In their Introduction to Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices, the editors begin by noting the silencing they routinely encounter: "Israel and Palestine is just too complicated to teach," both liberal and conservative commentators often caution. The book unfolds as a potent counter to that silencing. Over 20 contributors from a wide range of disciplines show how the study of Palestinians' history, struggles, and aspirations can deepen students' critical thinking and understandings of their own society as well as global politics. Jan Haaken talks with Bill Bigelow and Samia Shoman, two of the editors and contributors, about how this book project developed and how it has been embraced by many teachers and students in spite of the silencing campaigns.
Image: Fair use book cover. Text: Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices. Edited by Bill Bigelow, Jesse Hagopian, Suzanna Kassouf, Adam Sanchez, and Samia Shoman. A Rethinking Schools Publication. Image: colorful drawing of two children in front of a field of flowers. One wears a keffiyeh and is petting the white dove the other holds.
- KBOO