Jerusalem Talks

In this cross-posted episode of Jerusalem Talks and The Scout, we are joined by hosts Avraham Burg, Sari Nusseibeh, and Daniel Schwake as they delve into Sari’s new book, The Scout, or Philosophy and Us. The book is one of the first ever philosophy books written in Palestinian Arabic and explores the application of the philosophical method, particularly in the context of Palestinians. Recorded in...

In this episode, Avraham Burg speaks with Dr. Rainer Kampling, professor of biblical theology and expert on Christian antisemitism at the Freie Universität Berlin. In a wide-ranging discussion that stretches from the early 20th century to the modern day, Burg and Kampling address antisemitism with the Catholic Church, its role in the Second World War, and the Church’s struggles to reinvent its rel...

In this episode, Avraham Burg sits down with Monsieur Etienne Vetö, Auxiliary Bishop of Reims and Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In their wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversations, Vetö reflects on how ancient religious traditions communicate with modern individuals in our fast-paced, technological age. Vetö argues that what truly resonates today is not specta...

In this episode, Avraham Burg speaks with Dr. Georg Röwekamp, theologian and historian of the Christian community in the Holy Land, about his personal journey and his new book on the History of the Christian community in Gaza. Röwekamp shares how he came to Jerusalem from Germany at a young age. Röwekamp delves into the oft-forgotten history of the Christian community in Gaza, a modern community w...

In this episode, Avraham Burg sits down with Dr. Katja Soennecken, Assistant Professor of Biblical Archaeology at the Luxembourg School of Religion & Society and deputy director of the German Protestant Institute for Ancient Studies of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, who has been part of numerous excavations across the Holy Land. Together, they explore the question of “what is biblical archaeology...

In this episode, Avraham Burg sits down with Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni - the chief rabbi of Rome - to explore the ancient, continuous presence of the Jewish community in Rome, the transformative impact of Nostra Aetate on Jewish–Catholic relations, and the ongoing complexities of interreligious dialogue in a world shaped by both historical wounds and modern challenges. Together they examine the shif...

In this episode, Avraham Burg sits down with Dr. Karma Ben Johanan, historian of Jewish-Christian relations and a faculty member at Hebrew University’s Department of Comparative Religion. Together, they discuss how Ben Johanan’s personal biography—growing up between Haifa’s secular and Ultra-Orthodox worlds—shaped her interest in religion and Jewish-Christian relations. She explores the evolving p...

As part of an undergraduate course taught by Notre Dame Jerusalem faculty at the university's academic center in Rome, Avraham Burg sat down with Margaret Karram, president of the Focolare Movement, an international Catholic organization dedicated to interfaith and ecumenical dialogue. Over the course of their conversation, Karram discusses what it was like to grow up in the mixed city of Hai...

In this episode, Avraham Burg speaks with Mustafa Akyol, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington DC, where he focuses on the intersection of public policy, Islam, and modernity. The pair speaks about Akyol’s upbringing in Istanbul, his career as a journalist and author, and the place of both Jesus and Moses within the Quran and Muslim thought. Throughout, Akyol explores the lengthy his...

