From the very beginning, Israelis and Americans have had a kinship that goes beyond politics. They both see themselves as “chosen peoples,” selected by God as different, exceptional, separate.
Jews trace this concept to the Book of Deuteronomy, in which God calls the Israelites “treasured people out of all the people on the face of the earth.” For Americans it begins with John Winthrop, an early leader of the Puritans, who declared the New World the “city upon a hill" - itself a reference to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This week we grapple with what chosenness really means, and reflect on how this sense of divine mission has worked for the good - and the bad - of both nations. From December 2010.
Todd Gitlin and Liel Leibovitz, co-authors of "The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election"
Twin Sisters, Two Faiths
Begins at 22 min 30 sec
On the surface, identical twins Elizabeth and Caroline lead very similar lives. Both live in London, both are married, both have sons and both have children. But there’s one major difference – Elizabeth is Muslim and Caroline is Christian. In 2009, producer Anna Scott-Brown spoke with the twins in this award-winning documentary about coming to terms with their different beliefs as their mother faced the end of life. From January 2011.
"Twin Sisters, Two Faiths" is a production of Ladbroke Radio, produced by Adam Fowler and Anna Scott-Brown. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009.
