy that teams can't put everything aside in order to create the greatest teams possible, unlike America it seems social values outweigh the pride found in sports. I enjoyed how you represented both sides of the conflict as well.

Chris: I enjoyed you discussion of Palestinian rap a lot, it reminds me of rap in the late 80s and parts of the early 90s (not gangster rap) that had social expression in mind-think Public Enemy or a Tribe Called Quest in their activism towards equality for inner city populations. Parkour is a great representation of underground culture; it's a cheap way to self expression. I had never really looked at underground culture in such a way, touche. Great job!

Ben and Amber's Presentations

 Amber:
I really enjoyed how you made social activism personal and presented it in a manner that makes it accessible to everyone. In class, we TALK about doing something but you have actually taken this dialogue away from the classroom in hopes of reaching other. Project like yours are what this project as a whole needs.

Ben:
Your presentation was incredibly insightful and was something I wish we could of had after we read Armstrong's book. To someone like me who studies a different part of the world and only knew this situation on a surface level, having a dense book like Armstrong's debriefed would have furthered some of my understandings of Jerusalem's history. You helped to clear some things up. You proved you knew your stuff.

Lila & Allison's Presentation

I really enjoyed your presentation! You guys did an excellent job getting the opinion of everyday college students, and really shed some light on the lack of attention this issue receives from  many. I was wondering if you guys had anyone become upset or anything like that when you approached them?

Class Evaluation Ideas

This class has been simply incredible; it's the class I look forward to coming to and is one of my favorite classes I've taken here. Despite my quietness in class, I have taken an interest in this class and Jerusalem as a whole. Some things I will discuss in my evaluation are:
1) Karen Armstrong's book
2) other course readings
3) Effectiveness of the blogs
4) Video conference feelings/opinions
5) Possible trip for future classes?
6) Personal growth
7) Improvements: including more campus/community involvement, and perhaps reaching out to other universities

Response for November 9th

    Looking at these websites helped to further my understanding of the inequality that Palestinians face; it's something i can barely fathom. What trouble me the most is some of the information relayed on the Ir Amim website regarding education for younger Palestinians. I have always pictured Israel as a fairy progressive country, but the fact that many kids cannot gain access to education is something that completely ruins this image. Education is a right that should be given to any child, and withholding that from any (no matter how adversarial you may deem their "people" to be) is plain wrong. I think the Study Tours are a great way to educate people on the issue at hand and would love to take part in one.
    Sheikh Jarrah is an interesting group that I find very pure and motivated to gain equality. Unlike some groups, this group meets weekly for demonstrations. This reveals a lot about their character, work ethic, and commitment to gaining equality. The fact that they are using protests to uncover some of the corruption within the police force does alot, especially in today's day and age where this message can be spread in a matter of seconds via the internet. I think that exposing the violence used by police force is important in making it possible to gain solidarity in Jerusalem. Stopping such behavior and preventing police from allowing violence to spread would allow for more peaceful demonstration and expression.
    This video video from the B'Tselem website puts into perspective the kind of problem they are confronting, which is far from what most of us here at IU could even imagine putting up with.  http://www.btselem.org/video/20080721_nilin_shooting
Question for Eitan: What would you like to see come as a result of your work in the next 6 months? 2 years?... What aspect of you work do you hold dearest?

