BYU Jerusalem Center
Suburban, 5 acres (0.020 km2) | |
Director | James R. Kearl |
---|---|
Website | BYU Jerusalem Center |
31°47′12″N 35°14′40″E / 31.78667°N 35.24444°E
The Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies (often simply referred to as the BYU Jerusalem Center or BYU–Jerusalem, and locally known as the Mormon University
Plans to build a center for students were announced by LDS Church
History
Before the center
The first LDS official to enter Jerusalem was apostle Orson Hyde, who came in 1841 and dedicated the land for the gathering of the people of Israel, the creation of a Jewish state, and the building of an LDS temple at some future time. After his visit, LDS presence in the city was virtually non-existent. By 1971, the city saw enough LDS visitors for the church to lease a building in East Jerusalem for church services. BYU's study abroad program to Jerusalem, which began in 1968, played a key role in the growth of LDS visitors to the area. The LDS presence in the area soon grew too large for the leased space to provide adequate space for worship, so the church began looking into building a center for students.[9][10] In 1972, David B. Galbraith became the director of BYU's program in Jerusalem. He remained in this position until 1987 when the church's First Presidency asked him to organize the BYU Jerusalem Center.[11]
On October 24, 1979, church president Spencer W. Kimball visited Jerusalem to dedicate the Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens, located on the Mount of Olives.[12] The church had donated money to beautify the Jerusalem area, and officials of the Jerusalem government were present at the occasion. It was at this dedication that Kimball announced the church's intent to build a center for BYU students in the city. Negotiations between the church and the Israeli government stretched from 1980 to 1984. The land the church wanted for the center, located at the northwestern margin of Mount Olivet, right next to the valley which separates it from Mount Scopus, had been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967 and could not be sold under Israeli law. The church decided to obtain a lease on the land instead. Leasing the land also prevented the politically controversial problem of the church owning a piece of Jerusalem land. Israeli officials saw the building of the center on the land as a way of solidifying control over land whose ownership was ambiguous under international law. By August 1984, the church had the land on a 49-year lease, building permits had been obtained, and construction on the building began.[10][12][13][14][15][16]
Construction and controversy
The 1980s saw not only Mormons, but many Christian groups vying for representation and space in the city.
Because of its prominent location in the Jerusalem skyline, construction was quickly noticed, and this sparked a major controversy in
"The Mormon organization is one of the most dangerous, and in America they have already struck down many Jews. At the present the Mormons are cautious because of the tremendous opposition their missionary activities would engender, but the moment their new Center is completed, we won’t be able to stop them." -- Kol Ha’Ir[10][24]
and that:
"At the heart of the "emotional" and "bitter" controversy brewing in Jerusalem is whether Christian Zionism, based on Christian eschatological expectations, should function in Israel with the help and active aid of government and municipal authorities, such as the assistance being rendered to the Brigham Young University." -- Inter Mountain Jewish News[10][25]
Warnings in the media led to street protests and demonstrations. Orthodox Jews marched on
In addition to the promise not to proselyte, BYU began a public relations campaign to inform the public of their intentions for the center as a school and a gathering place for those already of the LDS faith. Ads were purchased in local newspapers, magazines, and on television, and the center had personnel appear on radio talk shows. Government officials in favor of the center also began to speak out, saying that Jerusalem should deny no one a place to worship, Jew, Muslim, or Christian. The Minister for Economic Planning,
Opening and dedication
Students moved into the center on May 8, 1987. The school remained unfinished, but the dormitory levels had been completed. Students had formerly been housed at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.[36] In 1988, before the center's dedication, a few Jerusalem locals complained that the arrangement of the windows at night looked like a Christian cross. The center purchased blinds and carefully arranged them over the windows so that no such sign would be seen. Members of the LDS Church do not use the symbol of the cross as other Christian denominations do, due to their focus on the resurrection, rather than the death, of Christ.[10][19]
The center was dedicated on May 16, 1989, by
Center closings
