I do have to say, in general this article did not entice me as much as other articles we have read. In general though, the topic of architecture in terms of the disputed area is an aspect that I have never thought about. This conflict really covers large areas of ground and includes many aspects in it.
I was really surprised when they were saying that "the architecture of Zionism modernism had failed to create the mandatory sense if belonging between men, community and place" (237). I personally never really take much into account of how much of an impact the architecture has on an area, but in consideration of this area, I would think by having ancient architecture it would help to create this sense of belonging. I was also surprised that at one point in the article they were discussing not continuing to build based on the ancient structures that were already there. To continue this history and create that feeling that was intended form Jerusalem, I would think it would be essential to keep those visual stimulants. I was glad that later in the article they said that they abandoned that idea and decided instead to stick to what was there.
Of all things, I think before I read this article I assumed that architecture would have been one thing that the Jews and Arabs could agree upon. In history, there was so much transition between power, and the architecture probably changed with it too, but I think because I have been to Israel and I have seen the ancient architecture I assumed that it all came from a similar background. However, we all know what they say about assuming, and I was probably naive to think that Jews and Palestinians would agree on anything regarding the creation of a new homeland for Jews.
Reading about PYALARA is really interesting to me. I think I've mentioned this before, but in high school I was really involved in my temple youth group and NFTY (Northern Federation for Temple Youth) and although NFTY doesn't focus specifically on Israel, it was a large part of our programming and discussions. I never really thought about Palestinian Youth movements in America, and now that I know about it, it would have been a really interesting program idea to get NFTY kids and PYLARA kids together. I'll just have to save that idea for when I'm an advisor in a few years!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The City that is as Complicated as its Walls
I thought that the reading these two articles together was a really interesting combination. Reading about how the city is divided and the actual physical presence of the walls and then reading about what people have done to the walls was an interesting contrast
One part that stuck out to me was in Klein's article on page 54. He was talking about how in 1967 Jerusalem was intended to be a place of holiness for Jews, Christians, and Muslims under Israeli sovereignty. Even though I believe that this can happen, I see the immediate flaw with the statement under Israeli sovereignty. After being in this class for seven weeks, I have learned that any sort of agreement that allows for one group to have supreme rule is not going to be effective.
With that being said, this also goes against the laws of Zionism. Zionism says that Jerusalem is meant to be for Jews and only Jews. The selfish Jewish part of me agrees with this. But the other part of me, the inclusive, pleasing, and harmonizing part of me, strongly disagrees with this. Yes, Jews have a right to the land, but so do other religions. We all have history here.
We all agree that Jerusalem is a holy place. Even those that do not identify with a religion can feel the holiness of this place. What if this idea of a unanimous holy place could take hold? What if we just all agreed to have not one particular religion in power, and instead work to become a modern holy city? People in the modern world are already turning to this idea of secularization and spirituality. What would happen if Jerusalem did the same?
With that, the idea of walls in such a city would be an utmost disgrace. I thought that the classification of the kinds of walls was really interesting. In prison, walls are used to keep dangerous people in, while at the same time keeping the common man out. Walls for barricade are used for protection. However, we all know the story of the Great Wall of China. Walls of aggression are used to inspire fear. Sheltering walls provide privacy, and castle walls are meant to separate the upper part of society. The presence of any of these walls takes away the holiness from the city, and instead the focus becomes the walls.
The focus on the walls brings the attention of graffiti artists. Recently, graffiti has become what would have been considered a nuisance and has now gotten its deserved attention as art form. There have been many graffiti exhibits in art museums around the country. Popular artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey have become renowned. I think these artists have become so famous because of their exquisite talent but also because they have chosen an arena to do their work where people cannot avoid it. I think that is why so many Palestinians have chosen this route to display their emotions and opinions towards this topic because of that reason as well.
