Introduction

My interest in this course and project comes in part from my own multiply defined religious identity and   how I now negotiate and reflect upon my different positions in relationship to marginalization and oppression. I was raised Catholic and adopted Judaism (reform) as an adult. I see my own journey as sharing, not mirror lived experiences, but common metanarratives and issues of conflict and marginalization when I think of the diversity of Jerusalem. In the United States, my adoption of Judaism moved me from a position of privilege to one of marginalization, yet within the context of Israel, I recognize the ways in which Jews have supported oppressive discourses and actions. Likewise, my Catholic ancestors oppressed my adopted Jewish ancestors and now I am asked by my Catholic mother not to even reveal that I am Jewish to relatives. So, in walking the landscape of Jerusalem through this course and reflecting upon the challenging questions raised by the interactions of the diverse religious and cultural groups that live there, I aim to also deeply reflect upon how I too can better engage in meaningful dialogue.