JERUSALEM:
An Interfaith Response to the
National Geographic Entertainment Film Jerusalem
For use by interfaith dialogue groups
and as a tool to deepen understanding between
persons of all faiths and cultural backgrounds
With submissions by:
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman, Judaism
Dr. Adam Ployd, Christianity
Dr. Hamid Bashir, Islam
A Project of Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis
The reviews contained herein do not reflect the views of Interfaith Partnership of Greater
St. Louis or its staff, volunteer leadership, or mission. They are presented for informational
purposes to engage our community with different responses from faith perspectives, and the
opinions contained herein are solely those of the respective authors.
Continuing the Dialogue
1. What relationship does your faith have with Jerusalem?
2. Based on what you know, do you believe the film’s portrayal of Jerusalem and its population to be
true to life?
3. What can we in the United States learn from the stories portrayed in the film? What could they learn
from us?
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman
I have been a fan of IMAX movies. The clarity of such large pictures amazes me. I usually attend Imax
movies about exotic places or objects. I am rarely disappointed by the documentaries enhanced by
visual beauty.
I attended the showing of “Jerusalem,” with great anticipation. Jerusalem is unique among all cities; the
use of stone facings on all of the buildings combined with the historic sites cannot help but touch the
emotions. A Jew prays near the site of the Holy Temple. A Christian walks where Jesus walked. A
Muslim prays in the third holiest place in his religion
It is a noisy, dusty,
sometimes
disappointing and
always challenging
place to visit or live.
And it is a challenge to
each individual’s
theology and practice.
Jerusalem touches the
heart and the mind.
It has been my privilege to visit Jerusalem many times; to live there
twice for extended periods. It is a vibrant, pulsating city where
diverse groups live and sometimes interact. It is both one of the
most ancient of cities, and one of the newest.
This film, looking at Jerusalem through the eyes of three teen-age
young women, focuses on only one part of the city, the so-called
“Old City.” Certainly there are enough holy places and ancient
buildings within it to fill a movie about Jerusalem. The attachment
of Jews, Christians and Muslims to the city and its holy places is
beautifully portrayed. The very sad fact that there is often little
meaningful interaction between members of the three religious
groups is also highlighted. A wish for more interaction by each of
the young women is subtly portrayed.
Yet the movie fails to describe the modern parts of the city and the surrounding suburbs. There is a
modern town outside of the city walls, with diverse neighborhoods and groupings residing there. We
did not learn this in the movie. For instance, the Knesset, the Parliament of Israel, includes Jewish,
Christian, Muslim and Druze members There are many divisions in the city and suburbs, between
different groups within Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One hears active arguing and dialogue in these
neighborhoods. Religious groups from throughout the world have their claims to part of this city.
Roman Catholics claim that the tomb of Jesus is in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Protestants
believe it is outside the city wall at the Garden Tomb. Ultra-orthodox Jews do not like secular Jews, and
vice versa. Different streams of Muslim belief interact. It is a noisy, dusty, sometimes disappointing and
always challenging place to visit or live. And it is a challenge to each individual’s theology and practice.
Jerusalem touches the heart and the mind.
I wish that more of this would be portrayed, as well as the fact that some groups are trying to bridge the
gaps by instituting inter-faith dialogue and inter-group cooperation.
I would love to think that “Jerusalem,” would be Part One of a more complete view of the Holy City. But
in itself, it is a movie of great beauty and certainly worth viewing.
Rabbi Stiffman is Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation Shaare Emeth.
Dr. Adam Ployd
In 2005, while still a seminary student, I had the pleasure of visiting the city of Jerusalem as part of a
travel seminar. I vividly remember the sights, the sounds, and, yes, even the smells of the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher (built upon the traditional location of Jesus’ tomb), the Via Dolorosa (the path that Jesus
is believed to have traveled on his way to the cross), and the Mount of Olives (where Jesus prayed with
his disciples before being arrested). National Geographic’s beautiful Imax film Jerusalem brought me
back to those powerful sensations of this city that is so significant to the three Abrahamic faiths. For its
cinematography alone, the film is worth seeing, especially if you have not had the opportunity to visit
Jerusalem in person.
