On March 14, 2019, Musician and Research Psychologist David Greenberg was sitting in the back of an auditorium. On stage, members of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus took their places. The group has brought together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers to sing and engage in cross-cultural dialogue.
Earlier, when the teens had shuffled into the room, Greenberg sensed a complex dynamic. Some choir members were eager to chat with their peers, while others were more withdrawn and preoccupied. But when the chorus started to sing, the energy shifted.
"All of the sudden, there was something greater in the room: Something much bigger than the chorus," Greenberg says. "I can’t put it into words."
As Greenberg was pondering this numinous feeling, someone tapped him on the shoulder and interrupted his reverie. Greenberg’s colleague gestured to a breaking news article on his smartphone. Rockets had been launched from Gaza towards Tel Aviv for the first time since 2014. Greenberg realized that the students in front of him had likely discussed this shortly before walking onstage. Still, they were making music together.