Response to Jerusalem Open House, Al-Qaws, and Question for Elinor

    Reading about these institutions forced me to consider the LGBT community in Jerusalem for the first time. Discussion over the LGBT communities is a hotbed topic is cities throughout the world, but I never stopped to realize how little attention these groups get in places with a lot of political and social strife. It's just interesting to note how we forget about everyday issued that are common in every society when we have another issue which is brought into the limelight more often.
    I think the Jerusalem Open House is a wonderful group. It provides a means for people from the LGBT community to come together and create a new culture within Jerusalem that in not only brings together the LGBT people, but Israelis and Palestinians alike. Looking at their accomplishments, it is evident that they have done a lot in bringing people together within the community. Like I said before when we discussed the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, it doesn't matter the numbers a project can earn in uniting people, it's the relationships that these groups can create for the people it DOES reach. Yes, these groups don't bring everyone in Jerusalem together, but they do establish relationships between people, which is suffice and a good start in itself. My only worry with the JOH is the fact that the blog hasn't been added to in over a year, hopefully this doesn't represent any trouble with the project/group. It's important that the LGBT community in Jerusalem has this voice, because it scares me that because of all the other problems within the city, their rights and voices would be lost; this shows that hopefully this isn't so.
    I like that Al-Qaws gives a voice for ALL Palestinians- no matter the religion (Muslim, Christian, Druze). This prevents an already small minority within the larger minority group from being forgotten. Focusing on uniting LGBT of all backgrounds within the Palestinian community is important in establishing unified minority. Having these types of groups helps to establish Israel/Palestine as a modern, progressive community. Although, Jerusalem has a long way to go, for some of the material for tomorrow revealed a strong and somewhat violent opposition to such groups.
    The trailer for "City of Borders" was truly moving. It makes me incredibly happy to know that there are both Palestinians and Israelis hopping walls and risking their lives just to enjoy themselves in a space with the "other". The fact that there are such places within the cities is promising and I hope that this is reflecting the younger generations future aspirations for social ties between the two groups. It just shows that there a some from each group that do want a relationship with the other. This is definitely a documentary I would like to see.
***Question for Elinor: How much progress have you seen in improving the LGBT communities' role in social activism in the past 10 years? And where do you see the community 10 years from now?

Reading Response for November 2

   Out of these readings, I found Yitz "Y-Love" Jordan to be very thought provoking. At first I was taken back when discovering he was not born Jewish, it made me question his authenticity. I was also taken back when he mentioned the money he was making and how he is bigger in Jerusalem than in America; both of these comments made me question his intentions. but when it came down do it, and after listening to him speak more, I started to feel better about him. It was obvious that his feelings towards Judaism were innate and something always inside of him, so maybe he was acting upon natural feelings. He converted because he feels so strongly about his personal faith; converting to Judaism is a tough process that isn't for the weary. In the end, he may have came off wrong at first, but his message prevails: he is trying to spread the goodness of his religion, and in doing so, he very well could help non-practicing Jews be a little more religious. Helping others on their spiritual journeys is one of the best ventures a religious person can take on.
    The Sabreen Group was also really cool. I enjoy how they can't really be placed into a genre and are influenced by classical oriental arabic music all the way to Jazz. They also utilize traditional Palestinian sounds which further promotes their message. They are able to take some of their local traditions and mix them with others, and produce a sound that picks up the residue of many influences. Doing so could be a model for what their message in the political realm could be. Most importantly, it gives them a voice that is different from any other, and makes them stand out.

Weblog #6: Music

    Music plays a very important role in my life; I come from a family where my sisters and mother can both sing and play the piano, and my dad has played the guitar since he was a teenager. I, on the other hand, haven't been quite as musically gifted. Sure, I have dabbled with the guitar, but I was never great at it (or perhaps I lacked the discipline as a child). The one facet of music I have ever succeeded with is in singing, I was in choir from about age 12 to 16, and still enjoy singing on occasion (by myself that is).
   Music ability aside, music plays a large role in my life and I listen to music multiple times a day. For the most part, I like all genres of music except for modern country. I love old school rap where the lyrics are more poetic, and the beats more funky. I also love classic rock, 90s rock of all sorts, and modern house music. Oddly, I have always had an affinity for classical music and traditional music from India and Japan. Music helps define who I am. It expresses my interests, my desires, and some fantasies. It helps me find my style and keeps me motivated. It also helps me I need that extra kick that coffee can't seem to produce. Overall, music is an excellent medium of self expression.
    In means of communication, music can cross over many different cultures. People often times listen to music in a foreign language not knowing what is being said, but yet, find them just as entertaining as music in their native tongue. In other words, it's a way of bridging between cultures and bringing people together, which is a good thing.
     Music can be a way of bringing people together in a way that not many things can. On the other hand, it can also divide if it is too polluted with political messages. Artists often times use music as a medium for political expression in times of conflict. It's an excellent way to get the everyday person's word out and be heard. Adversaries can become allies through mutual recognition of common beliefs. In short, it's an excellent way to express what many want to hear.

