Quotes from the Student: Spain Trip

Muslim Jewish Dialogue

Spring 2007

“I am extremely glad I came on the Muslim Jewish Dialogue trip to Spain. I learned a great deal about Islam and about the individual Muslim as well as Jewish students, and I felt that the intensity of the experience of traveling with people, as well as the historical significance of Spain, allowed us all to form bonds and communicate on the level that we did.”

“I thought this was a wonderful trip that touched on so many levels – Spanish culture, Jewish culture, Muslim culture, interaction between the different elements both in history and today, interaction between students, personal identity… – that it will take me awhile to fully digest everything that I am taking away from this experience. I think the bus dialogues were the real turning point of the trip and what made the difference. The prayer service was fascinating.”

“I hope to take home from this trip a great group of friends that will stick together and continue dialogue. I hope that we can form a group that others will be interested in participating in so that we can raise awareness about the important issues that we cover and make a nice, constructive community.” 

“This week has been profoundly important to me. Talking to the Jewish students made me realize how little I knew about my own religion, much less the Islamic religion. Because of this, I feel as though I gained much more than some students, since I was simultaneously discovering and exploring two religions. I also very much enjoyed seeing the various “Chosquagogues” (Church + Mosque + Synagogue) that we witnessed in Cordoba. Spain’s “architectural schizophrenia” made me feel more comfortable with my own uncertainties.” 

“My judgments about Jewish people are already more positive, especially with people I’ve never met before. I’ve also gained some tools to discuss hot-button issues with others in a constructive manner. As far as I can tell, the most powerful campus-wide result of this trip is that others will witness Muslim and Jewish students interacting as friends with a common history.”

“Just spending time with the people on this trip was what I valued most. I got to know a number of students with whom I had little or no previous contact, as well as connect to students who were already my friends. I feel like we’ve formed a bond as a group that will be apparent in our future interactions on campus. I think this was possible because people were both open and earnestly interested in understanding one another’s view points.”

“I think the most important changes will happen in everyday conversations, when we might help explain to people of our own religions the views of the “other,” or simply unconsciously, when our opinion on an issue is affected by the experience we have had this week, perhaps, even without our realizing it.”