The film tells the story of Jerusalem through the eyes of three
young women, each representing the three Abrahamic faiths.
This conceit works best when the women describe the different
holy sites and rituals that shape their respective faith traditions.
We do not merely learn about the Western Wall or the Dome of
the Rock; we are able to appreciate what it might mean to pray at
these holy places.
For those of us
interested in interfaith
work, Jerusalem is a
film whose beauty can
serve to start a
conversation, but we
must be willing to dig
deeper into the more
unpleasant strata of
our shared history
and conflicted present
so that we might
jointly craft a hopeful
future.
As a Christian, I was most pleased to see the diversity of Christian
practices reflected in the film. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
itself is divided among various Orthodox churches, separated by
language, ethnicity, and practice but united (sometimes) in their
connection to and care for the traditional tomb of Jesus. The
most striking image from the Christian portions of the film was
the ceremony of the Holy Fire that Orthodox Christians celebrate
on the Saturday before Easter. It is a mysterious and ancient
festival that Western Christians are not aware of. In watching
Jerusalem, Christians may learn not only about our Muslim and
Jewish neighbors but also about the forgotten breadth of our own tradition!
As much as I enjoyed the film, several aspects left me a bit unsettled. The view depicted of modern
Jerusalem was a bit idyllic. The city is indeed beautiful and the rituals of prayer that shape the different
traditions are inspirational. But surely that does not reflect all that needs to be said about Jerusalem.
For instance, consider the fact that the young woman representing the Christian tradition is not
actually from Jerusalem. She is from Bethlehem, whose significance as the birthplace of Jesus makes it
an understandable choice, but whose situation today as marginalized Palestinian city in the West Bank
raises all sorts of questions about the deeper layers of identity and history that shape Christians, Jews,
and Muslims in Jerusalem today. For those of us interested in interfaith work, Jerusalem is a film whose
beauty can serve to start a conversation, but we must be willing to dig deeper into the more unpleasant
strata of our shared history and conflicted present so that we might jointly craft a hopeful future.
Dr. Ployd is Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Eden Theological Seminary.
Dr. Hamid Bashir
Through the eyes of three young girls, Jerusalem seeks to take you on a memorable journey of its
unique history and culture. This National Geographic presentation highlights the historical and spiritual
significance of the land of prophets and miracles. From the Dome of Rock to the western wall, the
narrators bring you the story of Jews, Christians and Muslims living right next to each other with more
things common amongst them than they realize.
The film starts with a spectacular aerial view of the city with captivating architecture, part of which has
been preserved for centuries. As the story unfolds, you get to learn how these girls and their families
live and what it means to them to be part of this splendid city. They celebrate their belief, heritage and
culture while perfectly keeping up with the rest of the world.
The film depicts in a fair manner why Jerusalem is important in
each of these three religions. The overall message is positive and
unifying as you learn about various religious holidays and events
that take place annually with great zeal and fervor. There is a
good deal of commonly accepted information on Jesus, Prophet
Mohammad, King David and Solomon and perhaps most
members of the audience can relate to these stories. The movie
also follows archaeologists whose superb work has unearthed
invaluable data on Jerusalem’ s historic sites where several
civilizations have left their mark over the last 5000 years.
There is a clear hint of
their desire to know
and learn from one
another while being
tremendously proud of
their individual belief
and heritage.
Having no personal travel to this historic land, the film stirs a desire inside of me to add it to my list of
future travels as it builds my curiosity and admiration for a place like none other in the whole world.
The documentary seeks to bring trust and respect amongst various faiths and promotes better
understanding of each other.
The Promised Land is also a matter of much controversy and division but the movie purposely focuses
on creating harmony and a sense of community through the youngsters whose path cross one another
towards the end. There is a clear hint of their desire to know and learn from one another while being
tremendously proud of their individual belief and heritage.
Dr. Hamid Bashir is a doctor of internal medicine and rheumatology in St. Louis, MO.