CPTV Visits the Holiest Sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Jerusalem: Center of the World

HARTFORD, Conn. –  For more than 40 centuries, untold numbers of Jews, Christians and Muslims have gone to Jerusalem to look for God, while billions more have worshiped from afar. Jerusalem: Center of the World, airing Wednesday, April 1 at 9 p.m. on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), delves into the historical facts, religious beliefs and cultural mores that have lead so many thousands to live and die for this ancient holy city.

Host Ray Suarez, of PBS’ The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, explores the founding of the city and the birth and convergence of the world’s three major monotheistic religions. Suarez explores a multitude of perspectives on the city’s history, giving voice to events recounted in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, the Talmud, the Hagaddah, the Koran and the Hadith. He studies Jerusalem’s mercurial role in each religion’s history, and the long-buried roots that have lead to the city’s controversial status today.

The first documentary of such scope, Jerusalem: Center of the World takes viewers far beyond the city’s exteriors to follow the paths taken by Abraham, David, Jesus and Mohammed, among countless others. Suarez travels to Mount Moriah, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in an effort to make sense of Jerusalem’s long, colorful history. With illustrations from more than 300 pieces of iconic artwork from every genre and period, Jerusalem: Center of the World brings to life one of the oldest cities in the world.  

Jerusalem: Center of the World captures the rich mosaic of Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities that co-exist – not always peacefully – in the city today and offers a rare and unparalleled look into the powerful role of these communities in the lives of hundreds of millions of people today.
 
Airdates and Times

Jerusalem: Center of the World
Airs Wednesday, April 1 at 9 p.m.

About Connecticut Public Television
CPTV is a media service of the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN, www.cpbn.org). It is a locally and nationally recognized producer and presenter of quality public television programming, including UConn Women's Basketball, original documentaries and educational programming. CPTV has built a reputation as a leader in children’s programming, including playing a historic role in bringing Barney & Friends™, Bob the Builder™ and Thomas & Friends™ to public television. The station offers 11 hours of positive, nurturing children’s programs each weekday, reaching 50,000 to 70,000 households daily. The Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network also includes WNPR, an affiliate of National Public Radio, Public Radio International and American Public Media. WNPR serves over 200,000 listeners in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island with news and information. Its award-winning local programming includes The Faith Middleton Show and Where We Live. Overall, the network brings a broad spectrum of public affairs, entertainment, sports and educational programming to viewers, listeners and readers. For more information, visit www.cptv.org and/or www.wnpr.org.

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