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Students in Israel: Terror amid ToleranceBy KRISTEN STERNBERG | News-Journal Staff Writer On August 1, 2001, at a Jerusalem university, seven people were killed when a terrorist bomb exploded in the student cafeteria. A Palestinian group known as "Hamas" claimed responsibility for the bomb. In recent times, violence between Arab Palestinians and the Jews of Israel has risen dramatically. Shootings and bombings are routine, not only by military groups but also by individuals who are fanatical about their religious views.
Israel and Palestine are divided by religious differences. Disputes over land are at the heart of the matter. In the city of Jerusalem, for example, is a hill that is considered sacred both by Jews and by Arabs. Both want to claim the hill because of its importance to their religion's history. Read more about the history of the conflict. Military actions, say members of the Israeli government, are in retaliation (response) to bombs set off by Palestinian religious fanatics. On the other hand, many the Palestinians feel that Israel is the aggressor. To most of the world, the bombers are considered terrorists because they set off their bombs in public places, like in crowded streets, on buses and so on. They are not striking at military targets, instead, they terrorize ordinary, innocent citizens and visitors by putting their lives and risk and drawing them into the conflict-many times at the cost of their lives. The Hebrew University, where the August 1st bombing took place, is one of the few places in Israel where Jews and Arabs spend time together as equals. After it went off, among the casualties (dead) were three Americans who were visiting the school. Students all over the world, including many Americans, routinely spend time at noted Israeli universities. While in Israel, according to a Daytona Beach News-Journal article published recently, an Ormond Beach teen was encouraged to learn about the mideast nation, about Jewish history and culture and even about other religions or belief systems. Although Palestinian/Israeli violence erupts almost daily, the Ormond Beach teen returned home safely, changed by experiences that have "motivated him to 'get serious about life.'" Try these interesting activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal1. Many wars have been fought over differences in religious beliefs or religious freedoms. For some, discussing religion brings strong feelings. American history is strongly linked to the concept of freedom of religion. What are some of today's issues related to religious tolerance? Make it a point to find about a friend's religion that is different from your own. With permission, attend a service offered by a religious institution you'd like to find out more about. Make notes of which concepts are new to you and which you are already familiar with through your own experiences. List the five most interesting things you learned through this activity and share them with friends or family members. (Sunshine State Standards: FL.B.1.2.2, SS.A.1.2.1)
2. Use The News-Journal to learn about the diversity of your community. Find articles about different cultures in the area. Use reference materials to learn where they originated (began). Map each route by tracing it from its origin to Central Florida. If possible visit a restaurant or attend a celebration that features a culture different from your own. (Sunshine State Standards: SS.A.6.2.4, SS.A.6.2.5) 3. Historic documents such as the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written to guarantee certain religious freedoms. How well is that plan working? Scan The News-Journal for articles about religious issues such as the separation of church and state, an important concept that assures equal rights for all no matter what religion they practice. In what ways does the separation of church and state help the country to run smoothly? In what ways are people or groups challenging the laws on this topic? Clip your findings and use them to teach others about religious issues in current events. (Sunshine State Standards: SS.C.1.2.1, SS.C.1.2.2, SS.C.2.2.5) 4. Scan The News-Journal for information about classes you can take to learn about different cultures. For example, community colleges routinely offer studies about different cultures. Some of the classes may be geared toward younger learners. (There's even a summer program called "Kids in College" offered by the Daytona Beach Community College.) What kinds of course offerings did you find? With friends or family, plan to take such a class to increase your understanding of another's culture. (Sunshine State Standards: FL.A.1.2.1) 5. The Ormond teen featured in The News-Journal article link, above, learned some things that made him want to change his way of life. Can you find opportunities for the same kind of learning? Use The News-Journal as you search for information about studying abroad. Alternatively, read News-Journal articles about one or more countries you're interested in. Use reference materials for further information about opportunities to study in the country of your choice. Discuss what you learned with a family member. (Sunshine State Standards: FL.A.1.2.1, FL.D.2.2.1) A copy of Florida's Sunshine State Standards can be found at intech2000.miamisci.org. Check out these links to learn moreFind links to interesting information about religions around the world. Activities include completing or creating your own timeline of religions, participating in a "religions" WebQuest and more. Many of the links are to sites written by kids for kids. www.eduscapes.com/42explore/religion.htm Religious tolerance and intolerance are major issues in many regions of the world. You can read some interesting thoughts about religion as you learn more about religious tolerance in your own community. www.religioustolerance.org/rel_tol.htm CNN (the Cable News Network) maintains an excellent online resource for understanding problems in the Middle East, of which Israel and Palestine are both part. Take a look at some excellent background articles and analyses (interpretations and discussions) about the problems occurring there. You can learn about the history of the conflict as well as find up to the minute news about events. fyi.cnn.com/interactive/0108/mideast/index.html Some American students make trips to Israel so that they can learn more about its history, culture, present-day troubles and the Jewish religion, for example. You can achieve some of these goals online! Visit the Jewish Virtual Library and explore topics like Jewish history, politics, statistics, the Holocaust, Library of Congress treasures and much, much more. www.us-israel.org/jsource The Newspaper Association of America's web site contains links to many newspapers in the U.S. and around the world, which may contain additional news stories about this topic. To access the newspapers at the site, select a state. Click on the "Internationals" button to view choices from other countries. The Daytona Beach News-Journal NIE Program, published August 12, 2002 |
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