Thoughts on Chapters 14-15

In almost every chapter in Armstrong's account of the history of Jerusalem, an empire or a group of people rise to power and then decline. In chapter 14, the Malmuk empire comes to an end and in chapter 15 the Ottoman empire rises and falls. After feeling disillusioned after the Crusades, I tried to read these chapters with more sympathy and understanding for the circumstances of the time. Instead of feeling angry towards the religions, I started considering how politics take on these religious endeavors. Even though Saladin conquered Jerusalem peacefully and bloodlessly, intolerance continued to grow. Even though Christians were allowed to maintain control of their holy places, Muslims began building to obscure the Christian characteristics of Jerusalem. Armstrong describes this building as an "ideological weapon"(297), fueled by Muslim animosity towards Christianity. As tensions between Muslims and Christians intensified, the relationship between Muslims and Jews improved; "Saladin also invited the Jews to come back to Jerusalem, from which they had been entirely excluded by the Crusaders"(298). Despite this welcoming of the Jewish people, religious intolerance continued to grow. Intolerance is contagious. The Jews were intolerant to the Christians, the Christian were intolerant to the Jews, the Muslims were intolerant to the Christians, and this intolerance cycles until all groups are intolerant of one another. Instead of feeling frustrated with this religious intolerance, I tried to understand from where these feelings of prejudice arise. I understand why Muslims discriminated against the Christians after the death of so many people in the Crusades. Armstrong writes that this bloodletting let to defensiveness; "A new defensiveness had entered the Muslim feeling for Jerusalem, which could be destructive to the city"(302). Acts of intolerance arise from a person's worst self. All of the monotheistic religions, however, urge human beings to live as their better selves. It is ironic that in such a holy city integral to the three monotheistic faiths people refused to live by the values set forth by their religions. Discrimination and persecution were not just present in the East but also in the West. Jews in Europe suffered through pogroms and exile. Despite its seeming pervasiveness, not everyone was intolerant of other religions. Sufis still taught religious tolerance and understanding. An order of Sufis called the Bistamiyya "promoted a program called sulh-e kull ("universal conciliation") to enable the different religious traditions to understand one another. After centuries of hatred and warfare, it was an attempt to find reconciliation that could have been very valuable in the tense city of al-Quds"(313). In these past chapters, Sufism has provided me with hope for the good of humanity amidst so much religious persecution and hatred.

Discovering Islam

The Subject Tonight is Love

by Hafiz (a Sufi poet) translated by Daniel Ladinsky

We are the guardians of His Beauty
We are the protectors
of the Sun.
There is only one reason
We have followed God into this world:
To encourage laughter, freedom, dance
And love.
Let a noble cry inside of you speak to me
saying,
"Hafiz,
Don' just sit there on the moon tonight
Doing nothing--
Help unfurl my heart into the Friend's Mind,
Help, Old Man, to heal my wounded wings!"
We are companions of His Beauty
We are guardians
of Truth.
Every man, plant, and creature in Existence,
Every woman, child, vein and note
Is a servant of our Beloved--
A harbinger of joy,
The harbinger of
Light.

Before this class, I was ignorant about the origins of Islam. Recognizing the Prophet Muhammad and the holy city of Mecca was the extent of my knowledge. For the first time since reading about the history of Jerusalem, I felt hopeful about peaceful coexistence between the monotheistic religions. Islam is the only religion to appear in Jerusalem and be tolerant of other faiths. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam teaches compassion, kindness, and caring for the poor. In its early history, Islam was more successful in putting these values into practice. Muslims considered themselves as well as Jews and Christians to be children of Abraham. Instead of dwelling upon differences, they unified themselves with the other monotheistic faiths. The teachings of Muhammad did not undermine the teachings of Moses, Jesus, or any of the other previous prophets (221). Unlike other religions, Muslims practiced the principles of their faith. When 'Umar conquered Jerusalem, he didn't kill Christians, raze their sacred spaces to rubble, or expel them from the city. 'Umar peacefully and bloodlessly conquered this holy city. Armstrong writes, "If a respect for the previous occupants of the city is a sign of the integrity of a monotheistic power, Islam began its long tenure in Jerusalem very well indeed"(228). Reading this chapter about the origins of Islam felt refreshing. After reading about so much death and destruction, I felt a renewed sense of hope for the city of Jerusalem. Of course this hope was short lived as intolerance began to grow.
Instead of separating holy from unholy or clean from unclean, Islam purports that everything is holy, "Everything was holy and had to be made to realize its sacred potential. All space, therefore, was sacred and no one location was holier than another"(221). Muslims also believed that because everything came from God, everything was good(221). These beliefs made Muslims embrace the other monotheistic religions. Instead of separating the sacred, everything was sacred. This belief informed the architecture of their places for worship. Instead of separating mosques from their surroundings, Muslims incorporated elements from nature like trees. The Prophet Muhammad said, "'Revile not the world for the world is God;"(226). I connected with this teaching. My sacred spaces are outdoors where I can connect with nature.

