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