Happy 25th to the BYU Jerusalem Center

The Jerusalem Center employees celebrated its 25th anniversary with a dinner and awards ceremony.  I was out of town and did not attend, but here are some observations on the event from Ophir Yarden.





Women in hijab and men in kippot aren’t usually found dining together.  Last week these and many others – Jews, Christians and Muslims, some observant and others non-practicing – joined together to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of their workplace.  This is not a coexistence project or an experiment devoted to peacemaking, but simply daily work – the mutual interest of all involved.  For 25 years Jews and Arabs have worked together in all realms at The Jerusalem Center of Brigham Young University, a branch of the great American university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).  In academics and instruction, in administration, support, security, maintenance and in the kitchen, Arabs and Jews work together.  Harmoniously.


Aptly enough, the event was scheduled for Thanksgiving eve on the U.S. calendar in a fine hotel in west Jerusalem (where the dietary needs of all could be addressed).  And just to broaden the cultural diversity, mostly American background music was provided by Garo, an Armenian keyboard musician.  Of course there were speeches and words of thanks – many of them.  And everyone understood as Tawfic Alawi, the center’s Associate Director serving as Master of Ceremonies, translated everything between the evening’s three languages: English, Arabic and Hebrew.  For some of us a highlight of the evening was the last speaker Nahum Nuriel, an Israeli Jew whose family hailed from Egypt. Mr. Nuriel commenced his remarks in Arabic and continued in Hebrew and English, as the translator stood idly by the side.

Click here for the full article.
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/thanksgiving-across-religious-and-national-lines/