There was another part that jumped out at me in Klein's article when he was talking about the medical field. I was interested to see that many doctors cross the boarders more fluidly than anyone else. Sure, they cross to help the sick, but it's also curious that many of the people in the hospital are potentially there because of bombs or attacks from the other side.
Essentially, the presence of the walls distracts from the overall meaning of the city. However, an interesting questions is has the presence of the walls in itself created something new and meaningful?
One part that stuck out to me was in Klein's article on page 54. He was talking about how in 1967 Jerusalem was intended to be a place of holiness for Jews, Christians, and Muslims under Israeli sovereignty. Even though I believe that this can happen, I see the immediate flaw with the statement under Israeli sovereignty. After being in this class for seven weeks, I have learned that any sort of agreement that allows for one group to have supreme rule is not going to be effective.
With that being said, this also goes against the laws of Zionism. Zionism says that Jerusalem is meant to be for Jews and only Jews. The selfish Jewish part of me agrees with this. But the other part of me, the inclusive, pleasing, and harmonizing part of me, strongly disagrees with this. Yes, Jews have a right to the land, but so do other religions. We all have history here.
We all agree that Jerusalem is a holy place. Even those that do not identify with a religion can feel the holiness of this place. What if this idea of a unanimous holy place could take hold? What if we just all agreed to have not one particular religion in power, and instead work to become a modern holy city? People in the modern world are already turning to this idea of secularization and spirituality. What would happen if Jerusalem did the same?
With that, the idea of walls in such a city would be an utmost disgrace. I thought that the classification of the kinds of walls was really interesting. In prison, walls are used to keep dangerous people in, while at the same time keeping the common man out. Walls for barricade are used for protection. However, we all know the story of the Great Wall of China. Walls of aggression are used to inspire fear. Sheltering walls provide privacy, and castle walls are meant to separate the upper part of society. The presence of any of these walls takes away the holiness from the city, and instead the focus becomes the walls.
The focus on the walls brings the attention of graffiti artists. Recently, graffiti has become what would have been considered a nuisance and has now gotten its deserved attention as art form. There have been many graffiti exhibits in art museums around the country. Popular artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey have become renowned. I think these artists have become so famous because of their exquisite talent but also because they have chosen an arena to do their work where people cannot avoid it. I think that is why so many Palestinians have chosen this route to display their emotions and opinions towards this topic because of that reason as well.
There was another part that jumped out at me in Klein's article when he was talking about the medical field. I was interested to see that many doctors cross the boarders more fluidly than anyone else. Sure, they cross to help the sick, but it's also curious that many of the people in the hospital are potentially there because of bombs or attacks from the other side.
Essentially, the presence of the walls distracts from the overall meaning of the city. However, an interesting questions is has the presence of the walls in itself created something new and meaningful?
ברכה שלום- Take 2
Here is my redo of the last blog assignment that I didn't understand the last time.
This is my desk. I chose this image because it represents me for many reasons. The first reason being that I am very messy. I try my hardest to keep clean, but sometimes it takes more effort for me to be clean than it does for me to just let it be. I really prefer things to be clean, but I also tend to keep a very busy schedule, and with that my organization seems to go to the wayside.
Another reason I chose this photo is because of what's in it. First of all, my Mac is probably my favorite thing that I own. Not only is it important for schoolwork, I also use it as a creative outlet.
Believe it or not, the water bottle also has significance. It is important for me to be healthy, so I drink water all the time. That water bottle has helped me survive the gross taste of dorm water!
The picture in the back covered by all my other stuff is a picture of me and my sister. She is a really important person in my life. Even though we're related, we look nothing alike, which I think has contributed to both of our lives. We are so different, which means that neither one of us feels overshadowed by one another. We make a good team. She also made the birthday card in the back left corner for me.
I chose this picture because I love sunglasses. I wear them even it's only slightly sunny out. I currently have five pairs of sunglasses sitting on my desk. I refuse to buy a pair of sunglasses for over $10 because I buy so many, and if I lose a pair it's not the end of the world.
