From Dr. Simon’s Images of War and Peace in Israel Course:
Tracy S: “If Jerusalem was included in the American Folklife Festival that summer, how would the “cultural transition” have impacted the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as all of the locals living in Jerusalem? Would distortions create hostility or promote dialogue?”
Luke M:”When studying the contemporary culture of Israel, what is the temporal boundary? Is there a difference in the temporal boundary between contemporary Israeli culture and contemporary Palestinian culture?”
Brittany F: “My question regarding the “Dialogue as Ethical Conduct” article has to do with a much bigger picture of the whole scenario. Ultimately, if and when Jerusalem is represented in the American Folklife Festival, it will undoubtably get exposure and publicity along with the ability to share stories, beliefs, hopes, and other discourses of the locals in Jerusalem. Yet my question lies in the external reaction of other nationalities when they view the exhibitions displayed by Jerusalem, especially the reaction of the Palestinians. What is the overall intended reaction that is desired as a result of the festival? Although the festival will include views of living in peace through the Israelis’ eyes, will it really possess the rhetorical factors to evoke any kind of positive reaction from the Palestinians? Especially because their views are really not represented at all from an internal viewpoint, but rather expressed from the Israelis’ viewpoint. I completely agree with the idea that dialogue is absolutely essential in the peace efforts but solely from a Palestinian viewpoint, is there a chance that this festival would further enrage the Palestinian people and do more bad than good?”
Nicole L: “As discussed in class, memory is important for building and guiding their future. Their history has helped shape and create identities and beliefs today. This is why I would agree with Israeli and Smithsonian folklorists perspective. According to Stephen Greenblatts analysis of “whether art or ethnography: wonder and resonance”, the officials from municipality advocate for the idea of wonder and the folklorists strive for a more empathetic and comfortable feeling of resonance. This supports the emphasis on memory and the importance of supporting the state of Israel and its efforts to preserve the land and remember the sacrifices made for peace and war. ”
Leah A: “In this idea of “Binging Jerusalem to the American Folklife Festival,” are you wanting to bring the culture and lifestyles of Jerusalem to America or the self-identity found within Jerusalem?”
Patrick H: “Thank you for taking my questions. Could you please expand on your social approach coming into the project? Did the conflict have any positive or negative effects on your representation of Israel? Could you please expand on the feelings you had knowing that you were in charge of leading the Israeli side of the research? Was it a challenge to embody a unified message within the group that was working under you, or was everyone, both Palestinian and Israeli researchers, generally willing to cooperate with each other in the name of producing a unified, peaceful and meaningful project? ”