In this episode, Avraham Burg speaks with Gabriel Reynolds, professor of theology at Notre Dame, about his personal and academic journey from suburban Connecticut to becoming a leading scholar of Islamic studies and Comparative Theology. Reynolds shares how his roots in the region, travels to the Middle East, and academic curiosity led him to study the Quran from a historical-critical perspective,...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg meets Sr. Maureena Fritz, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, professor emerita at the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, and the former director of the English Language Sector of the Ratisbonne Pontifical Institute in Jerusalem to discuss her life's journey: from growing up in Canada,...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg sits down with Alexandra (Ali) Mauritsen, a Notre Dame alumna who spent a year working with the children of refugees and migrant workers at The Saint Rachel Center in Jerusalem. Together they discuss Ali’s diverse background, world travels, and early encounters with global health care systems that encouraged her to pursue a career in medicin...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg joins Fr. Anthony Giambrone, who serves as Vice Director of the École Biblique, a research institute for biblical and archeological studies in Jerusalem. They explore the spiritual and historical significance of Jerusalem, contrasting it with Rome and Fr. Giambrone’s American upbringing. Fr. Giambrone reflects on Jerusalem’s duality (its hum...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg sits down with Reverend Fr. Iyad Twal*, the executive vice president at Bethlehem University and a professor of theology. Together, they look at Fr. Twal’s Jordanian roots, his deep connection to the Holy Land, and his mission of keeping hope alive. Their conversation explores topics such as the challenges facing Christian communities in the...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg speaks with Dr. Rivka Karplus, a family physician and an internal medicine and infections specialist. They talk about Dr. Karplus’ unique upbringing and her journey from a Jewish background to her embrace of Catholic tradition and membership in Jerusalem’s Hebrew-speaking Catholic community. Dr. Karplus describes the fabric of this minority...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg visits the House of Grace in Haifa to speak with its director, Jamal Shehadeh, about the center's transformative work. They talk about Jamal’s parents - who founded the House of Grace as a rehabilitation center for released inmates - as well as the center’s core philosophical approach. As a Palestinian-Israeli Christian with Swiss herit...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg sits with Prof. Mouna Maroun, who serves as Rector at the University of Haifa and is a professor of neurobiology. They talk about the interplay of identity, memory, and the role of faith and tradition in shaping her Maronite heritage. Professor Maroun reflects on the emotional and communal aspects of her identity, emphasizing how shared expe...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg engages with Bishop Rafic Nahra, an auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, to discuss his unique role in the Holy Land. Bishop Nahra reflects on his journey, which spans multiple cultures, languages, and religious communities. The conversation explores the bishop's mission of fostering coexistence, interfaith dialogue,...

In this episode of Jerusalem Talks, Avraham (Avrum) Burg explores the personal journey of Bishop Jamal Khader, who previously served as patriarchal vicar for the diocese in Jordan and is currently the head of the dioceses of Djibouti and Somalia. During their conversation, they detail Bishop Khader’s identity as a Palestinian Christian, the physical and spiritual connection to the Holy Land, and t...

In the first episode of Jerusalem Talks’s second season, Avraham (Avrum) Burg is joined by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa to discuss his responsibilities as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the challenges facing the Holy Land’s diverse Catholic communities. Then, they reflect on the Church’s transition in the region from political power to moral voice, emphasizing the importance of interfait...

In this second season of Jerusalem TalksND, we will be exploring Catholic Perspectives on the Holy Land. As Notre Dame’s representatives in Jerusalem, we often grapple with what it means to be a University defined by its Catholic character within our local and regional context. Why does the Holy Land matter to Catholics? What do Catholics abroad know about the Christian communities who live in thi...

In episode five, Avrum Burg and Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari address the Israeli government's proposed judicial reform as well as the polarized public debate surrounding the proposed legislation. Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari is an expert on family law and international women's rights, and is the Founding Director of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-I...

In episode four, Avrum Burg and Professor Mona Khoury-Kassabri discuss the role of education and identity in Jerusalem and how diversity fits into the broader social framework of the city's future. Professor Khoury-Kassabri is the Vice President of Strategy and Diversity and Dean of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In her role a...

In episode three, Avrum Burg and Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg reflect on the evolution of Judaism within their family over the last few generations, and where in a contested city one can find points of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg is the Associate Director at NIF (New Israel Fund) Israel and Director of the Development and International Relations Departm...

In episode two, Professor Sari Nusseibeh shares his experiences as a Palestinian growing up in East Jerusalem, engagement between Israeli and Palestinian communities in the city since 1967, and how the city has changed in the last 50 years. Prof. Sari Nusseibeh served as President of al-Quds University 1995-2014. He is the author of several books - including The Story of Reason in Islam and Once U...