In this picture, my sunglasses are sitting on my sketchbook. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to draw as much as I would like since I've been away at school, but art and drawing are my favorite hobbies, which you can also tell by my many doodles I make in my notes in my classes.
This is a drawing in my sketchbook.
This is my ukulele. It sits next to my desk. I play it when I'm bored or stressed. I also play piano and am a big fan of music and concerts.
This is my favorite ring. You'll rarely see me not wearing it. I also am always wearing my Jewish star. I feel weird when I'm not wearing either.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
הבית שלי
Unfortunately I do not have actual pictures of the articles that make my home a Jewish place, so I will be pulling pictures from the internet.
One item that you will find in most every Jewish household is a mezuzah (shown above). Mezuzot, meaning doorpost(s) in hebrew, can be found "affixed to the upper third of the doorpost on the right side as one enters the house or room. If the doorpost is wide enough to permit, the mezuzah should be tilted with the upper part slanting inward toward the house or room" (Jewish101.com). Mezuzahs come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. Under the mezuzah houses the sh'ma, the most holy prayer in Judaism. The basic prayer is "Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad," which means "Hear o Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one." I have one on my bedroom door at home that was given to me as a gift for my bat mitzvah.
Another thing you will find in every Jewish household are Shabbat candlestick holders. They are lit every week at sundown on Friday to honor the Sabbath. At my house, we have a variety of different ones ranging from ones that were handed down from my great grandparents to ones that I painted as a child.
May of the Jewish items at my house represent different holidays. We have a variety of menorahs for Hanukkah, and a seder plate for Passover.
Another thing that I classify in this category is the Jewish star I wear around my neck. I have been wearing it practically every day since middle school. I feel weird when I don't wear it.
Questions for Yonatan Gher:
1. I watched the video about the men who crossed the border to go to the gay club. Have people been caught doing this? If so, what are the repercussions?
2. Have you seen friendships formed between the two opposing sides?
3. The struggle for gay rights is its own political battle entirely (at least in the United States). Do you see this struggle benefitting or being harmful to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis?
4. Just a general question, is the fight for gay rights as political as it is in the Unites States?
Another thing you will find in every Jewish household are Shabbat candlestick holders. They are lit every week at sundown on Friday to honor the Sabbath. At my house, we have a variety of different ones ranging from ones that were handed down from my great grandparents to ones that I painted as a child.
May of the Jewish items at my house represent different holidays. We have a variety of menorahs for Hanukkah, and a seder plate for Passover.
Another thing that I classify in this category is the Jewish star I wear around my neck. I have been wearing it practically every day since middle school. I feel weird when I don't wear it.
Questions for Yonatan Gher:
1. I watched the video about the men who crossed the border to go to the gay club. Have people been caught doing this? If so, what are the repercussions?
2. Have you seen friendships formed between the two opposing sides?
3. The struggle for gay rights is its own political battle entirely (at least in the United States). Do you see this struggle benefitting or being harmful to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis?
4. Just a general question, is the fight for gay rights as political as it is in the Unites States?
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Reading Response, Sharon and My Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries, The Promised Gas Masks, A Dog’s Life,“Jerusalem: Not the Mother of All Cities”
I really enjoyed these stories. I think they were a nice contrast to the usual history we have been reading. I like that they were more personal, and we got to hear stories of individual people.
In "The Promised Gas Masks," one part that stuck out to me was when they were talking about the straight lines. "They all have a fetish for making Palestinians stand in an orderly line. They complicate our lives with all sorts of permits, make them unbearably chaotic, then insist we stand in straight lines" (89). I wondered why the Israelis are so persistent about the straight lines. For some reason this brought images of the Holocaust to my mind. (Which might be because of Holocaust Remembrance Week here at OSU and Yom Ha'Shoah [Holocaust Remembrance Day] on May 1st). The Germans would make the Jews line up every day, and the Jews had no choice but to obey. Inadvertently the Jews have imposed this same kind of strict demeanor when dealing with their opposites, just like the Germans.