Here's the last song that played on my iPod: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVAnlke_xUY

Reading Response for 10/31

    Out of the to reading we are responsible for reading for tomorrow, I found Galit Hasan-Rokem's short essay more thought provoking. While it is somewhat short and abstract, the parallels in which it draws are interesting and revealing to how Jerusalem has been seen throughout history. For the most part, and I'm not saying I'm happy or agree with it, society has been dominated by men. Also throughout history, it has been stereotypical for men to often dominate over women. Assigning a specific sex to Jerusalem is interesting because it provides a human perspective to the situation. To me the comparison makes Jerusalem out to be a beautiful women that many powerful men are trying to obtain- they fight over her, want to be "her master", and "adorn her with pearls of stone and brick". But like most people know, one can't own a person, much like one can't "own" a city. Yet, people have not realized this; Jerusalem, like any other city, doesn't belong to one single person. Instead, it is a group entity that can't be shared and must be seen as a sovereign being. What I feel is the most important aspect of this essay is that because of its beauty, importance, and grandeur, Jerusalem can be easily seen as a "female" figure, but it is in assigning these humanistic qualities that one realizes that Jerusalem is a "thing" that must be shared, not owned.
    The pieces from Ramallah Diaries were also interesting, and one of the most fu readings we have had yet. Reading real life stories as opposed to academic articles was a nice change of pace; it's often times easier to get a more personal tie  with a situation if you read personal stories of those who experience it, it gives you an inside view. The part about gas masks was truly infuriating and reveals carelessness on the part of the Israeli government. The excerpt entitled "A Dog's Life" was also interesting, but also aggravating in that it also shows the carelessness on the part of some in the Israeli Government and how they feel towards the Occupied Territories. The fact that a child couldn't get a passport is absurd! It's like the Palestinians are put on a sub-human level. It's humorous, but makes you think of the absurdity of the whole situation....

Project Outline

    I am going to do my project on the food in Jerusalem, and the role it plays in culture. Everyone has to eat, and I feel food is one thing that always succeeds in bringing people together no matter where in the world you are. When people eat its a time to not only get together and enjoy traditional (or contemporary) culture in a manner that everyone can relate to, but have fun as well. Food is an excellent medium  to explore how culture works, and in particular to Jerusalem, the commonalities and exchange amongst different cultures. Through exploring the different foods that have been consumed both in the past and now, I hope to gain a better understanding of the role that food plays in the culture of Jerusalem.  By exploring commonalities between different food cultures in Jerusalem, I think I can reveal much about the exchange of culture within the city.
    I plan on giving a visual presentation using prezi, showing the different foods consumed in Jerusalem and the commonalities amongst similar foods from varying groups, hopefully to help reveal they are not so different. I will also explore both historical and contemporary food culture. I will also bring food in for the class and put on a cooking demonstration.

Questions for Mariam Said

    In regards to the Knowledge is the Beginning project, what was your favorite memory of the project? In what ways were the interactions amongst its participants different from an orchestra of young people in other parts of the world? Have any of the program's participants crossed over into the political realm since its inception (when they were older, of course)? Watching this movie was really inspiring and I do agree with what the project is trying to accomplish. In a conflict as complicated as this, any positive dialogue is beneficial, before major leaps are taken to solve this issue baby steps have to be made first, this is a great start. I feel by reaching younger generations we are able to plant the seeds of future success in ending this issue.
    Another question for Mariam: Do you foresee transitioning this project into other realms? For example, not all kids have access to music, so perhaps a similar project involving sports, art, singing, etc. could prove beneficial in including more young people and bringing more youth into this dialogue. I feel using more mediums for spreading this message could bring more people in and have more of an affect on future political discussion.

Artists Against Walls Reading Response

    The Peace and Freedom Youth Forum video proved how graffiti can be something more than just vandalism, but a means of self and political expression. I think this is a pretty cool group, the idea that a group takes almost any message from an outsider and is willing to paint it, allows for a global dialogue that can't do any harm. Yes, there's the argument that it is being ran by  Dutch company and Palestinian painters are the ones who are risking themselves, but it allows for further disbursement of their conflict and want they want. Having global input could help both sides understand their own positions through seeing outsiders' opinion of them. My only disagreement with this project is allowing non-political messages to be posted, such as asking for someone's hand in marriage. To me it seems to put the wall in a less serious light, but I guess that could be a good thing.
    As for the Banksy videos, I feel his intent is good but the manner in which he does it isn't. For some reason, I get the feeling that he takes part in this for media attention. If he went there more often and did a lot of work there then I would feel like it is more personal and good-natured. I feel like to have true respect for his works in the West Bank I would need to hear further response from him on his reasoning for his pieces there and what he was trying to express.

