Coexistence in the Middle East - Study in Jerusalem

Spending almost five weeks in the holy land with as many monuments and as much beauty, at the same time, with history drenched in blood, I felt like shuttling in the time vessel of 3000 years in a pretty short time. What passed by were humanities, human natures and the wisdom of the universe, reflecting on the man's world.

From my previous perspective,as a student major in Ancient Chinese Philosophy, trying to explain everything even a piece of dust in a logical chain, I treated religions, the mental elements, as the origins and solutions of various of the conflicts. But, after watching the expression with deep sincerity of doctors working in the border hospitals, hearing both sad stories and tolerable words from Palestinians living in the West Bank, reading the magazines that two sides of intellectuals exert themselves in, I gradually found out that even though religion, as a resource, is always wishfully thought to play an essential role in every single event, what is more important for all the practical problems is establishing a satisfying life with human standards.

Without staying in the land surrounded by the most intense conflicts of human beings, it's impossible for me to figure out what is the deepest inner thirst for human, and it's also less likely for me to introspect my over theoretical simplex of analysis. Sometimes only when you force yourself to face a cruelty which seems somewhat extreme, can you get closer to reality to some extent accidentally.

For me this has been a fascinating experience. I am extremely thankful to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Coexistence in the Middle East Program for offering me the opportunity to gain insight into the potential of Religion in the solution of the conflict. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the field visits, meetings and presentations and feel that we have been provided with a balanced view of the topic through the intense and very well designed program.

One could go anywhere in the world and have a blast; it really is about the attitude one goes with, take it from someone who studied abroad four times. If you are seeking great parties, meeting amazing people and getting exposure to a great culture, any place, could do it but, going somewhere that challenges you and appeals to the core of your being comes rare. Going to a place that is in the mouth of everyone because of its controversy falls short to interesting. One hears countlessly of stories about Israel and Palestine but seeing and experiencing it for oneself beats all books and lectures. The scope of this program allowed for ample flexibility and interpretation. It gave room to the historian, and his fascination for old civilizations; to the religious, transcendental encounters; to activists, numerous amounts of field projects; and to politicians (or aspiring politicians), the affinity of political debates. It was truly the perfect balance of it all. A little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy their time while, conducting formal or informal analysis of the region to develop an understanding of it for oneself. If you want to go somewhere that shakes you and changes you go to Israel and Palestine and see what there is to see. See the controversy and why it has been there to remind yourself of your humanity and how in the end we are all one and do not life in a bubble and must take action so that we can learn to coexistent.

I extremely enjoyed the hands-on component of the CME programs. I appreciated the organization and coordination of the field trips and how they directly related back to our in class lectures. The professors were tremendously knowledgeable and easy to communicate with. I would recommend this program to any student or professional, that wants to understand and immerse themselves within the region. Lastly, I would like to thank the coordinators, Goni and Gil, who did an extraordinary job at making this journey unforgettable!

This program offered an extremely unique opportunity to engage with a multitude of stakeholders, all of whom operate with an exceptional amount of "on the ground" knowledge (which is often missing from typical classrooms). I am extremely lucky and grateful to have participated in this program, as it has introduced me to the complex challenges and potential that this region holds. The face-to-face interactions with people here have been unforgettable and invaluable, and I leave with a transformed approach to understanding human, political, and social relations.

The course was an opportunity to broaden my perspective of the conflict, both in terms of its complexity and its place within the regional context of the Middle East.  It has helped to ground my academic research in real interactions with diplomats, civil leaders, journalists, and local populations. Lastly, I have a much richer appreciation for the diversity of narratives framing the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and the central role that history, land, and religious identity play in each.

The program is a unique opportunity for students to engage with prominent religious leaders that cannot be readily found elsewhere.  I certainly appreciated the insider perspectives that were afforded by discussing aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of religious belief and practice.

From the description of the program you know that it is unique because it allows you to learn about the program by travelling across Israel and learning from important 'players' that are involved in constant negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Learning the conflict first hand allows you to gain a much better understanding of the complexity of the problem and all the dynamics that make it even harder to achieve peace between the two parties. The instructors, course coordinators and the University as a whole have planned the trip amazingly, you won't be disappointed of your learning experience.

As for the fun part of the trip, the program is designed to travel around the country and well, the roadtrips are great because you get a lot of outside time with classmates and you get to know Israel, from north to south!

Its a great experience, if you have the opportunity to go, do go, you won't regret it!