Israeli storyteller Noa Baum will perform ‘A Land Twice Promised,’ a one-woman show focused on the discourse between two Israeli and two Palestinian women, on Monday.
The event will be held at 8 p.m. in Room 304 of the Schine Student Center at Syracuse University.

Baum was born in Jerusalem and has a background in Israeli and American theater. The event is sponsored primarily by the student organization Learning about Israel in the Middle East, or LIME. LIME will partner with the Muslim Students’ Association, the Middle Eastern studies department, Hillel Jewish Student Union, Hendricks Chapel and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ Program for the Advancement of Research Conflict and Collaboration to put on the event.

‘A Land Twice Promised’ is funded by the student activity fee and geared toward adults.
LIME, formerly known as Student Alliance for Israel, reorganized last semester and created a new mission statement. President Brian Steinberg said it is a group that attracts not just SU students with Israeli or Palestinian backgrounds, but also ‘those who are just interested in learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli culture.’

Steinberg said this event reflects the mission of the organization to facilitate student discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

‘LIME has become a space for open political dialogue about Israel and the Middle East,’ Steinberg said. ‘It welcomes people of all opinions to a safe space where they can talk and discuss their views on these issues.’

LIME holds various events around campus during the year, including performances like Baum’s, film screenings and discussion groups. The events are open to all SU students.

Zev Rose, a LIME board member, said collaboration among campus organizations was a priority in planning an event that is meant to incorporate many different viewpoints. Six different campus organizations are sponsoring this event.

Rose said it’s important to the organization to always be connecting and working with other faiths, faculty and departments on campus.

Steinberg said Baum’s storytelling shows are an engaging and unique way to approach discussion about Israeli-Palestinian tension.

‘Seeing a live performance gives the audience more of a connection to the issues than an article or documentary,’ Steinberg said.

Rose said listening to the issues through the narratives of four ordinary women humanizes the conflict.

‘Israelis and Palestinians have been through a lot, and they each have a unique narrative that’s important to understand when trying to discuss the conflict,’ Rose said.

Rose said the floor will be open for questions and discussion after Baum’s performance because they want students to have the opportunity to learn. Members of LIME hope people will stick around, meet each other and discuss what they just saw, Rose said.

Steinberg and Rose said they hope students will come away from this event with a new perspective on conflict in the Middle East.

‘I hope students will understand the complexities surrounding these issues,’ Steinberg said. ‘You can’t always accept them at face value in any way, and you have to investigate before you truly understand what’s going on.’

sjtaddeo@syr.edu 

Published on April 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm