Questions for Galit Hasan-Rokem
1. Where did you grow up?
2. Describe your religious affiliation. How often to you participate? Do you have any doubts or questions about your religion?
3. Was your religion the dominant religion where you grew up?
4. Is your community primarily Jewish? If not, then is there a division between religious groups?
5. What other religions existed there? If this applies, did religion play a significant role in society?
6. What was the experience like for you growing up in a Jewish household?
7. Are there any differences where you grew up that have changed from then and now?
8. Have you been to any of the sacred sites in Jerusalem, and if so, how did the experience affect you?
9.In your opinion, are the sacred sites in Jerusalem more important to the people living in the Middle East than in the U.S.?
9. Disregarding your own faith, what do you believe is the most sacred site in Jerusalem?
10. Have you noticed what types of people come to visit the sacred sites in Jerusalem? Such as what part of the world they come from, what affiliation, and why they come.
11. Do you have any personal opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
12. How prevalent is the conflict in your city? Does it affect your relationship with others in your community, particularly Muslims?
13. Are you involved in any way, through groups, donations, etc.?
14. Do you think the conflict is portrayed accurately in the media? Do you think it’s biased?
15. Do you think these two sides can come to an agreement? If so, what needs to be done to reach this agreement? If not, why is it not possible?
16. What would you propose as a solution to the problem?
17. How does the conflict affect you? E.g. have you noticed any changes in your opinions or attitudes toward the situation?
Questions for Dr. Sarsar
1. Where did you grow up?
2. Describe your religious affiliation. How often to you participate? Do you have any doubts or questions about your religion?
3. Was your religion the dominant religion where you grew up?
4. What other religions existed there? If this applies, did religion play a significant role in society?
5. What was the experience like for you growing up in a Palestinian Christian household?
6. Are there any differences where you grew up that have changed from then and now?
7. Have you been to any of the sacred sites in Jerusalem, and if so, how did the experience affect you?
8. In your opinion, are the sacred sites in Jerusalem more important to the people living in the Middle East than in the U.S.?
9. Disregarding your own faith, what do you believe is the most sacred site in Jerusalem?
10. Do you have any personal opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
11. Are you involved in any way, through groups, donations, etc.?
12. Do you think the conflict is portrayed accurately in the media? Do you think it’s biased?
13. Do you think these two sides can come to an agreement? If so, what needs to be done to reach this agreement? If not, why is it not possible?
14. What would you propose to a solution to the problem?
15. How does the conflict affect you? E.g. have you noticed any changes in your opinions, or attitudes toward the situation.
Jessica's Comments:
For our group interview, we decided to contact a Jewish community local to Santa Clara University. From this initial contact, we were able to contact Galit Hasan-Rokem and Dr. Saliba Sarsar. Before the interview, the group discussed what questions we would ask them. We came up with a list of 16 questions that we would ask both interviewees. Because Dr. Saliba Sarsar is a professor at Monmouth University in New Jersey and has written several extensive works on our subject, I personally was a bit intimidated to speak with him. He had been interviewed by NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other distinguished journalists and, now, we were about to interview him too. The interview, via Skype, actually went very well. He was very kind and had a lot to offer us in terms of information regarding how individuals in Jerusalem actually view and feel about the sacred sites we have focused on. I thought it was really interesting that he said that the most sacred site was Jerusalem itself and that the sacred sites are just as important and relevant to the whole world as they are to the people who live there. I was surprised to hear that Christians are the minority where he grew up and that the major religions of the area are Judaism and Islam. I did not realize that Christianity was so sparse in a place filled with Christian history. He extensively described what it was like growing up as a Palestinian Christian with Judaism and Islam as the dominant religion in his community. He talked a lot about how his family dealt with religion and how his sisters and he relate to religion today. He admitted to being a devote and practicing Catholic today who is dedicated to serving the community of his homeland through donations and his involvement in various groups that help out that area of the world. I thought our interview with him was very successful because he was so thorough with is answers and really tried to answer our questions to the fullest extent that he could. Our Skype interview with Galit Hasan- Rokem did not go as well in my opinion. Galit Hassan Rokem is a professor in the Hebrew Literature department in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Our interview with her was much shorter and much less informative. She commented many times that our questions were too general for her to answer and did not really give us specific answers to our other questions. She did not seem as open as Dr. Sarsar to talk about her position with religion and did not seem as comfortable offering us her opinion on the conflict. Instead of answering one or two of our questions, she directed us to “look them up” which was less than helpful to say the least. She was very vague and I wish she had given us more input. As a current, full-time resident of Jerusalem, she could have given us some very useful insight for our project. The two interviews went into two completely separate directions but I thought they were both enlightening in their own ways.