Reading Response to Klein and Peteet & Question for PAYLARA

  Klein's article discussing the purpose of walls proved exceedingly interesting. The notion of Jerusalem's walls being there for aggression and exclusion rather than protection from outside forces is interesting to note. Usually walls perform the latter-serving as barriers; but in Jerusalem, they represent the rift between its people and the obstacle to which they must overcome. The main point I took away from this article is how the walls within Israel serve to create the "other" and serve to further separate people, both physically and socially; these walls just further promote differences and disagreements. While these walls are high in number, the manner in which it is discussed in how easy it is to cross them creates an important point. Facets such as the labor market and health care require for cooperation amongst opposing groups, thus revealing how much they really do depend on one another. Overall, this was a great article that put a new light on daily life in Jerusalem.
    Peteet's  article was by far my favorite piece we have read thus far in class. As shown by the image displayed in my blog, I LOVE graffiti. It is something I have always had a passion for- when i was a kid i use to practice it one big pieces of cardboard or any other large scrap material I could find; it's pretty much the only art form I have ever had an inkling for. I had never thought much of it until I learned more about it in college and discovered in most places in the world, it is used as an artistic form of political expression. My favorite example are found in Ireland during "The Troubles" and in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem it is a dangerous task, and although works can be short lived, when they earn outside recognition their impact is tremendous. Word is quickly spread amongst the people and their message is quickly noted. Even when they are quickly recognized by police or troops, they then serve as a platform for further political dialogue and expression. It's interesting to see what many in the U.S. see as gang vandalism can serve a political agenda and form of expression in other countries. Its importance in Jerusalem far exceeds its importance here.
    My questions for PAYALARA: What are you earliest memories of the separation barriers and did you always view it as something excluding people or just as simple barriers? Also, what is the most powerful piece of art (graffiti) you have witnessed? How did others react to it?

Weblog #5

    So far, for me at least, the Jerusalem Project has done a tremendous amount on educating me on Jerusalem/ the region's problems. For someone like me in the class who does not have an academic background concerning middle eastern languages/culture or the Jewish/Palestinian diasporas, I came into the class with little knowledge. The project has allowed me to learn about these topics and be able to take part in a dialogue in which I wouldn't have considered being a part of in the past. The hardest part for me has been coming into this with hardly any prior knowledge.
    The challenges for the Jerusalem Project are few. Mainly, I think the project needs to do more outside of the classroom. Yes we have blogs and have to do a few other things, but I feel there is more we could do in the community in promoting the project. Teaming up with other university groups and increasing local numbers would help spread the project's message. Another challenge the project should take on is spreading the class to more schools, doing so will further promote the project's message. The classes can't become too numbered, that would make its intimate interactions impossible. Maybe introducing the problem to students at younger ages could make transitioning into a academic dialogue easier as well

Weblog #4

I, like many others in the class, am in favor of the two state solution to solve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. From what we have read, it seems that a solution involving a unified state is impossible. Having a joint government would not be plausible either, there would be too much tension and disagreements to have a fluid and successful government. With so many people having different stances and viewpoints, many of which would be officials, this joint government just wouldn't be efficient or viable. So, I feel the most viable option is a two-state solution based on the pre 1967 borders. Doing so, I feel could please many people. It wouldn't be an easy transition, but with due time, it could prove successful. having the UN intervene to ease the transition and do some "peace keeping" could help as well. To help, I think having immigration agreements between the two states to make traveling from one state to the other should be initiated in order to make life easier. Many of the people here have attachments, perhaps family, in the proposed other state. So having some form of relaxed interstate traveling agreement, whether it be for work or religion, would be beneficial.
    As for Jerusalem, I think making it an international city, or even better, a small city-state ran by joint religious institutions for the purpose of preserving and promoting religion could be cool. Doing so wouldn't be possible for Israel as a whole, but perhaps making its holiest city a shared place could work. If both major parties had states of their own, maybe sharing a city could work because since they would have something of their own, perhaps sharing just a little could work. I don't know, maybe not though. This is a very difficult idea to try to predict. Here's a video link that helped stir u some interesting thoughts and made things more personal and easier to think about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K23rXLev7o

Final Project Idea

Alright, well originally in class i was thinking of doing a project related to language and the role it plays in Jerusalem daily life, i.e. how the exchange of language can serve as an exchange of culture and so forth. I'm interested in linguistics and such, so I felt such a project could be interesting. looking at different slang and how the different groups interact would be neat, but very difficult, so I am not sure if this is what I would do.