Based on the first ten chapters of the book Jerusalem: One City Three Faiths by Karen Armstrong, I would sum up the history of the city of Jerusalem as follows: As empires conquer one another, different rulers take control of Jerusalem. The Temple is built, it is destroyed, it is rebuilt, it is destroyed, it is rebuilt, and it is destroyed. As different religious groups come to power, they exclude other religions from Jerusalem and claim the holy city for themselves.
In their feelings towards sacred spaces, Jews and Christians switched roles. Before the Temple was destroyed, Jews felt that it was the only place where one could find God's presence on earth. The destruction of the Temple caused Jewish belief to change and evolve. Instead of finding the Divine in sacred space, Jews found God in their fellow human beings; "Jews must realize that their dealings with others were sacred encounters. Now that the divine could no longer be experienced in sacred space, Jews must find it in their fellow human beings"(157). During this time period, rabbies began to codify oral law, which became the Mishnah. Reading Armstrong's section about the Mishnah, reminded me of lessons I was taught in Jewish day school and Sunday school. I could hear Rabbi Levy's voice in my head saying "Though shalt love they neighbor as thyself." I remember Mrs. Bornstein emphasizing that Jewish law prohibits lashon hara, or gossip, and feeling guilty for talking behind Emma's back at lunch. In this period instead of focusing on their lost Temple, the Pharisees taught that the family home is a holy place or a "mikdash m'at ('small sanctuary')"(166). God's presence was dependent on the community of the Jewish people.
Before Constantine declared Christianity as one of the official religions of the Roman empire, Christians practiced their faith in a spiritual manner that was independent from sacred spaces. Eusibius purported that dedication to sacred spaces or objects was akin to paganism. He believed that, "The attachment of permanent value to Jesus's humanity was as perverse and irrational as the Jews' attachment to an earthly city"(178). Once the Tomb of Christ was unearthed (and the Temple of Aphrodite above demolished) and Constantine's basilica was completed, Christians became tied to these sacred spaces, "It had become a symbolic 'center,' where the divine power had touched the frail world of humanity in a unique way. It represented a new start for humanity, a fulfillment of the religion of Abraham and a new era in Christian history"(183). Despite their previous antagonism towards sacred space, Christians felt connected to these holy sites.
Throughout Armstrong's book, I have found it fascinating to learn about how these monotheistic religions have changed over time. Both Christianity and Judaism have proven resilient in times of turmoil. Jews adapted their belief system when the Temple was destroyed. They tranisitioned from feeling that the Temple was the only place to enounter the Divine (and dying for this belief) to believing that God's presence could be found in a fellow human being. Christians placed emphasis on certain holy places to create a 'sacred geography' for their religion.
Religious conflict in Jerusalem is a historic conflict. From the Jews separating themselves from the "goyim," to Christians expelling Jews from the city, religions have fought with one another for centuries over control of Jerusalem. Reading about religious intolerance even in these historic times makes me feel angry. Armstrong accurately articulated my frustration with religious intolerance when she wrote, "Persecution does not always make its victims compassionate. From the start the New Jerusalem involved the exclusion and denigration of others in a way that was far removed from the compassionate ethic of Jesus"(186). (I drew a smiley face by this statment)

A little bit about me.....

