Achi news desk-
When Lucas Fuhrman arrived at his dorm at McGill in 2021, he was both nervous and excited about who he would share a room with.
A few days later, Samir Kerem, a Palestinian from Jerusalem, walked in the door.
Fuhrman, who is Jewish, didn’t think there would be any problems, but he wasn’t sure how Karam would react.
“We were both actually quite interested, we liked to see how it would work and what was going to happen,” Karam said.
They not only shared a room together, but also took a class together. However, their bond was formed through video games and other shared interests.
It was during these times that they talked a lot. Fuhrman, a political science student, was interested in what was happening in the Middle East. He says his conversations with Karam were enlightening.
“Even in our first year, there were flare-ups and such, and you know, Samir would tell me what was happening and how it was bothering him, because he has family in the West Bank,” he said.
Karam said they didn’t agree on everything but they found a way to talk about it respectfully.
It’s a lesson that’s happening on other university campuses, albeit in a smaller, quieter way.
York University sociology professor Randall Schnaur teaches a class on “Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Canada.”
According to him, the course attracted both Jewish and Muslim students and offered them a place to share their experiences.
“The climate on the campuses is very polarized, there is a lot of division, a lot of chants and slogans. Not a lot of listening,” he said. “And it was a space for those interested, and there is an appetite for this among the students to create a safe space, a brave space for discussion.”
According to him, the lesson was so successful that some Jewish and Muslim students founded a club called “Bridging the Gap”. The group has since held talks at other campuses, including Queen’s and the University of Toronto.
Fuhrman, meanwhile, was inspired by his experience living with Karam and says he wants to create a media platform for students to contribute their different perspectives. Karam, an engineering student, is also pleasantly surprised by his experience.
The two also ended up roommates in the second year, this time by choice.
“You always have to try,” Karam said. “See where it takes you and as you can see, we ended up being good friends.”
