The Tree of Knowledge

“Are you following the Israel election?”

This was the beginning of a lengthy conversation with Dr. Thiam as we sat on the bus heading to our next destination in Morocco. He asked me this question kind of out of the blue, and it caught me by surprise. I gave my standard reply as I usually do when posed with any political question: “I prefer to not think about politics. It’s easier that way.”

He looked at me and flashed his classic Dr. Thiam soft smile and said, “You need to be knowledgeable about what you believe in, Jenna.”

I was slightly shook by this. What do you mean I have to know about politics in order to understand what I believe in. I know what I believe in, I believe in Israel’s culture, art, history, and the right of my people as well as all people’s to live there. Why do I have to engage in the gray waters of politics to further understand what I believe?

“You need to be able to combat the anti-Semitism that is often associated with anti-Israel politics. You need to show that not all Jewish people can be blamed for Israel’s bad political moves.”

We got off the bus at a site of Roman ruins in Morocco dating back to 200 BCE. It was here we discussed the question of roots and how this concept is new in our discourse. How so much emphasis is placed on our roots and trying to trace where we come from, but in reality it is more complex than that. As we saw by the presence of Romans before Islam in Morocco, we questioned the idea of Rome and if Rome can be limited to Europe. The Roman Empire was so vast that it included places like Morocco and heavily influenced Moroccan culture to this day. Are we placing the wrong focus on the roots when we should instead be focusing on the branches?

Dr. Thiam is right. I need to be focusing on the branches, or the effects of my people’s roots to the land of Israel. How does the use of my people’s roots affect those who have been living in the land for years? I believe in my people‘s rights to their own land. We have been displaced for centuries and there is no other place in the world where we can be fully accepted. However, is there a way to have a Jewish state and a Palestinian one so we do not become perpetuators of the same problem we’ve been victims of for centuries? What happened to loving thy neighbor as thouself?

How can I turn a blind eye to things I think are fundamentally wrong and immoral? How can I look at Israel’s beauty without also seeing its ugliness. At the same time, how do I prove that the Jewish people are not the Israeli government? How is it right that my professor is more knowledgeable about the election than me, a Jewish woman who has family living in Israel, who are affected by the everyday decisions of the government? Something has got to change.

I need to speak up about things I was once afraid to even think about. I need to open that can of worms; address the elephant in the room. I need to be prepared to face any discrimination against my people that is tied with anti-Israel sentiment. I need to show that it’s not so simple to love or hate Israel and that Israel, just like any other country, deserves respect for its culture, people, and beauty, but also criticism for its politics, corruption, and other faults.

Dr. Thiam is truly one of the best professors I’ve ever had. He has caused me to think about things I’ve been too scared to address; understand concepts I thought I knew, but apparently knew very little about; and think in new ways about seemingly mundane concepts. Thanks to Dr. Thiam, I now have three different Israeli newspaper apps downloaded on my phone, both left and right wing. I need to get the full picture about an issue I am constantly faced with, but have always decided to turn my back towards.

I’m done with turning a blind eye. It’s time to dive in, engage, and stand up for what I believe, with the right tools under my belt.

Those are just some of the life-changing ideas Dr. Thiam can put in your mind in the span of 20 minutes. The man’s got a real gift, I’m telling you.