Chemex Coffee

I start every morning with a hot cup of coffee. Black with one ice cube so I can drink it right away. Many mornings when my mom drove me to school, I would hop out of the car at our neighborhood coffee shop and order her a grande coffee no room for cream and an iced white chocolate mocha for myself. Somedays my mom would wake me up in the morning by knocking on my door and giving me warm cup of milky coffee with sugar. Over the years, I've learned to appreciate a cup of coffee. My mom and stepdad John brew coffee in a Chemex. Here is how I learned to make coffee: 1. Place Chemex with paper filter on scale 2. Zero the scale 3. According to Mom add 50 grams of coffee grounds. According to John add 55 grams of coffee ground. 4. boil a pot of water 5. Fill up filter with boiling water and continue filling with water until Chemex is full.

Knitting

In my room I have a milk crate full of yarn. My first knitting project was a small blanket for my favorite stuffed animal Sunshine. Now I am working on a shawl. Pictured above is my favorite type of yarn, Noro. I love the color variegations.

Airports-Airplanes-Gold Member

By the time I was nine years old, I was a Gold Member on Continental Airlines. When my mom married John, we moved to Indianapolis. I traveled almost every other weekend to visit my Dad in Houston, Texas. Gate agents knew my name. With my Gold Member status, my Dad and I were upgraded to first class. As the stewardess handed us complimentary nuts, she referred to my Dad as "Mr. Abigail Sarah Rivin." There is no airport that I can't handle.

Greens

I love kale.

The Outdoors

The Summer Day

by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Until I was eight years old, I didn't know the difference between a fly and a mosquito. I assumed the pestering flies buzzing around were the bugs delivering itchy mosquito bites. As a child in Houston, Texas, I spent little time in nature because it was too damn hot. Some of my few memories spending time outdoors include decorating the magnolia tree in the front yard with ghosts for halloween and picking sour fruit from a neighbor's tree with my babysitter Maria. As I grew older, I spent more time outdoors. My mom and I spent summers on Monhegan Island in Maine. To protect ourselves from tics carrying Lyme disease, my mom made me duct tape my socks to the outside of my pants. I was embarrassed but this embarrassment did not keep me from continuing to hike. I've spent a month backpacking through the Absoroka Mountain Range in Wyoming, floated down the Owens River in a tube, got stuck waist deep in the muddy banks of the Dirty Devil River, and summitted Mt Dana with friends before breakfast. Nature is my synagogue.

Andy Borowitz

I think Andy Borowitz is hilarious.

Books

I like to read. Pictured here are the bookshelves in my home in Indianapolis. There is always a stack of books on my nightstand.

Swim Club by the Cave Singers

This is my current favorite song and its notes emanate from my room daily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoKzyr4zMNE

