About Within Your Gates
Our Story
Organizational History
In light of the tragic events that have continued to haunt the Holy Land, Cardinal Pizzaballa began a series of closed conversations to develop a new perspective on the region’s future and translate it into theological guidance and pastoral practice. Beginning in 2024, this process advanced into a series of five workshops over two years, conducted in partnership with the University of Notre Dame’s academic center in Jerusalem, bringing together scholars and practitioners across religious and disciplinary lines.
This engagement made clear the need for a dedicated structure to carry this work forward, culminating in the establishment of Within Your Gates: The Forum for the Universal Vocation of Jerusalem in September 2026.
H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The mission of earthly Jerusalem … is to become the image and mirror of the heavenly Jerusalem, a prophecy and promise of that universal reconciliation and peace which God desires for the whole human family.
This is the mission we have lost sight of in the violent maelstrom of events in recent years. And it is to this mission that we must return.
Mission & Vision
Within Your Gates is a forum for applied interdisciplinary research and outreach that serves the universal mission of the Holy City. It is particular in that it is rooted in the realities of Jerusalem, yet universal in nature — both by caring for the common good of all and by inviting people of other faiths to contribute to, share in, and inform its mission.
Within Your Gates advances this vision through applied research, encounters, and outreach programs. It generates high-level discussions, unique encounters, and valuable content that put the common good of Jerusalem’s citizens at its center. It grants the Church a platform to disseminate its thoughts while directly engaging others who will challenge them, help evolve them, and embed them in real-life projects and processes. To that end, the forum seeks integration across ethnicities, faith traditions, and political opinions, as well as across disciplines such as theology, philosophy, history, and political science, and potentially less-obvious disciplines such as architecture, management, and literature.
Board of Promoters
H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M.
Board Chair
Sari Nusseibeh
Board Member
Sarah Stroumsa
Board Member
Margaret Karram
Board Member
Leadership
Daniel Schwake
Director, Advisory Committee Chair
Advisory Committee
Karma Ben-Johanan
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Martino Diez
Oasis International Foundation, Catholic Univeristy of Milan
Fr. Anthony Giambrone, O.P.
École Biblique, University of Notre Dame
Asher Kaufman
University of Notre Dame
Laura Miller-Graff
University of Notre Dame
Gabriel Mitchell
University of Notre Dame
Sari Nusseibeh
University of Notre Dame
Nivine Sandouka
Alliance for Middle East Peace
Daniel Schwake
University of Notre Dame
Clemens Sedmak
University of Notre Dame
Fellows
Our Fellows represent a vibrant community of experts, educators, and practitioners committed to advancing knowledge and driving meaningful impact. Their contributions enrich our programs, support informed decision-making, and help connect academic insight with real-world challenges.
Haim Yacobi
University College London
Meir Kraus
Shalom Hartman Institute
Maayan Armelin
Historian of the Holocaust and Genocide, Associate Scholar, Notre Dame Jerusalem
Rev. John M. Paul, SJ
Tantur Ecumenical Institute
Gabriel Schwake
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Nathan Steinmeyer
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Adi Berkovits
Shared Homeland Paradigm
Partners & Collaborators
Partners & Collaborators
Our work is strengthened through meaningful partnerships and collaboration. We are proud to work alongside organizations, institutions, community leaders, and experts who share our commitment to advancing our mission. Together, we combine knowledge, resources, and experience to create greater impact and address complex challenges more effectively.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
The University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Jerusalem
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies