Guests: Rabbi Prof. Dr. Andreas Nachama (FU Berlin) / Pastor Sally Azar (Jerusalem) / Prof. Dr. Ufuk Topkara (HU Berlin)
Hosts: Alexandria & Mert
Bios:
Rabbi Prof. Dr. Andreas Nachama is a historian, author, and rabbi, former director of the Topography of Terror Foundation in Berlin, former chairman of the Jewish Community of Berlin, and former board member of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. The son of a Holocaust survivor, he led the General Rabbinical Conference (2019–2023) and has served as Jewish Chair of Germany’s Coordination Council for Christian-Jewish Societies (GCJZ) since 2016. He co-founded the House of One, the first shared house of prayer for Jews, Christians, and Muslims worldwide, and received the Moses Mendelssohn Medal in 2019.
Pastor Sally Azar, born in Jerusalem, is the first female Palestinian pastor in the Holy Land, serving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. She leads the English- and Arabic-speaking congregation at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, engages in interreligious dialogue, and is a member of the Council of the Lutheran World Federation and the Board of the ACT Alliance.
Prof. Dr. Ufuk Topkara is Junior Professor of Comparative Theology at the Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology, Humboldt University. He studied History and Philosophy at Humboldt University Berlin and Harvard, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Humility & Conviction in Public Life Program at the University of Connecticut, and a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Study of Religion, University of Virginia. He was formerly a visiting scholar at UCLA and at Johns Hopkins University’s American Institute for Contemporary German Studies.
In this Episode: We take an in-depth look at Jerusalem, a city of profound religious, historical, and political significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The guests discuss its sacred origins, depiction in religious texts, and evolution through conquest, diaspora, and pilgrimage. The conversation explores Jerusalem’s contemporary role in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, including eschatological visions and opportunities for interfaith dialogue. Through personal reflections, guests share how Jerusalem shapes faith, identity, and approaches to conflict resolution. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the city from multiple religious perspectives and learn how it can foster connection, dialogue, and hope rather than division.
This episode was recorded on July 21, 2025.
Links:
Rabbi Prof. Dr. Andreas Nachama: https://nachama.de/rabbiner-andreas-n...
House of One: https://house-of-one.org/
Pastor Sally Azar: https://chrismon.de/artikel/56949/was...
Prof. Dr. Ufuk Topkara: https://www.islamische-theologie.hu-b...
Disclaimer: Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team.
Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.
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