A Religion Emerges from Exile

"The Destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple was in some profound sense the end of the world"(79). This sentence begins Armstrong's fifth chapter Exile and Return. The city of Jerusalem was demolished and Yahweh had deserted the people of Israel. Armstrong describes the destruction of the city as "an act of de-creation,"(79). Exile, however, allowed for the creation of a unified Jewish people. Some exiles integrated into Babylonian society while others grasped onto tradition. Armstrong describes that after losing their homes the people of Israel were in a state of "spiritual dislocation"(82). As an outsider in a foreign land, exiles lose their sense of meaning and feel lost. Some people clung to the old mythology of Zion. Armstrong explains that, "the history of religion shows that in times of crisis and upheaval, people turn more readily to myth than to the more rational forms of faith. As a form of psychology, myth can penetrate deeper than cerebral discourse and touch the obscure cause of distress in the farthest reaches of our being"(82).[This quote reminded me of our class discussion about mythology and how today we often disregard it as irrational] Mythology can be more comforting to people than other forms of religion. Often it is easier to find meaning in the stories of mythology than in other religious texts. The exiles who tried to maintain their identity and traditions performed practices that would distinguish them as unique group of people like food laws and circumcision.
The Judaeans' elaborate description of the Temple and its practices were written when the Temple was a pile of rubble. Their writings were creative ideas for a new temple and a new way of life out of exile. Armstrong states that, "the most detailed Jewish texts regarding sacred space and the sanctity of Jerusalem describe a situation that no longer existed at the time of writing. 'Jerusalem' had become an internalized value for the exiled Judaeans: it was an image of a salvation that could be achieved far from the physical city in the desolate territory of Judah"(89). Jerusalem became a symbol of hope, a light city at the end of a dark tunnel, and a place of salvation. Today Jerusalem is still a symbol for the three monotheistic religions. As a city of salvation, it is easy to understand why people attach such strong emotions to Jerusalem. It is not just an ordinary city but a city of redemption and hope.
One theme in this chapter is how separation marks holiness. In Ezekiel's plans for the new Temple, rooms would be separated on a scale of holiness. Walking through the Temple, each room would become more sacred with the innermost room, the Devir, being the holiest. The people of Israel's conception of God was also becoming separate from humanity. Armstrong explains that, "God was becoming a more transcendent reality, more radically separate (kaddosh) from the rest of mundane existence"(85). The Jewish people separated themselves as more holy than the peoples of the rest of the world; "the Golah must live apart from the Goyim"(99). All of these examples indicate that separateness marks holiness. In this chapter holiness is also described as an order where everything and everyone has a correct place; "By meditating on this idealized cultic map, the Israelites would learn the nature and meaning of holiness, where every person and object had its place. They must find a center for their lives and a new orientation"(86). The people of Israel had to locate themselves after their dislocation. They had to find meaning in the meaninglessness that accompanies exile.
Writing this post I realize that I'm struggling with what to call the People of Israel. Are the Judeans Jews? Are the exiles in Babylonia considered People of Israel? Are the Golah Jews? My confusion is due to the constant changes and evolutions of the Jewish people throughout history. I have always thought of the Jewish people as one cohesive unit--from slavery to Mount Sinai to Canaan. This idea of unity was a misconception. I found the most interesting aspect of this reading to be how a religion was born out of exile. In their dislocation, the people of Israel joined together into a distinct group. They found common ground in their suffering. In attempt to maintain their identity, they found comfort in traditions and ritualistic practices that would separate themselves from the people of Babylon. In this chapter, I found more recognizable descriptions of the Judaism that I have practiced. The religion became solely monotheistic and the people practiced the Law of Moses and mitzvoh.

From 3rd through 6th grade, I went to the Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis. Here I studied the Hebrew language and was taught Torah and Talmud from Orthodox Rabbis. When I hear I think of Canaan I remember Rabbi Levy describing it as the, "Land of Milk and Honey." In her book Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, Karen Armstrong explores the idea of holy cities and sacred places. She writes, "Even those who have no interest in any of the traditionally holy cities and have no belief in the supernatural often have special places to which they like to repair. Such sites are "sacred" to us because they inextricably bound up with our conception of ourselves; they may be associated with a profound experience that transformed our lives, with memories of early childhood, or with a person who was important to us." Reading this passage made me think about my sacred places. One of these places is the kitchen nook back home. Through high school, I studied at the kitchen table while my mom made dinner. While she coated the chicken in Panko breadcrumbs, I studied US history. Periodically she would give me before dinner snacks--a bite of the dish simmering in the pot or a salted cucumber. This place both brings up memories of my childhood, reminds me of my mom, and fosters nostalgia for my home. I can understand why so many people consider Jerusalem a sacred city. Jerusalem is an integral place for the three monotheistic faiths. People use religion to define themselves and Jerusalem is defined by religion. For Jews, Christians, and Muslims, Jerusalem is place that defines who they are in terms of their religion or a place, "inextricably bound up with our conception of ourselves." We discussed in class that Jerusalem is a place where religion an sacredness is tangible. Jerusalem is religion in objects and buildings. I feel connected to Jerusalem and I haven't even been there. When I think of Jerusalem, I think of the Western Wall, which in turn reminds me of the Western Wall we made out of paper at JCC summer camp. I wrote hopes and wishes and prayers are crumpled pieces of paper and placed it in spaces of our version of the Western Wall.

Very Late Response to Readings from Week 2

Here is a list of what caught my attention so much in this week's reading that it warranted a highlight AND a star and why these quotes piqued my interest:
From Jeremy Pressman's article A Brief History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

• "As a result of the war, approximately 650-700,000 Palestinians became refugees mostly as a result of Israeli expulsions, military offensives, and massacres and the resulting panic and fear."--The media always seems to pay more attention to Palestinian suicide bombers than Palestinian refugees. Refugees are forced to leave their homes, family, friends, and possessions as a result of violent action.
  
