A Forum for Dialogue and Discussion on Palestine and Israel

This fall, around two dozen undergraduate students completed a new course designed to facilitate thoughtful, generous dialogue and collective learning on the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The course, titled Palestine and Israel: Contexts, Convictions and Commitments, was supported by the Middle East and North African Studies program, the Community Dialogues program, the Center for Spiritual Life, and the Chamberlin Lectureship.

The Palestine and Israel course was conceived after a series of successful teach-ins on campus in 2023, which were led by Oren Kosansky, associate professor of anthropology, alongside Maryann Bylander, associate professor of sociology, Paul Powers, professor of religious studies, and Diana Leonard, associate professor and chair of psychology. The venue quickly filled with students, faculty, and staff, and when space ran out, members of the Lewis & Clark community spilled out onto the areas outside to listen in on the discussion.

Oren Kosansky, associate professor of anthropology“There was a sense from various quarters of the community that it was a really good, helpful thing. We began to imagine ‘What would it mean to sustain that kind of work with a broader institutional commitment?’” says Kosansky. With collaboration from Janet Bixby, associate dean and associate professor of teacher education, and Hilary Martin Himan, chaplain and director of spiritual life, the idea of a one-credit course that involved community dialogues, faculty teach-ins, and reading-based discussion sections was born.

“There was a driving principle in the course of ‘doing learning’ directed toward justice, reconciliation, and peace,” says Kosansky. “For example, in the reading list, there was a commitment to having Israeli and Palestinian authors represented. Some of the pieces were academic, and others were personal visions of those directives in the region.”

Around 10 faculty members across departments participated in the course’s teach-ins, including Sidra Kamran, assistant professor of sociology, Maureen Healy, associate professor of history, and Eli Lichtenstein, assistant professor with term of philosophy. Among the dialogue topics were the impact of language and the prospect of shared futures, as well as presentations from external figures like Lee Gordon, cofounder of Hand in Hand, a network of integrated, bilingual schools serving Jewish and Arab children in Israel.

Those enrolled in the course were required to adhere to community agreements for respectful communication, which followed the well-established Community Dialogues model. Community Dialogues, President Robin Holmes-Sullivan’s signature initiative, began on campus in January 2023 under Bixby’s leadership.

Janet Bixby, associate dean and associate professor of teacher education
Credit: Steve Hambuchen“We want to be known as a place where people can talk across differences, respectfully and with curiosity. We need to be able to talk about difficult and controversial issues so that even if we don’t agree, we can still listen to each other,” says Bixby.

Those who served as cofacilitators of the dialogues, which included faculty members and two students, received training from Essential Partners, a nonprofit organization designed to support inclusive discussions and strong relationships. The students were “outstanding,” says Bixby, and helped to develop the questions that steered the conversations.

“During the training, we learned so much about scripting and crafting questions that don’t introduce dimensions of status like job, age, or income, so that the conversations are nonhierarchical,” says Chris*, one of the student cofacilitators. “One of our questions was ‘In what ways do you feel pulled in different directions regarding this conflict?’ We’re developing a language about how to understand each other.”

“I love the way that the dialogue questions are written because instead of asking what someone’s opinion is, we challenge them to give examples of personal stories that have led to them having that opinion,” says Reese*, another student cofacilitator. “I feel like I was able to see different angles and perspectives instead of just one singular narrative. I hope that in doing this class students can see that even if a conversation is hard to have, it still deserves space and care.”

Lewis & Clark continues to invest in spaces that allow for collective learning around this conflict and other topical issues, which includes the active Community Dialogues program. In spring 2025, the history department will offer Modern History of Palestine-Israel, a four-credit course that explores the political, social, cultural, and religious background of the region.

“The hope of this semester’s course on Palestine and Israel is that it will serve as a resource and a model for other folks who want to step into this space,” says Kosansky. “The faculty and staff, including myself, were moved by how students engaged with the subject matter. There were risks going into it about alienating people, but there has been clear consensus among the students that it is better to have done it.”

*A pseudonym was used to protect the students’ privacy and to honor the Community Dialogues process agreements.

Middle East and North African Studies Community Dialogues