Jessica's Comments:
For our group interview, we decided to contact a Jewish community local to Santa Clara University. From this initial contact, we were able to contact Galit Hasan-Rokem and Dr. Saliba Sarsar. Before the interview, the group discussed what questions we would ask them. We came up with a list of 16 questions that we would ask both interviewees. Because Dr. Saliba Sarsar is a professor at Monmouth University in New Jersey and has written several extensive works on our subject, I personally was a bit intimidated to speak with him. He had been interviewed by NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other distinguished journalists and, now, we were about to interview him too. The interview, via Skype, actually went very well. He was very kind and had a lot to offer us in terms of information regarding how individuals in Jerusalem actually view and feel about the sacred sites we have focused on. I thought it was really interesting that he said that the most sacred site was Jerusalem itself and that the sacred sites are just as important and relevant to the whole world as they are to the people who live there. I was surprised to hear that Christians are the minority where he grew up and that the major religions of the area are Judaism and Islam. I did not realize that Christianity was so sparse in a place filled with Christian history. He extensively described what it was like growing up as a Palestinian Christian with Judaism and Islam as the dominant religion in his community. He talked a lot about how his family dealt with religion and how his sisters and he relate to religion today. He admitted to being a devote and practicing Catholic today who is dedicated to serving the community of his homeland through donations and his involvement in various groups that help out that area of the world. I thought our interview with him was very successful because he was so thorough with is answers and really tried to answer our questions to the fullest extent that he could. Our Skype interview with Galit Hasan- Rokem did not go as well in my opinion. Galit Hassan Rokem is a professor in the Hebrew Literature department in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Our interview with her was much shorter and much less informative. She commented many times that our questions were too general for her to answer and did not really give us specific answers to our other questions. She did not seem as open as Dr. Sarsar to talk about her position with religion and did not seem as comfortable offering us her opinion on the conflict. Instead of answering one or two of our questions, she directed us to “look them up” which was less than helpful to say the least. She was very vague and I wish she had given us more input. As a current, full-time resident of Jerusalem, she could have given us some very useful insight for our project. The two interviews went into two completely separate directions but I thought they were both enlightening in their own ways.
Bailey's Comments:
Jerusalem is a very significant city to many people. To interview two people who are affiliated with the city, its people, and the sites gave me new insights to our topic. Before the interview, I thought the people would provide answers that were already known and would not give me the answers I was looking for. With their help and experience, they both indulged new ideas and offered a new way of thinking about our subject, in which I thought about my position on the topic and how or why Jerusalem is important to my faith and belief.
The interview with Galit Hasan-Rokem was interesting. She introduced her background and told us about growing up in Finland, and being Jewish particularly in a dominant Christian country. Galit’s religious background of being the minority in her country was very interesting to me. I have never been in a place nor lived anywhere where my religion was the minority. I found it intriguing that she moved to Israel, where Judaism is part of its culture and practiced in such a public way. However, I was a little disappointed that she didn’t go into more detail about her experiences of moving and adjusting from one location to the other, with a huge culture change like that. The interview with Galit was informative but it didn’t go into as much detail as I thought it would. Her answers were brief and to the point, but still provided some interesting opinions.
The interview with Saliba Sarsar was very enlightening. He discussed his personal background and personal opinions for every question, providing more than just an answer to the question. He mentioned his family and the diverse religions that have influenced him, mentioning that his father is a Russian orthodox Christian, his mother is a Greek orthodox Christian, and his sister is a Catholic nun. Nonetheless, he has been in the presence of several religions during his time. I found it interesting that he grew up in a Palestinian community. Dr. Sarsar’s personal history with Jerusalem and his answers made me think that Jerusalem doesn’t belong to just one religion, it’s sacred to all people, which is why it is in the middle of a struggle against people. He reiterated a few points about the struggle and the process to reach peace. Like many people and professors, he gave the same answer, which made me question the lack of opportunities for peace. Dr. Sarsar is very knowledgeable about the sacred sites and about the conflict that arises between the two religions and the people. It was great to talk to him especially when I considered his credentials and previous interviews.
