76 Many Israelis believe that religion is at the core of their country’s national conflict. According to one beit midrash (“house of study”), however, religion can be a solution, too. Currently in its fifth year, Bar-Ilan’s Interfaith Beit Midrash brings Jewish and Arab students together to study a given topic by means of each faith’s canonical texts. Founded and directed by Prof. Zehavit Gross, dean of the Faculty of Education and director of the Josef Burg Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance, and Peace, the Interfaith Beit Midrash embodies a “pedagogy of contestation,” an approach Gross developed to leverage ideological disagreement into healthy discussion and productive debate. Through the havruta model of learning in pairs, guided study with both rabbis and imams, and an open conversation among all participants, the Interfaith Beit Midrash works both to create an inclusive discourse on campus, and to bring the value of mutual respect into Israeli society. “The Interfaith Beit Midrash is a kind of social laboratory, where we explore questions of diversity, inclusion, equality, and social justice,” says Prof. Gross. “We hope participants will feel more open to multicultural encounters as a result, and will be motivated to act as agents of change in Israeli society.” Sharing the Faith Interfaith Beit Midrash
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