Clearly, JAM seeks to do a lot of things. As the school year begins, we are attempting to structure JAM in a way that will allow us to organize the many goals we’ve set for ourselves. Imagine the structure of JAM being like our new logo: an olive tree. The strong trunk of the tree, and indeed the core of JAM, is the small dialogue group, in which a number of committed members meet on a weekly basis to develop strong relationships, explore controversial issues, and coordinate the planning of JAM’s other activities. From the trunk sprouts JAM’s many branches: events such as speakers and movies, community service, trips to each other’s religious services, outreach to the wider community, and, of course, the blog.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to the blog of JAM, Jews and Muslims at Yale! We hope this blog will serve as a forum for stimulating and continued discussion, as well as a place to find resources and others interested in dialogue.
As background, JAM was founded following the tragedy of 9/11 in hopes of bringing the two communities – often ignorant of one another’s faith traditions and deemed to be in conflict by the media – together. You can read articles on JAM here, here, and here for reference. It is important to keep in mind, above all else though (this is, perhaps, our disclaimer), that JAM does not aim to solve the MidEast crisis or to push a political agenda; it also does not pretend to fully cover the complexities of each faith tradition. The simple hope, at the beginning, was to create a safe forum for serious and honest conversation and this is still the case.
Indeed, years following its inception, JAM continues its mission of educating and facilitating dialogue. With the Middle East increasingly under media spotlight, students have found JAM to serve an especially important role in establishing the safe space for discussion that’s needed for growth, reflection, and mutual understanding. With this blog, we hope to bring this discussion online and to a community beyond Yale gates.
Here, we will post a variety of thoughts, pertaining to relevant articles, books, national and international hype, and/or simply broader issues relating to anything Jewish/Muslim-related. We hope that you will continue visiting, as there will be much to discuss!
Peace, Shalom, and Salaam.
As background, JAM was founded following the tragedy of 9/11 in hopes of bringing the two communities – often ignorant of one another’s faith traditions and deemed to be in conflict by the media – together. You can read articles on JAM here, here, and here for reference. It is important to keep in mind, above all else though (this is, perhaps, our disclaimer), that JAM does not aim to solve the MidEast crisis or to push a political agenda; it also does not pretend to fully cover the complexities of each faith tradition. The simple hope, at the beginning, was to create a safe forum for serious and honest conversation and this is still the case.
Indeed, years following its inception, JAM continues its mission of educating and facilitating dialogue. With the Middle East increasingly under media spotlight, students have found JAM to serve an especially important role in establishing the safe space for discussion that’s needed for growth, reflection, and mutual understanding. With this blog, we hope to bring this discussion online and to a community beyond Yale gates.
Here, we will post a variety of thoughts, pertaining to relevant articles, books, national and international hype, and/or simply broader issues relating to anything Jewish/Muslim-related. We hope that you will continue visiting, as there will be much to discuss!
Peace, Shalom, and Salaam.
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