From these interviews I feel the need to visit Jerusalem and to visit the sacred sites. I wish to have my own experience in Jerusalem, where I can meet the people and spend time learning about the cultures.
Nellie's Comments:
Nellie's Comments:
These two interviews were very interesting to me and helped me understand our topic immensely. I was able to gain two personal insights into the conflict in Israel and how views are formed based on religious affiliation and location. More importantly, I learned that these two individuals sincerely want peace between Palestinians and Israelis and are hopeful for a solution to the current issues.
With Galit Hasan-Rokem, she didn’t have much time for us so the interview felt rushed. It seemed to me like some of our questions offended her or annoyed her. However, from what she did say it seemed like she is very involved in the conflict. She donates to charities associated with the conflict, she’s part of groups promoting peace, and she lives in the area in which the conflict occurs. She is Jewish and living in Israel, so she is part of the dominant religion. Most people in her community are Jewish. She says that the conflict affects everyone living there, even Christians, and that it is very prevalent. She believes that people can come to an agreement and it will require humility, wisdom, persistence, and time. I thought it was interesting that even though she knows it will take time to resolve the conflict she is still hopeful about change occurring. What also interested me was that she has visited each of the religious sites several times and enjoys going to them. I would not have guessed that Jewish Israelis would want to visit Muslim sites often and share them with visitors as Hasan-Rokem does.
The last thing about our interview with her that really stood out to me was that she described her religious affiliation as more cultural than religious. From what Dr. Sarsar said about his religious affiliation, I gained that calling himself a Palestinian and a Christian went together. It seems as though religion in Israel and Palestine is more cultural or serves the purpose of grouping oneself than a personal experience. Of course this is a huge generalization and I’m sure religion is extremely important to many people, but it is also more cultural than we are used to in the United States.
Dr. Sarsar had a few things in common. His involvement with the conflict and his attitude toward his religious affiliation are very similar to Hasan-Rokem’s. However, Dr. Sarsar was much more willing to share his opinions with us. It made the conflict more real for me to hear that his family left Jerusalem because there were bombs going off where they were living. I also found out that religion plays a significant role in the way that Christians, Muslims, and Jews each have a day of the week that is significant to their religion. If you are a Jew living in Jerusalem on a Saturday you cannot take the bus, for instance. A memorable quote for me from the interview is “Palestinian Christians are very proud. They feel sometimes misunderstood by not only people in the holy land but people from the West.”
These interviews were a very unique experience for me. I’m really glad I got the opportunity to talk to someone who has insight on a topic that I’m interested in.
Steph's Comments:
Steph's Comments:
In the interview with Dr. Sarsar, he discusses a lot about his conflicted religious background, ethnicity, and living in a Palestinian neighborhood growing up. He talked about how he lived in Israel during the six day war, with bombs dropping on his neighborhood. After 1985 he moved out of the country. His interesting background and extensive qualifications made him an excellent view to add to our site. He has so many diverse aspects to his life, his opinions on the conflict over the religious sites and his rejection of institutionalized religion is fascinating. His explanation of the religious make up in Israel was also interesting. When he describes how Muslims worship on Friday, Jews on Saturday and Christians on Sunday, he offered a clear picture of the diversity of the nation. He talks about being deeply affected by watching people flock to the religious sites every time he went to visit them. He has also been to all of them, so he knows a lot about what we’re talking about in our website. He also explained that the only things we hear about Jerusalem is the conflict and the horror of the bombings, fighting, and disagreement. It’s important to remember that it’s a very sacred place, one that has hundreds of years of history and significance. In the conclusion of the interview, Dr. Sarsar explains that it’s up to our children and the future generations to come to conclusions that both sides of the conflict can agree on. Since the site is so historical and controversial, it won’t work for us to have a solution that isn’t agreed upon, because even if it temporarily solves the disagreement, it was arise again later. He explains that the city can be the capital of two states, and that refugees can use the cities to find peace even if the city if the home for two nations. The disagreement can be resolved, and it’s not an impossible task to find a solution. In the interview, I realized how much the disagreement can affect a person and a group. He described personally being affected by the war, and trying to teach people about the conflict from both a personal and professional point of view. His qualified perspective on the conflict helped me understand the way people living in the city view the problem, and how even if you’re not necessarily attached to one side of the argument over the other, everyone is interested in finding peace and a solution to finally live in the historical land in tranquility.