I thought of an analogy for this. It reminded me of games of pretend that children play. They imitate their teachers by playing school, imitate their doctors by pretending to be doctors, and imitate their parents by playing house. Maybe what the Jews went through in the Holocaust is unintentionally and subconsciously being played out by people whose relatives survived the Holocaust.
I really enjoyed "A Dog's Life." Animals are an aspect in the conflict that I have never even thought about. The conflict is between people and history, and animals are neglected. In fact, animals are completely separate from the situation. The identity of animals is completely dependent on the owner. I also never thought about sexism extending to animals. Despite this, I found it extremely ironic and slightly sad that a dog was able to get a passport but its owner could not.
I also have never really thought of the idea of sexism extending to cities. Sure, boats and cars can be given gender. Occasionally a city can be given a gender. I have never personally thought of Jerusalem as a female city. However, I can sort of see a connection between the gender of Jerusalem and the way the female dog was treated in the last story.
In general I really found Suid Amiry's story interesting.
Questions for Galit Hasan-Rokem:
1. Have you had the chance to teach any Palestinians in your time as a Professor?
2. How do you arrange to meet with Palestinian women? Do you go to Ramallah?
3. As a scholar and a feminist, what is your view of a solution?
In "The Promised Gas Masks," one part that stuck out to me was when they were talking about the straight lines. "They all have a fetish for making Palestinians stand in an orderly line. They complicate our lives with all sorts of permits, make them unbearably chaotic, then insist we stand in straight lines" (89). I wondered why the Israelis are so persistent about the straight lines. For some reason this brought images of the Holocaust to my mind. (Which might be because of Holocaust Remembrance Week here at OSU and Yom Ha'Shoah [Holocaust Remembrance Day] on May 1st). The Germans would make the Jews line up every day, and the Jews had no choice but to obey. Inadvertently the Jews have imposed this same kind of strict demeanor when dealing with their opposites, just like the Germans.
I thought of an analogy for this. It reminded me of games of pretend that children play. They imitate their teachers by playing school, imitate their doctors by pretending to be doctors, and imitate their parents by playing house. Maybe what the Jews went through in the Holocaust is unintentionally and subconsciously being played out by people whose relatives survived the Holocaust.
I really enjoyed "A Dog's Life." Animals are an aspect in the conflict that I have never even thought about. The conflict is between people and history, and animals are neglected. In fact, animals are completely separate from the situation. The identity of animals is completely dependent on the owner. I also never thought about sexism extending to animals. Despite this, I found it extremely ironic and slightly sad that a dog was able to get a passport but its owner could not.
I also have never really thought of the idea of sexism extending to cities. Sure, boats and cars can be given gender. Occasionally a city can be given a gender. I have never personally thought of Jerusalem as a female city. However, I can sort of see a connection between the gender of Jerusalem and the way the female dog was treated in the last story.
In general I really found Suid Amiry's story interesting.
Questions for Galit Hasan-Rokem:
1. Have you had the chance to teach any Palestinians in your time as a Professor?
2. How do you arrange to meet with Palestinian women? Do you go to Ramallah?
3. As a scholar and a feminist, what is your view of a solution?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Reading Response, Salim Tamari Articles
The two articles I chose to read were "Lepers, Lunatics and Saints" and "Ishaq Shami and the Predicament of the Arab Jew in Palestine".
The first article I read, "Lepers, Lunatics, and Saints", raised a few questions for me. The first question was about Talbieh Leprosarium. I have never heard of this, and when I tried to Google it the first link that came up was to this particular article. This question was answered a little bit more as I read the article, but I wonder why I wasn't able to find out more about it. I have heard of leprosy, and the particular Torah portion that it is always falls sometime in April, which was always comical to me because that particular portion would always fall over the weekend of my youth group region's biggest kallah (study, or convention) of the year. While socializing and learning about the particular theme of the weekend we would also coincidentally be learning about the biblical disease of leprosy in an amusing fashion.
