Dear Friends,
“Where are you from?” This is perhaps one of the most common questions we ask to someone when we first meet them, and we are able to answer it with ease. The location of our birth is usually a nice way to play Jewish geography, but it is rarely a core aspect of our identities.
For the kids with whom I just spent a wonderful weekend at Peace Camp, the answer to this simple question was far from simple. In many ways, the place of one’s birth for Jews and Arabs living in Israel and the Palestinian territories often defines their lives. For example, one of the teens answered the question in the following way, “I am a Palestinian Armenian Christian Israeli living in East Jerusalem.”
Unpacking the complexity of the religious, political, socio-economic and ethic complexities of one’s identity was just a starting point for a two week Peace Camp for Jewish, Muslim and Christian teens from Israel. Join us this Friday night at Shabbat Services to hear their stories and learn about this groundbreaking camp and how it has transformed these peace-minded teens.
L’Shalom-Steve