Ryan Mallek | Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies - Jerusalem (original) (raw)

Papers by Ryan Mallek

In March of 2014, Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, a Palestinian professor from Al-Quds Univers... more In March of 2014, Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, a Palestinian professor from Al-Quds University, took a group of 27 Palestinian students to visit the Nazi concentration camps at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. The trip was part of a joint program between the German Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Tel-Aviv University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The purpose of the program was to teach Israeli and Palestinian students about the “suffering that has helped shape the historical consciousness of the other side,” as well as to study the impact of empathy on reconciliation and peace. Professor Dajani experienced such a severe backlash from Palestinian society in general and Al-Quds University in particular, that he resigned from the institution where he had been successfully teaching for over thirteen years. Why did Palestinians react so strongly to the visit of these students to Auschwitz-Birkenau? What was it that they found threatening? This article seeks to understand why learning about the Holocaust can be seen as threatening to the Palestinian collective memory. It is necessary to first define what collective memory is and then understand it within its Palestinian context. Next, Professor Dajani’s trip to Auschwitz will be explored in depth along with the subsequent reaction all within the context of the Palestinian collective memory. This will be undertaken using the recent publication from Professor Dajani called, Teaching the Holocaust in Palestine: Reconciliation in the Midst of Conflict which is a comprehensive academic analysis of the trip. Finally, there will be an exploration of whether or not learning about the Holocaust can enrich Palestinian collective memory instead of being perceived as threatening while persisting to remain a taboo topic. Peace in the Holy Land is dependent upon both the Palestinians and the Israelis being able to truly see each other through the tragedies which shape the psychology of the Other.

“Melchizedek was the Prophet King of Righteousness, the first High Cohen of the Order of Yah El-... more “Melchizedek was the Prophet King of Righteousness,
the first High Cohen of the Order of Yah El-Elyon,
the Most High, Power of Powers,
in the Pious Age when mankind walked upright.”

The ancient legends that surround the figure of Melchizedek are one of the greatest mysteries of religious thought. Identifying who Melchizedek was is not an easy task because he exists outside of time and space that is commonly understood in scripture. Different literary works attribute Melchizedek’s existence to many different time periods from before the flood, as in the case of the second book of Hanoch, all the way to Abraham. Melchizedek is an Order of Priesthood according to Genesis and Psalms and can subsequently shed light on many complicated passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. I hope to show that the sons of King David were priests not of the Levitical Order, but of the Order of Melchizedek. This is crystallized in the ideology of the Messiah and his authority stemming from Melchizedek himself. The objective of this essay is to show the importance of the “Melchizedek tradition” in Jewish thought as an instrument in understanding the relationship between the functions of priesthood and royalty.

“You can’t just be left wing or right wing because you need two wings to fly.” Rabbi Menachem Fr... more “You can’t just be left wing or right wing because you need two wings to fly.”
Rabbi Menachem Fromanז"ל

The quote above aptly describes the belief system of the late Rabbi Menachem Froman ז"ל of the ancient Biblical city of Tekoa which also happens to be considered a settlement by the international community. Rabbi Froman sought to embrace the dichotomies which he exemplified by being a settler and an advocate of an independent Palestinian state, a founder of Gush Emunim and a peacebuilder with all different types of Palestinians, even Hamas. He had a special ability to see the depths of the reality in the Holy Land and know that the only way to solve the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians is to reach for the Abrahamic roots which unite them all. This article will explore the multifaceted identity of Rabbi Froman and then look at his methodology as a peacebuilder. Next, will be an explanation of the profound influence that Rabbi Froman had on the founders of the Abrahamic Reunion, Sheikh Ghassan Manasra and Rodef Shalom (Radash) Eliyahu McLean who are actively carrying on his message today. An additional organization founded by one of Rabbi Froman’s students called Eretz Shalom will show how the energy which physically left this world on March 4th, 2013 still fills the hearts and souls of the peacebuilders in the Holy Land.

Why do the Jewish people seemingly struggle endlessly? To answer this question, we need to turn ... more Why do the Jewish people seemingly struggle endlessly? To answer this question, we need to turn to the source of the Jewish people’s identity as Israel. The meaning of the word Israel comes from Genesis 32:29 when a mysterious figure is wrestling and then renaming Jacob:

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי שָׂרִיתָ עִם אֱלֹהִים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים וַתּוּכָל

“And [the mysterious figure said] you will no longer say that your name is Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with people and you have prevailed.”

Were the story of the Jewish people summarized into one verse, this very well could be it. The blessing received by being renamed Israel, or the God Wrestler, is that although Jacob’s descendants would struggle, they would prevail in the end. Although struggle and antagonism are seemingly inevitable, the blessing of the Israelites emerges through creative and inventive approaches in responding to their challenges, followed by acting in such a way as to preserve their culture and religion. Throughout the ages mighty empires have tried to destroy Judaism as a religion and the Jews as a people. Against the Roman Empire, the Jews were able to transform their religion from one of sacrifice, that was tied to a specific location (the Temple Mount), to a religion centered on prayer and a synagogue which could be constructed anywhere Jews happened to live. When faced with centuries of exile, the Jews responded with a comprehensive halachic way of looking at the world which kept them separated from the nations among whom they lived. And upon the destruction of European Jewish civilization after World War 2, the Jewish people rallied to come together in the Holy Land and build a State to secure the remnant which remained. Now that we have a Jewish State, there is a responsibility which falls upon our nation to helping resolve the identity based conflict we have been in with the Palestinian people for the past century and especially since the War of Independence/Nakba in 1948.

The State of Israel is a place where West meets East. Immigration over the past century has cent... more The State of Israel is a place where West meets East. Immigration over the past century has centralized Jews from around the world into a land inhabited by a local Arab populace who already had a long standing culture of relating to one another. The interaction between the new immigrants and the locals naturally pushed ethnic identity into the center of what has developed into the lengthy conflict which persists until today. According to sociological research, most ethnic situations originate from conquest, immigration or annexation. One group usually emerges from such an encounter with superior resources, and aspires to preserve this superiority. The asymmetric dynamic has largely defined the Israeli Arab experience as a result of Zionism. Rectifying this imbalance entails asking how such a conflict can be proactively and constructively engaged in a land of conflicting cultures and identities. An effective method of constructive conflict intervention and resolution is needed as a long term process which incorporates many different segments of society and is sensitive to cultural norms. A cultural norm which has been turned to for thousands of years in Arab culture is called Sulĥa. This article will explore how Sulĥa mediates conflict within Israeli Arab society and how it can provide a model for constructively engaging identity based conflicts in the future. In so doing, it is important to compare and contrast Sulĥa with western models of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Hopefully, such an analysis will be of help in developing a new model of mediation in Israel which respects Arab identity and can answer the needs of citizens belonging to a multicultural democratic nation state.

An exploration into halachic responsa which focus on Islamic practices and relationships with Mus... more An exploration into halachic responsa which focus on Islamic practices and relationships with Muslims throughout the Middle Ages and the Modern Era.

“And [the mysterious figure said] you will no longer say that your name is Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with people and you have prevailed.”