On June 14th, the Tower of David acted as a powerful stage for the meeting of religious leaders and a place of interfaith harmony. With a hope to create long-lasting interfaith dialogue, people from all backgrounds and religions joined together on the last day of Ramadan at the Jerusalem citadel to sing Bob Marley’s “One Love” as part of Koolulam, a social musical project to form connection through musical creation.

For each event through Koolulam, a song is chosen and new musical arrangements and harmonies are written. The events have gone viral and have acted as avenues for the bridging of religious barriers in the region.

The June event was hosted by the Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem.com, and Koolulam, with cooperation of ALLMEP member Interfaith Encounter Association as well as over 50 local and international organizations focused on interfaith connection and the power of dialogue.

While the event itself acts as the main purpose in Koolulam’s mission, before the event, religious leaders gathered for a forum on how religion can serve as an avenue for compassion, dialogue, and peace for all people in Israel. The event was attended by Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf (Pak Yahya), the Secretary General of the world’s largest Muslim organization who told Breaking Israel News “The function of religion is to solve conflicts around the world – it should not be the justification for conflict…his event shows the world that everyone has a strong desire for peace. It facilitates leaders to think about which elements are needed to activate and to pursue harmony with one another. Hosted in a city that everyone shares as a center is not only exciting, but touching.”

Religious leaders as well as peace advocates throughout the region promote the idea that interfaith encounters of everyday people are essential to bridging barriers and creating true relations between people from all different backgrounds and spiritualities.

The June event was unique as it was hosted at the Tower of David, the iconic symbol of Jerusalem. The only building in Jerusalem that has never been destroyed, the Tower of David acts as a deeply powerful fortress that holds the histories of Jewish and Arab people alike. With a stage rooted in religion, the event allowed different languages and backgrounds to join together to sing “One Love” as a symbol of hope.

Speaking to Breaking Israel News, Koolulam’s Artistic Director stated:

This event is a type of social prayer – we want people to people to pray for each other and with each other…the music is not the issue, but rather it’s the tool to bring inspiration to those who come into Koolulam as strangers and go out as a group with a new creation – a song…In a city where so many people fight for being here, we sang tonight about togetherness and hope.