• In the years following the war in 1948, "Arab infiltrator killed hundreds of Israelis, including approximately 200 civilians. During the same period, Israel killed 2,700-5,000 "mostly unarmed" Arab infiltrators and expelled more than 10,000."--fighting violence with violence only creates more violence. In such a holy place, there are so many unholy actions.

From Jerusalem Then and Now by Mick Dumper

• "While the Western name Jerusalem derives from the Hebrew (and before that Aramaic) word Yerushalaim (city of peace), in Arabic the city is known as al-Quds al Sharif (the noble holy place) and Bait al-Maqdis (house of sanctity)." I never had heard of the Arabic names for Jerusalem. In a city named for peace, violence, and sanctity, there is too much violence.

The articles by both Rubin and Khalidi provided a thorough account of the history of Jerusalem. It is interesting how someone's background can affect his or her representations of history. Many people have the misconception that history is comprised of undisputed facts, however, history too can be changed and affected by people's perspectives. Rubin ends his history of Jerusalem in 1976 and chooses to leave out contemporary conflicts. Ignoring the years between 1976 and when he published the article, provides reader with a skewed version of Jerusalem's history. One of the reasons I am so excited about this class is that we will be presented with multiple perspectives--both Palestinian and Israeli. It is necessary to understand both perspectives to realize the truth.

In her article Researching East Jerusalem Suad Amiry quotes an ancient Talmudic proverb that states, "When God created the world, he created ten portions of beauty. He gave nine to Jerusalem and one to the rest of the world." Whether I see an image of the Dome of the Rock or people praying at the Western Wall, I am always affected by Jerusalem's beauty. Even though I have never visited Jerusalem, I feel a strange attachement to this place. I currently tell people that I am "Jewish-ish" when anyone asks me about my religion. When I was younger I was more of a practicing Jew--I went to high holiday services, until 7th grade I attended Jewish schools, I had my Bat-Mitzvah when I was thirteen, and on the occassional Shabbat I would eat Challah and light the candles. As I grew older, my connection to the Jewish faith started to fade. I stopped going to high holiday services and my family no longer said the motzi before we ate dinner. Even though I'm not currently a practicing Jew, I still have a connection to the Jewish faith and culture. I still wish my family a Happy Rosh Hashanah, I eat Hamentashen around Purim, and I occassionally light the Menorah candles on Channukah. With this connection to the Jewish faith comes an attachment to Israel and Jerusalem. I have conflicting feelings about Israel. Even though I believe that the Jewish people need a homeland in Israel, I do not agree with many of the actions of the Israeli government. When I think of the Israeli-Palestenian conflict, I feel angry, confused, and hopeless. I can't conceptualize peaceful or fair solutions. In this class, I hope to learn more about the issue from multiple perspectives. When discussing the conflict in Israel with my family and Jewish friends, I am angered by the common opinion that Israel can do no wrong and Israelis are the only victims in this violent conflict. In conversation, I often feel like the Palestenian perspective and trauma are completely ignored. I'm looking forward to studying Jerusalem through an ethnographic perspective. Jerusalem is so rich in culture, history, and religion. Despite all of the violence and hatred that occurs in the city, Jerusalem is a sacred space. In a place where people from three different monotheistic religious feel so close to God, why can't they act a little more Godly? After Amiry quoted the Talmudic proverb in her article, she wrote that the quote should have stated, "When God created the world, he created ten problems. He gave nine to Jerusalem and one to the rest of the world." Even though I want to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I hope that this class will help us uncover the beauty and richness of Jerusalem and Israel despite its problems. Despite the conflicts, Jews, Christians, and Muslims continue to love Jerusalem and practice their faith in this ancient city. People wouldn't have such strong feelings about Jerusalem if it wasn't so sacred. I want and need to visit Jerusalem. When I read Professor Horowitz's description of cross cultural contact in Jerusalem("French croissants have been localized and can be found on sale on Salahadin Street laced with the herb za'atar; Eastern European gelfite fish showed up next to Middle Eastern kubeh dumplings at a Kurdish Jewish bar mitzvah"), I was ready to hop on the next flight to Israel!