I am leaning towards doing something about food. Yes, it seems very broad, but from my travels I have found the one thing that brings people together and more people can relate to more than anything is food. It brings people together. Exploring different cuisines in the area could be something fun and something I am very into. I'm kind of a foodie. Looking at the role that food can play in a culture can reveal a lot about its people and how they interact. I would most likely do a visual projection via a computer that would accompanied by some tasty treats :)

Reading Response for 10/05/11

     Although we were only given the epilogue to read for tomorrow, I really enjoyed this reading. Compared to Armstrong, his narrative style is a little less formal and is much easier to read. Besides being easier to read, I feel that its brief descriptions of contemporary Jerusalem/Israel are much more immediate and easier to relate to. It's definitely an "extension" into the here and now because it focuses on some of the more recent events that are more easily relatable to the conflict today. The events he discusses (such as the Day of Atonement in October 1973 and the 1977 bombing of King David) are the basis for some of the animosity in the conflict today. The aspect of his writing that I enjoy the most is how he makes is more personal. He included a personal narrative about his time spent as a youth with palestinians in Israel; it provided a human aspect that we could all envision or perhaps relate to.
     As for Naomi Chazan's article, I also found it very interesting. I agree with how ludicrous this law is. This is what needed to NOT happen, all this does is further seclude Palestinians from the country in which they inhabit. People whose families have been in Jerusalem for hundreds of years would all of the sudden be forced into feeling even more out of place. Something needs to be done to allow all of the people in not only Jerusalem, but Israel, to feel included. Netanyahu's further cultural isolation of non-Jews is not helping in settling disputes. I wish the politicians, activists, and people of Jerusalem would look to a place like Singapore for guidance. This city-state has more people than Jerusalem, and almost as much as the entire nation of Israel, but is far more diverse. The country has five religions that are equally proportioned (more or less) amongst its citizens, and some of which are seen as adversaries (Christians and Muslims) in other parts of the world. But here, all notions of religion are separate from the state and any act of inequality on the basis of religion is highly punishable; it's kind of a forced egalitarian state. Perhaps taking any reference to religion out of the equation could help remedy some of the problems here, but I know this is impossible because Jerusalem is more or less based on religion, and I don't see addressing religion ever being taken our of this conflict. I want to say it would be easy for people here to follow other's lead and separate religion and politics, and promote equal rights (whether it be over land, nationality, or civil rights) , but I know the problem is so deeply ingrained into people that we could be far away from such a dream.

Chapters 16-18 Reading Response

    I, like many of my fellow classmates that have posted thus far, found the last three chapters of this book very insightful and the most useful sections of the book. These last few chapters gave a modern view on everything going on, and shed some new light on things for me. Before, I had always been considerably pro-Israeli considering my mother's family is Jewish and I have a few friends who have lived in Israel.
    I hate to admit this but I had always felt that Israelis had always been free the ones who were 100% good. Now I know how stupid of me that was. My freshman year here I met a Palestinian who was against any form of support to Israel; he despised American Government and any big corporation that supported Israel. We were acquaintances, but I could never quite understand why he had this intense passion over the fate of his people. It always slightly bothered me, but I never really grasped his views until reading these last few chapters.
     Looking at pre 1948 maps of the occupied lands by arabs/palestinians in Israel is phenomenal. They use to dominate the region, but now, they are a minority. The same goes true for their current presence in Jerusalem. I can now see where my friend from freshman year was coming from when he said "jews are doing to us what happened to them". It's sad, but this whole back and fourth disagreement for thousands of years has been ridiculous and it's sad that it has such a negative affect on people's lives even today. From these last few chapters I have read what exactly has happened in Jerusalem since then and I can now have sympathy for this guy. It reveals how little I knew about this conflict before.
    The book as a whole as been eye-opening to me. Since I grew up in a house with parents of two different religious backgrounds, we were raised with no religious ideologies or teachings. Yes, we celebrated some holidays, but I never really learned much about these religions. This book was really my first opportunity to do so. I was able to learn not only about the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict, of Jerusalem, and of the Abrahamic religions, but a little about myself as well. It was my first real foray into many of these ancient stories that many of my counterparts have known since bible or hebrew school. It's kind of cool to know what people are talking about now, and I'm so glad I read this book!

