BYU Jerusalem Center Blog

Kristen Moulton of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Jerusalem Center program, with only minor changes, is progressing well during the Gaza War. 

“BYU did not consider shuttering the center to students or sending them home, as it did in 2000, for several reasons, Kearl said. The center hosted no BYU students for six years because of civil unrest.

The Jerusalem Center is about 80 miles from Gaza, at its nearest point, and students do not take field trips to areas where Hamas’ rockets can reach, he said.

Moreover, it appeared clear the fighting would not spread outside Gaza.

“None of the program activities are at risk, nor is the center at risk,” Kearl said. ”

Read the full article here.

Living in Jerusalem while learning its history and studying about its conflicted past is an unsurpassed experience in my life.  Living in Jerusalem while a bloody conflict played out around me was surreal and in a way put me smack in the middle of history.  The students in Jerusalem now may be having some of those same feelings.  I would be interested to talk to them and see how living in Israel in the midst of a war has affected their experience. 

Last week there was a flurry of attention as the BYU newspaper and several bloggers wrote about A View of Jerusalem.  The coverage continues as LDS author Tristi Pinkston heaps praise on the book.  She calls the book “timeless” and shares a portion of her favorite vinette - Treading the Winepress.  She goes on to write:

This beautiful segment, which took a simple act of everyday life and illustrated a point in the Savior’s ministry, really touched my heart. The Savior did something incredibly hard, He did it all alone, and He did it out of love for us.

Many other chapters struck me, and I found this book particularly meaningful to me in the Christmas season, although the message is timeless and should be read at any time of year. A wonderful gift for parents, grandparents, or any who want to gain a clearer picture of Christ’s daily walk on earth, I recommend this book highly.

Thanks Tristi.  You can read her full review at Tristi’s Takes.

This week A View of Jerusalem was featured by the BYU Newspaper and received glowing reviews from several bloggers.  Here are excerpts from the articles and reviews:

“The book A View of Jerusalem shows how life as a college student in the Holy Land dramatically changed once violent outbreaks between Palestinian rioters and Israeli police erupted in Sept. 2000. What seems to be the first book of its kind, this series of 38 short stories is gaining interest. Written by a former student of the BYU Jerusalem Center, Erin Tolman tells about her experiences while living in the Holy Land during a violent time.” - BYU NewsNet

“So excited is Erin about her new surroundings and the potential adventures lurking behind every corner that she does not see the dangers that are brewing in that part of the world….I completely enjoyed A View of Jerusalem, I read it in one sitting and could not get over the beautifully written descriptions of important religious places that Erin traveled to. Her sincerity in the disappointments of being in lockdown for different periods of the trip, as a safety precaution and other joys and sadnesses she endured made the personality burst through…If you read this book you are sure to fall in love with Erin Sheely Tolman.” - Bethany at b&b ex libris

“The tone of Tolman’s recollections is sincere and almost reverent. There is a quietness to this book that I appreciated and found very moving. It is not a 6 o’clock news documentary on the affairs of a foreign state, rather, A View of Jerusalem is one young woman’s adventure into a strange, beautiful, conflicted land. It is also the story of self and family, of friends and community, and most of all, faith.” - Stacey from Book Thirty

“I enjoyed seeing the Holy Land through her eyes—her voice is honest, the experiences immediate, and I found her spiritual insights especially compelling and uplifting. Reading this brief narrative has awakened my interest in this embattled part of the world, so I’ll be doing more reading on the subject.” - Heather from Litter of Leaves

Also, Corinne is giving away a free book on her blog this week.  Stop by and leave a comment before the 17th for a chance to win a copy.

Even with the major fighting in Gaza, the students slotted for the Winter semester at the Jerusalem Center left on Tuesday as planned. Lacy Hales writes:

Carri Jenkins, BYU Communications Assistant to the President, said plans were not going to change for the center because of the violence. “The University is very careful and prudent with the safety and security of our students,” Jenkins said.

She said everything for the Center is going on as planned. Students left for Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Jenkins said that students still apply for the program, even in times of violence or unrest.

“We don’t see a significant decline in applications,” she said. This semester 80 spots were available for students, and all of them were filled, Jenkins said.

Students visiting the Jerusalem Center spend four months in the Holy Land, taking courses that focus on the Old and New Testament, ancient and modern Near Eastern studies, and Hebrew and Arabic languages. Students also have the opportunity to take field trips all over the Holy Land as part of the program.

To see the full article, visit
http://www.ldslivingonline.com/article.php?articleId=94598

I found this on the BYU JC website:

“Beginning in 2009, the BYU Jerusalem Center will eliminate the short 2-month programs and offer three 4-month programs on an annual basis. Program dates and application time-periods are outlined in the general information.

For the present, eligibility is limited to students enrolled at BYU, BYU-Idaho, or BYU-Hawaii.”

When I applied to the JC Program, back in 2000, I was a student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. I am so so grateful that they let me apply even though it’s true…I was only using BYU for the Jerusalem Center. Not that it isn’t a great school, it just wasn’t where I wanted to do my four years. However, I desperately wanted to get to the Holy Land and it seemed like the perfect way. And it was. And I understand that because nowhere near as many students get to go now, it makes sense to limit enrollment to BYU students. I just feel very blessed that I was able to go and was one of the few (there really weren’t a ton of us) non-BYU students to be able to attend.

Even eight years after returning to the United States, the view of Jerusalem’s Old City from the top of the Mount of Olives remained vivid in author Erin Tolman’s mind, as did the sound of gunfire and sirens which marked the beginning of the Second Intifada in September 2000. Unable to let the memories remain only in her journal, Tolman wrote a series of thirty-eight vignettes describing her semester as a student at the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies and titled the collection A View of Jerusalem.

The Holy Land is a place of spiritual and historical significance to millions of people. Tolman, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and as a young college student of history, witnessed the sacredness and the violence which exist side by side in Palestine.

A View of Jerusalem begins on September 29, 2000 when Palestinian rioters and Israeli police clashed in the Old City and sparked a brutal conflict which lasted for years. While Tolman and the other 175 students at the Jerusalem Center remained safe during the following two months, their study abroad experience changed dramatically at that point.

After opening her account with this historically pivotal day, Tolman contrasts life at the Jerusalem Center before and after the violence begins. She visits the Garden Tomb, floats in the Dead Sea, walks on the Temple Mount, and describes the daily routines of the Jerusalem Center. As hostilities erupt and continue, Tolman is able to explore parts of Israel, Jordan, and Egypt until she and the other students are sent home a month early and the Jerusalem Center closed its doors to students. Those doors remained closed until January 2007 when forty-four students returned to study at the Center.

Steven L. Elgan created pencil drawings to accompany ten vignettes. Among the illustrations included are The Jerusalem Center, The Dome of the Rock, St. John the Baptist Church, and the Church of Beatitudes.

For more information or to order, please go to A View of Jerusalem’s website at www.byujc.org

In conjunction with A View of Jerusalem, Tom and I decided to start this blog about all things BYU JC.  Hopefully you’ll find some of them useful or at least interesting.  We’ll be posting news and reviews about the book, but also about the JC itself and the experiences of others who have been there.  If you are  JC’er and have a blog about your experiences (even if it’s old!) and you want to be added to our blogroll please post a comment.