After the onset of the Second Intifada, security for BYU students became increasingly difficult to maintain, and the center closed indefinitely to students in 2000. During the fighting, BYU sources reported that the center's staff remained on location and managed to maintain good relations on both Israeli and Palestinian sides. As negotiations to stop the fighting continued, one proposed settlement had the center placed within the borders of a proposed Palestinian state (this, however, was not the proposal ultimately agreed upon by the two sides).[13] While closed to students, the center remained open for visitors and concerts.[37]
On June 9, 2006, officials announced their intention to reopen the Jerusalem Center for the Fall 2006 semester. However, escalating violence in the area from the
Facilities and architecture
The center was designed in partnership with Frank Ferguson of FFKR Architects (Salt Lake City)
The center's design reflects the architecture of the Near East. It is constructed of cast concrete. Hand-carved Jerusalem limestone adorn the building, according to local custom.[30] The use of arches and domes closely models other building of Jerusalem and the gardens throughout the center contain many trees and other plants named in the Bible. The interior contains the arches and cupolas typical of the Near East, and large, windowed pavilions provide wide views of Jerusalem.[9]
Over 400
Research and education
The Jerusalem Center played a role in the research of the Dead Sea Scrolls in cooperation with the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation of Jerusalem. They developed a comprehensive CD-ROM database of the contents of the Scrolls, enabling researchers worldwide the ability to study them.[45]
The center provides a curriculum that focuses on
The center teaches classes in four-month semesters occurring three times per year. Each semester costs $10,815. Students are required to take a small orientation course online before entering the center and are interviewed individually. Application requirements state that students must have attended at least two semesters (including the semester immediately preceding the trip abroad) at BYU, BYU-Hawaii, or BYU-Idaho, have a GPA of at least 2.5, and sign an agreement not to proselytize. Married students are not allowed to attend.[6]
Mission
Members of the LDS Church believe that Jesus Christ will return in glory in his Second Coming.[46] Howard W. Hunter, who was president of the church's Quorum of the Twelve at the time of the center's construction, pointed out that although there would be no proselytizing from the center, it still served a valuable purpose. One church member quoted him this way: "Elder Hunter said that our mission was not to harvest, probably not even to plant, but to clear away a few more stones."[47] Latter-day Saints often see the center as a way for them to show local Jews what the church is about by example, rather than by proselyting. This is done by the way students and faculty at the center live their lives,[48] as well as through the hiring of both Israeli and Palestinian workers, as an example of what can be done through cooperation.[49] During construction of the center, for example, the church hired as many as 300 workers at one time, with about 60% of them being Arab and the other 40% being Jewish. Similar cooperation continues today.[30]
The center also strives to meet the goals of the BYU Mission statement, "to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life" as well as in their educational endeavors. The center aims to give students not only an educational experience by experiencing cultures and languages firsthand, but a spiritual experience by taking them to the sites of biblical events and encouraging them to live their lives in a Christian way.[50][51]
References
- ^ "How the BYU Jerusalem Center Nearly Caused the Collapse of the Israeli Government". ldsliving.com. 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Mormon University". Ministry of Tourism, Government of Israel. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
- ^ "Brigham Young University (Mormon University)". Website of Jerusalem Municipality. Archived from the original on 2016-02-09. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
- ^ G. Van Dyke, Blair (21 Nov 2013). "The Mormon University on the Mount of Olives: A Case Study in LDS Public Relations" (PDF). Journal of Media and Religion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
Their sole intention was to block the construction of the Mormon University" (as the Jerusalem Center came to be known by locals).
- ^ Naparsteck, Martin. "The Lord's University". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
- ^ a b c "Jerusalem Center - General Information". Brigham Young University. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- ^ The Daily Universe. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- The Daily Universe. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- ^ a b "BYU Jerusalem Center". Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Macmillan Publishing Company. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Olsen, Daniel H. and Jeanne Kay Guelke. "Spatial transgression and the BYU Jerusalem center controversy." The Professional Geographer. (Nov 2004) 56.4 pp. 503–516.
- ^ Galbraith and Van Dyke. "The BYU Jerusalem Center: Reflections of a Modern Pioneer" in The Religious Educator Vol. 9 (2008) no. 1, p. 29ff.