While I was reading this article, sometimes I found myself getting confused and forgetting that the doctor, Tawfiq Canaan, was a person and not the land of Canaan. The fact that I had never heard of him probably makes sense, because much of the work that he did was swept under the carpet. I also find it ironic that in a time when two biblically historical groups of people were fighting for the same plot of land, a supposedly biblical disease sprung up again.
I also noted the mention of Edward Said in this article. We had talked about in class that he acts as a sort of beacon for Palestinians, and I thought it was interesting seeing his name pop up as a reference.
I also thought the exploration of "awlia" was interesting. The idea of saints is an interesting concept that religion has encompassed throughout history. "[They] experienced in their own flesh all miseries, difficulties, diseases, and woes of our life. They also know human falsehoods and intrigues. Thus they feel with us in our afflictions and understand us better than God does" (15). I thought the idea that these people that are essentially worshipped were once people. What makes a person worthy of sainthood? I also found the distinction between tolerant and irritable saints (good and evil) interesting.
Onto the second article. There were a lot of points that I found interesting in this. The first was the concept of language as a barrier, but also as a uniter of people. Before the creation of modern Hebrew, Jews didn't have a common language. I often wondered what language was spoken before Hebrew was revived, and I thought that the fact that Jews spoke Arabic at one point a pertinent point. Although the creation and revival of Hebrew as a spoken language was something that bonded Jews at the beginning of the history of Israel as a state, is it also something that but an even bigger barrier between Jews and non Jews?
The existence of Arab Jews is something that isn't always paid attention to. However, the exile and diaspora of the Jewish people set everyone in a different direction. When people aren't around each other, it is inevitable that ideas will develop in different ways due solely to the influence of geography and culture of surrounding people. Jews in Spain obvious evolved in a different way from Jews in Eastern Europe. The same is true for the Jews that were still in Palestine. They evolved to blend in with their Arab neighbors through language, food, and just general proximity. The overall socialization of Jews in the world is not just based on the premise of religion alone. Are these Arab Jews any different from Jews from other parts of the world? Another question is, are Jews really that different from their Arab neighbors?
On the whole, I found Shami's story really interesting. In a way, the creation of Zionism was meant to unite Jewish people with the idea of a homeland. However, with the creation of this idea, it united people but at the same time alienated people as well. The counteract to Zionism had the same effect. It united people under the idea that they didn't believe in a Jewish state, and their claims to the land were just as valid, even though their beliefs depended heavily on their geographical location. There is something to be said about duality. There is distinction between good and evil. However, what happens when there is duality between ideas, but one is not better than the other? So the real question is- are we as different as we think? Or has the polarization of two ideals done more harm than good?
A few questions that I have for Salim Tamari are:
1. What is your background?
2. What role do you play in politics currently?
3. The existence of Arab Jews is something that would have been an issue at the partition. Do you think this is an issue has gradually lessoned over time with the distinct divide between Palestinians and Israelis?
The first article I read, "Lepers, Lunatics, and Saints", raised a few questions for me. The first question was about Talbieh Leprosarium. I have never heard of this, and when I tried to Google it the first link that came up was to this particular article. This question was answered a little bit more as I read the article, but I wonder why I wasn't able to find out more about it. I have heard of leprosy, and the particular Torah portion that it is always falls sometime in April, which was always comical to me because that particular portion would always fall over the weekend of my youth group region's biggest kallah (study, or convention) of the year. While socializing and learning about the particular theme of the weekend we would also coincidentally be learning about the biblical disease of leprosy in an amusing fashion.
While I was reading this article, sometimes I found myself getting confused and forgetting that the doctor, Tawfiq Canaan, was a person and not the land of Canaan. The fact that I had never heard of him probably makes sense, because much of the work that he did was swept under the carpet. I also find it ironic that in a time when two biblically historical groups of people were fighting for the same plot of land, a supposedly biblical disease sprung up again.