Chapters 14-15 Reading Response

    One facet of this course and the readings have been the overwhelming amount of people and characters we have met thus far. We have covered hundreds upon hundreds of year and the people we have encountered are all interesting in their own right, but keeping track of them has been difficult. Not having a strong religious background has made learning these people tough for me. It seems,though,  that the most eccentric ones seem to stick in my memory the best. In chapter 15, a person is introduced who I had never even heard of before. He was a very interesting (although I'm not sure if it's good or bad interesting) person, and I was inclined to read a little more about him after finishing these sections. His name: David Reuveni.
    In short, he was a mysterious Jew that not only aroused messianic hope for some Jews, but also, raised a red flag to those enjoying their new-found egalitarian positions in Jerusalem under Ottoman rule. His origins are not known; people speculate he could be from Khaibar, Afghanistan, or even southern India. Nevertheless, he arrived in Jerusalem in 1523 claiming to be the messiah. This scared many Jews because they had been enjoying their new positions in Jerusalem where they were free from most prejudices. He claimed to be the new King David and the son of King Solomon; pretty much, he thought he was a messiah for Jews. He had a small following, and because of the expulsion of Jews in Spain, many Jews were looking for leadership and cohesiveness, and he may have provided this for few. It was reported that he died in Spain, some texts say it was reported that "A jew who came from India to Portugal" was burned.
     He did not gain a tremendous following, but his existence was very interesting. It's weird to see how people throughout history have claimed to be messiahs or comings of g-d. Things like this still happen. I would like to know more about him, and I don't have much time to write more about him. I just thought he was an interesting figure to discuss this week and perhaps I could get back to him later.

Chapters 11-13 Reading Response

    Portions of chapter 11 in Karen Armstrong's book covers the early stages of the 3rd of the world's three largest religion's development: Islam. But one interesting notion that I want to dissect comes at the beginning of the chapter, at the end of the first paragraph. It reveals some interesting things that we should take into account today: "It was widely believed that Allah, the high g-d of the Arabian pantheon whose name simply means 'God,' was in fact the deity who was worshipped by the Jew and the Christians. Yet those Jews and Christians  with whom they came in contact often taunted the Arabs because G-d had sent them no revelation or prophet of their own"(Armstrong 215).
    I feel this quote is important to ruminate upon because it reveals something interesting about society and world conflicts today. Today, many of the conflicts of the world, especially Israel and Jerusalem, revolve around religious differences. Whether it be disagreements between Israelis and Palestinians or an American not seeing a Muslim with a keen eye, all of such incidences have their roots in religion. But the funny thing is that all of this is quite ironic because this quote shows us the belief (not saying whether I agree or disagree, because I don't have enough knowledge on this subject and it's something debated about amongst PHD's) that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all worship the same G-d, but through different means, i.e. prophets, religious texts, traditions, holy cites, etc.. This shows that these three groups, who often quarrel with one another over their differing beliefs, really aren't all that different.
    They all stem from Abraham and this reveals that their roots aren't all hat different. I feel if more people within these groups that have harsh feelings towards the other would be able to somewhat reconcile their differences if more of them realized this. Once, again, i just feel it's really interesting to see how over time, things transform, but the ways in which people act don't. I think people need to focus on the close ties these religions have in hopes that doing so could bring them closer together.

Weblog #3

For this weblog, we are suppose to discuss the image selected for the class blog. I don't think we have officially selected one (correct me if I'm wrong), so I did this assignment in regards to Lindsey's September 1st post where she showed some possible options. I think the 3rd image she posted is the best. It shows two hands reaching for one another but not quite reaching each other. This could represent the two sides attempts at resolving their conflict without ever actually settling. The rocks in the middle could represent how "rocky" the relationship is and what they must overcome to find peace. I feel it could work, but would also like to see more ideas!

