Reading Response # 8

As much as I appreciated Karen Armstrong's passion, I must say Tamri's article(s) were a nice change of pace. The articles presented us with a new perspective, a new writing style, and a plethora of new information.

After doing external research and reading background information on Salim Tamari, I was able to gain a more clear understanding of his articles. It was fascinating to find that he is both a professor here in America as well as overseas in Palestine. He teaches at Birzeit University. I learned that Birzeit University was the first institution of higher education to be established in Palestine. In addition, he teaches in the Arab Studies department at Georgetown University. I learned that each of the three articles ("A Musician's Lot", "Lepers, Lunatics, and Saints", and Isaq Shami and the Predicament of the Arab Jew in Palestine") we are responsible for are all part of a a larger piece of Tamari's. Each of these articles are essays depicting Palestinian society and culture. They can be found in his book, "Mountain against the Sea."Furthermore, it was extraordinary to hear that Tamari himself has lived in this conflict from a first-hand point of view. According to Wikipedia (I know this isn't the most reliable source), his family fled the city of Jaffa in 1948 after being attacked by a group of Jews. He has a multitude of credentials that include, but are not limited to: director of the Institute of Jerusalem Studies, a member of the Institute for Palestine Studies, and a visiting professor at the University of California Berkeley, NYU, Cornell, as well as the University of Chicago.

The essay, "A Musician's Lot," particularly captured my interest. I was drawn to this article because of my passion for music. I was intrigued to learn about how music shaped Jerusalem's society and culture.
The article is told from the perspective of Wasif Jawhariyyeh, a musical master. Jawhariyyeh serves as an invaluable source in regards to the role of ethnicity and sectarian identities during the period spanning from the early 1900's to the late 1960's. It was interesting to read that he divided the groups of people into four segments: Muslim, Christian, Jewish (the three we are most familiar with), and Armenian. He says they differed in almost all facets, including traditions and celebrations, educational systems, and as he put it, "the rules of confessional endogamy" (meaning the custom of marrying).