I also noted the mention of Edward Said in this article. We had talked about in class that he acts as a sort of beacon for Palestinians, and I thought it was interesting seeing his name pop up as a reference.
I also thought the exploration of "awlia" was interesting. The idea of saints is an interesting concept that religion has encompassed throughout history. "[They] experienced in their own flesh all miseries, difficulties, diseases, and woes of our life. They also know human falsehoods and intrigues. Thus they feel with us in our afflictions and understand us better than God does" (15). I thought the idea that these people that are essentially worshipped were once people. What makes a person worthy of sainthood? I also found the distinction between tolerant and irritable saints (good and evil) interesting.
Onto the second article. There were a lot of points that I found interesting in this. The first was the concept of language as a barrier, but also as a uniter of people. Before the creation of modern Hebrew, Jews didn't have a common language. I often wondered what language was spoken before Hebrew was revived, and I thought that the fact that Jews spoke Arabic at one point a pertinent point. Although the creation and revival of Hebrew as a spoken language was something that bonded Jews at the beginning of the history of Israel as a state, is it also something that but an even bigger barrier between Jews and non Jews?
The existence of Arab Jews is something that isn't always paid attention to. However, the exile and diaspora of the Jewish people set everyone in a different direction. When people aren't around each other, it is inevitable that ideas will develop in different ways due solely to the influence of geography and culture of surrounding people. Jews in Spain obvious evolved in a different way from Jews in Eastern Europe. The same is true for the Jews that were still in Palestine. They evolved to blend in with their Arab neighbors through language, food, and just general proximity. The overall socialization of Jews in the world is not just based on the premise of religion alone. Are these Arab Jews any different from Jews from other parts of the world? Another question is, are Jews really that different from their Arab neighbors?
On the whole, I found Shami's story really interesting. In a way, the creation of Zionism was meant to unite Jewish people with the idea of a homeland. However, with the creation of this idea, it united people but at the same time alienated people as well. The counteract to Zionism had the same effect. It united people under the idea that they didn't believe in a Jewish state, and their claims to the land were just as valid, even though their beliefs depended heavily on their geographical location. There is something to be said about duality. There is distinction between good and evil. However, what happens when there is duality between ideas, but one is not better than the other? So the real question is- are we as different as we think? Or has the polarization of two ideals done more harm than good?
A few questions that I have for Salim Tamari are:
1. What is your background?
2. What role do you play in politics currently?
3. The existence of Arab Jews is something that would have been an issue at the partition. Do you think this is an issue has gradually lessoned over time with the distinct divide between Palestinians and Israelis?
Project Idea
For my final project, I have decided that I am going to take the multimedia route. I have always wanted to learn how to make and edit videos more efficiently, so I figured that this would be a good opportunity to do that.
The idea I have for my video is to focus on culture. There are many student groups at Ohio State that focus on ethnicity and religion, and I think it would be interesting to make a video on those student groups, but specifically ones that relate to Israel and Palestine.
I was thinking that I can also focus on the interactions of these students at Ohio State. For this, I was thinking I would film a little bit of our dinner next week. I think it would be cool to encompass this kind of overlap in my video.
I know that there are a lot of Israel independence day events coming up on campus. I think it would be interesting to share the views of Ohio State students regarding this subject in my final project.
The idea I have for my video is to focus on culture. There are many student groups at Ohio State that focus on ethnicity and religion, and I think it would be interesting to make a video on those student groups, but specifically ones that relate to Israel and Palestine.
I was thinking that I can also focus on the interactions of these students at Ohio State. For this, I was thinking I would film a little bit of our dinner next week. I think it would be cool to encompass this kind of overlap in my video.
I know that there are a lot of Israel independence day events coming up on campus. I think it would be interesting to share the views of Ohio State students regarding this subject in my final project.
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