Chapters 8-10 Reading Response

    These three chapters revealed (even more so than previous chapters) a big theme in religion that prevails to this day: the role that politics play in the religious world. There are many underlying political undertones that frame the disputes surrounding different groups of people that can be linked back to religion. Interesting to read how much of a role religion played in politics in times much different than our own.
    For me, the most interesting part of this reading was in the beginning of chapter 8, where  the actions of Pharisee Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai are discussed. When Jerusalem was taken over by the Romans, he was smuggled out of the city in a coffin. He was one of the few jewish leaders to keep his credibility after the city was sieged. He built a "new" Judaism on the coast, where he and fellow Rabbis started the academy of Yavneh.
    Yes, they lost their temple in 586, but by establishing this academy, they were able to modernize Judaism and allowed for the study of the Torah in a different manner, away from the temple. This was important, because it separated the people from the temple, and got rid of that physical attachment to religion that people of the time craved. Now instead of craving to be present and in physical contact with god via a temple, people were studying the Torah together, and by doing so, God's presence on earth would sit among them. They started shifting from animal sacrifice and focused more on compassion and charity as ways of giving back and showing good to their god. These events are important because they represent an important, more modern shift that is more recognizable to religion today. It established the Mishnah, and Jews could experience God where ever they were. It made religion more mobile and accessible. No longer did one have to be in Temple. You could passionately engaged in a dialogue over the Torah, far away from the holy land, while praying and recovering a  "divine heart" away from the Temple.

Weblog #2

Here are a few items around my house that shed a little light on "who I am"....

The first image is of the Irish flag which is normally my computer's background. My dad's family is from Ireland, and being Irish is a HUGE part of who I am ( I have an Irish first and last name,  take part in Irish celebrations, and eat Irish, etc). The second is of a Chai necklace that I received from my mom; she comes from a German-Jewish family, but they weren't brought up religious so there is a disconnection with their families' past, it's something I want to learn more about.

These are some of the books I have in my room, I have a huge interest in learning languages and other cultures, especially those in East-Asia and Latin America.

 This is a poster I have in my room, it's a copy of a Japanese woodblock printed titled "The Sea of Satta". I love Japanese art.

 My three favorite sports teams: The Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls, and the Celtic F.C..

I have a large shoe and sneaker collection, I just took a picture of part of the giant shoe pile in my closet///

 Tea is one of my favorite things in the world. The bagged loose leaf tea is white Chinese tea I got in Singapore.

Since I didn't have much food in my house I posted an image of one of my favorite foods in the world: Laksa. It's found in Singapore, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries...I'm going to attempt to make it tonight :)

Chapters 5-7 Reading Response

    The last few chapters proved exceedingly interesting. It's interesting to see how Armstrong is pulling everything together in showing us how Jerusalem came to be. Much of Armstrong's sources are from the Bible and other religious texts. That being said, she speaks much of myths, and stories of the past to base her history upon. I discussed myths in my last post, so I wont do it again here, but it's important to remember that these stories and myth hold great value in shaping an image of our past.
    Armstrong's discussion of Greek influences on Jews of this time period is something I previously knew nothing about. Looking into how they shared two seemingly different cultures with one another is entertaining and insightful. Some embraced Greek culture, others detested it. Jews adopted many facets of Greek life but what I found interesting was that no matter what, they still held their Jewish ideals and the temple continued to be the center of their lives.
    The desire to be in personal physical contact with their God is something that I can hardly fathom today. Most people now are content with the occasional visit to church or synagogue, but these people, no matter how many times they were forced from their land, still held a deep passion to be in direct contact with their homeland and God.  Some interesting Parallels can be drawn to the Maccabean Revolt, but that is a subject I must divulge into at a later time.

Reading Response for September 12th

    This weekend we had our first foray into Karen Armstrong's book "Jerusalem: Once City, Three Faiths." After reading the introduction, and chapters 1-4, all I have to say is wow; there is so much more to this situation than I could have ever imagined. She looked at Jerusalem from a Christian perspective, which was much different than the perspectives we had last week. As far as what is at stake for Armstrong, I believe, she has nothing at stake, but to reveal the cities culture and history without misconceptions and equal truths from all sides. She doesn't have to worry about agreeing with the Palestinian or Israeli side, instead, she had only herself to please. I feel that the Jerusalem Project members chose a good book for the project, it looks at all aspects of the conflict from all points of view.
    I really enjoyed the introduction to the book. Usually books don't give much insight into a story or conflict, but this one proved ever so useful. She makes Jerusalem personal by describing as how she knew it before first visiting, which is, something completely unknown; this is how I view it. She discussed the word 'holy' and what exactly it means. It is discussed how often times, religions search for a holy ground in order to have a physical form to identify with; with no "physical" god, one must find attachment in the land where one's god could have existed to. Doing so establishes a strong bond and dependency to one's religious past that, if not in accordance with other's beliefs, could pose problems. People like having physical evidence of their beliefs, and Jerusalem just so happens to be religious evidence to three of the world's largest religions.
    The most interesting paragraph of the reading for Monday comes from the introduction, on pages xvii-xviii, in which the "question of myth" is discussed. She discussed how myth shapes our religious  history and beliefs, and how people use it to speak about the sacred. Today, people usually dismiss things that are solely based on "myth". But much of religious texts are based on myth, which is defined as "a traditional story" (unlike it is widely known as today as an untrue story). She discusses the notion of how the three major religions of the area have, throughout history, discounted each other's histories (myths) in favor of their own. But we must question why they have been dismissed, because it is the root of these dismissals that are the roots of the current conflicts. This conflict has included disregarding the other's stories and beliefs. All the stories and histories of Jerusalem are important, each side has contributed to what it is today. And, therefore, Armstrong reaches her point about these alleged myths about Jerusalem, that they were "never designed to describe historically verifiable events that actually happened. It was an attempt to express their inner significance or to draw attention to realities that were too elusive to be discussed in a logical or coherent way." We cannot disregard any of the stories about Jerusalem even if they are from a group we despise, because they all hold value, truth, and exist for a reason; if they didn't, they would not have survived thousands of years to today

