Tamari Readings

Both the Tamari articles offer us a different perspective on life in Jerusalem than most of the readings we have done thus far. Although the religions clearly play a role in both the articles, their primary focus on other social factors such as music and medicine offer the reader a more holistic and day to day understanding of life in the holy city. By illustrating Jerusalem through the stories of two Jerusalemites, Wasif Jawhariyyeh and Tawfiq Canaan, Tamari adds a personal dimension to the history that has been so structured by dates and events so far, especially in the Armstrong readings. In essence, these two articles portray the "social history" of Jerusalem. One of the things that struck me about both articles was that there seemed to be a heavier emphasis on highlighting the similarities among the various religious and ethnic groups than on pointing out their differences. Although Tamari didn't specifically outline the similarities, the social interaction of the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian communities through music and the "peasant madness" psychology effectively did so.