- ^ a b "President Kimball Dedicates Orson Hyde Memorial Garden in Jerusalem". Ensign Magazine. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1979-12-01. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b Hadfield, Joseph (2002-04-04). "Jerusalem Center safe amid conflict". BYU. Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ Benvenisti, M. 1996. City of Stone: The Hidden History of Jerusalem, trans. M. K. Nunn. London: University of California Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Cohen, S. E. 1993. The Politics of Planting: Israeli-Palestinian Competition for Control of Land in the Jerusalem Periphery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Benvenisti, M. 2000. Sacred Landscape: The Buried History of the Holy Land Since 1948. Berkeley: University of California Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Arieli, Y. S. 2000. Evangelizing the chosen people: Missions to the Jews in America, 1880–2000. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Kark, R., and M. Oren-Nordheim. 2001. Jerusalem and its environs, quarters, neighbourhoods, and villages, 1800–1948. Detroit:Wayne State University Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ a b c Dumper, M. 1997. The politics of Jerusalem since 1967. New York: Columbia University Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Kna’an, M., ed. 1986. The Israeli yearbook. Vol. 41. Tel Aviv: Israel Yearbook Publications Ltd. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Stump, R. 2000. Boundaries of faith: Geographical perspectives on religious fundamentalism. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- BYU Hawaii. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ Sittner, A. 1985. Miari blasts Knesset switch to offices of Chief Rabbinate. The Jerusalem Post, 4 June. n.v.:2. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Kol Ha’Ir June 8, 1984. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Inter Mountain Jewish News January 4, 1985. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Golan, P. 1985. Hysteria inside, demos outside. Jerusalem Post, 20 September. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Shapiro, H. 1985c. Prayers said against Mormon study centre. Jerusalem Post, 19 July. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Friedland, R., and R. Hecht. 1996. To rule Jerusalem. Cambridge U.K.: Cambridge University Press. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Watzman, H. M. 1985a. Building for Brigham Young U. in Jerusalem challenged anew. The Chronicle of Higher Education 31 (10): 41. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ a b c d e Ogden, Kelly. "The Miracle of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies". Retrieved 2008-06-11.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Shapiro, H. 1985a. Jerusalem Foundation link to Mormons ‘‘ridiculous’’. Jerusalem Post, 20 August. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Shapiro, H. 1985b. Mormon: Proselytizers will go home. Jerusalem Post, 7 August. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ The Economist 1985, 31. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Watzman, H. M. 1986. Israeli Cabinet agrees to investigate Brigham Young’s Jerusalem Center. The Chronicle of Higher Education 31 (17): 33–34. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ Time 1986, 73. As cited in Olsen and Guelke.
- ^ a b "News of the Church: BYU's Jerusalem Center Opens". Ensign Magazine. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1987-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ Shaha, Abigail (April 8, 2008). "Students Experience Religion and Culture at the Jerusalem Center". BYU NewsNet. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- BYU. 2006-01-28. Archived from the originalon 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ Erb, Emilee (July 20, 2006). "Jerusalem Center acts as refuge". BYU NewsNet. Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ^ Preusz, Jared (2007-01-18). "Students Return to Jerusalem". BYU NewsNet. BYU. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "General Information". BYU Jerusalem Center. BYU Continuing Education. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ^ "Jerusalem Center for Near East Studies (Jerusalem, Israel)", FFKR.com, retrieved 2013-01-18
- ^ Gaunt, LaRene (April 1993), "One Voice", Ensign
- BYU. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "News of the Church: BYU Projects Aid Dead Sea Scrolls Studies". Ensign Magazine. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1995-12-01. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ Joseph Smith, Jr. "Tenth Article of Faith". LDS Church. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^ Staheli, Ronald (1996-06-18). "The Comprehending Soul: Open Minds and Hearts". BYU Speeches. Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ Edgley, Richard C. (2002-11-03). "Becoming You". BYU Speeches. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- ^ Kaye Terry Hanson (2002-12-03). "The Far and the Near". BYU Speeches. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- ^ Faust, James E. (1989-09-24). "Where Is the Church?". BYU Speeches. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ Hafen, Bruce C. (1992-08-25). "The Dream Is Ours to Fulfill". BYU Speeches. Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
External links
- BYU Jerusalem Center
- The Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation
- The Miracle of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies - Slideshow of the construction of the center and protests.