Week 2 Reading Response

    In Mick Dumper's "Jerusalem: Then and Now", he discusses the deep social and political history of Jerusalem, but does so in a way that makes it easily comprehensible tot hose with minimal prior knowledge. Of all the things he discusses, I took note of his discussion on how "geographically and economically, the growth of Jerusalem doesn't make sense."I found this interesting because for what it's worth (religion aside), there aren't many reasons for people to be fighting for this land. Access to it is limited by mountains, and it has limited supplies of water and other natural resources. It is Jerusalem's religious affiliations that make it so sought after, and it's interesting to ruminate on what it would be like if it weren't for religion.
    Similar to the beginning of Mick Dumper's piece, Rashid Khalidi's "The History of Jerusalem: An Arab Perspective", looks at Jerusalem it's attachment to the three Abrahamic faiths. He states " When discussing Jerusalem's history, it should be clear that what is really at issue is one narrative of that history, and not the thick accretion of religious beliefs and embellishments of the historical record over which the modem political agendas of Palestine and Israel compete." In other words, in order to understand the many problems at hand, we cannot rely purely on one viewpoint or solely on religious perspectives. If we do, what is really happening will be misconstrued and filtered through biases that may not give us the full story. This is what this class is about: learning about Jerusalem from every perspective possible. Having an Arab perspective is highly important. He looked at Jerusalem from a religious perspective and why Jews, Muslims, and Christians see Jerusalem as a holy city. Seeing why each one cherishes this land helps broaden my understanding of why so many take this problem so personally.Discussing the different pilgrimages (i.e. visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, or the Dome of the Rock, etc.) shows what Jerusalem means to people today. What i got from this week's reading is that in order to discuss the conflict in Jerusalem, one must look at the cities' history from three different perspectives, without preconceptions or biases. 

Weblog Journal #1: Reflections on the First Week

First off, this is a class that I have been truly looking forward to take part in. This is an interesting subject that I know about, but that knowledge is minute. It is a topic that people are very passionate about, and when overhearing discussions about it I become even more interested to discover the complexities of the situation. By taking this class and interacting with people who are exeriencing this matter first hand, I hope to gain an insight into Jerusalem and Israel that not many Americans have. For my first post, I am going to discuss my expectations for the class.

The format of the class is like nothing I have ever taken part of. The use of web based technologies and video conferencing will allow for a truly immersive class in which we can interact with another culture. We live in an ever-shrinking world, and this is just a piece of evidence of increased globalization. Taking an interactive approach, I feel, will provide us with more insight than just reaing from a textbook. Most of us have not had first hand experience with this situation, and therefore cannot have a firm grasp on the problems in Israel; doing something like this gives us the second hand accounts we need to not only understand the problems, but feel them as well.

The only forseeable problems I see in this class are the different preconceived ntoions and perspectives that some students may bring to the class. Many of us have spent most of our lives in America and therefore have some ideas on the problem at hand. Many may take sides with Israelis instead of Palestenians due to Israel being an ally of the United States and Arabs ( I do not agree, but many would say that arabs have been deemed the de facto enemy of the war on terror) being seen as America’s enemy. And with people in our class hailing from different backgrounds, whether it be race, religion, or travel experience, it will be interesting to see our each of our own experiences will interact in class. I would love to write more, but since we have not covered much yet, I will save that for a later time.