i found it

I stepped out of the car, awkwardly glancing down at my shorts and flip flops. I felt a bit greasy after a long day's work and being chauffeured around the country by those I work with, from the office to several artists' homes in the Wadi Ara region. It was a very interesting day, but my boss and I ended up rushing to get to this event in Nazareth without getting a chance to change or shower or anything. We had arrived, and who cares in what form, we are social activists.

And my was I lucky to be there.

The New Israel Fund and its international board meets twice a year, once in the US and once in Israel, for an event accompanied with several meetings and conferences. This year, they chose to have the Israel event in Nazareth, which was significant for many reasons. Out with the old and dry hopes of calling for coexistence, the new buzzwords are shared living. Here we were in Nazareth, a historical and culturally vibrant city, that is rarely regarded as one of Israel's cultural cornerstones by a majority of its citizens. However, as a former member of Knesset said last night in similar words while referring to the event itself, "This is it right here," and as she looked out into the hills of the Galilee and the Jezreel Valley behind her, she said, "This is the society that we envision for all of Israel."

The event was led by two very accomplished activist women, one Jewish and one Arab. Two by two, prominent Jewish and Arab activists were honored on the stage for their work in various fields. As one very passionate speaker said, "We refuse to be enemies!" Feminists, humanitarian doctors, religious activists, civil rights lawyers, progressive journalists, children from bilingual schools with their parents, and more of the most prominent activists for social change in Israel attended this event in order to express the need to stay dedicated to the vision of joint living and social justice and to honor the work of other activists. It was fascinating, every person that my boss introduced me to had already accomplished so much, yet they were interested in meeting me--despite my shorts and flip flops--because I was fresh, I was new, and I shared that vision.

Israel is and has been for me a very difficult place. Conversations get heated, and I will never "understand." However, it is my moral obligation as a Jew not to let the nation that claims to represent me and all of the people in this community of mine to misrepresent what it means to be a member of the community. One of the "pillars" of Judaism, if you will, is a concept called tikkun olam, which directly translates to fixing the world. Heal the world. Sounds like a pretty large task, doesn't it? As I was a child, in the very limited Jewish education I received, I learned that this can mean something as simple as picking up garbage or as monumental as the vast accomplishments of the King.

After I had decided that I would study in Israel, I became very stressed. I was concerned that I would get there and would not know how to most effectively spend my time in a constantly healing society, how to be as engaged as possible and contribute as much as I could toward this concept of tikkun olam. Through chance and a series of increasingly desperate phone calls, I found my boss, Elana, who gave me a position to volunteer with her in Shatil.

I worked with her in Baqa al Gharbiya, a town in what is known as the Triangle Region of Israel, where a large cluster of Arab cities and villages are located. The infamous Triangle. I'd heard about it in classes, about how some super right wing two-staters--they exist--wish to hand it over to Palestine when the time comes, etc etc. Bah. They never mentioned that the area is beautiful and that it is being taken over by social activists and progressive artists. But I found out. Sure, the society is not yet a safe haven for progressive thinking and activism, but some of the most inspired Israeli activists I have met and heard are Palestinians from this region. Of course there was an office in Haifa, but Elana happened to live around the corner from me and drove to the Triangle herself. To Haifa, the multicultural office that literally represented every population group in Isrel, or to Baqa where the entire staff were Arabs and Elana? Yallah to Baqa!

Elana introduced me to everyone, from activists in organizations that worked with Shatil to her coworkers and bosses who were involved in various initiatives. She introduced me to all-star activists who have made serious gains but still work tirelessly toward their vision. She even had me over for dinner and introduced me to everyone in her family--children, husband, in-laws, and yes her mother. She taught me how to write grant proposals to help fundraise for these organizations--a work in progress. She treated me like family, let me in on an incredible community, and provided me with all of the resources I needed to help make social change as I carved out a path for my future of working further in this field.

I have been here for only a few months, and no I did not drastically change the society in that time. In fact, my impact is very much unnoticeable thus far. However, I now have a clear vision of how I am able to help. I am working with some feminist groups and anything else that I can get in on--the art gallery at Umm el Fahm?--, writing grant proposals as well as translating materials. I am working closely with one group, Awareness For You من اجلك למענך--whose director was honored last night at the event! I feel very lucky to do even the small work that I do now because I know that the people that I work for and with are making great changes, bit by bit.

I return to the United States in less than 24 hours. I plan to continue my work with Shatil from abroad, and when it's appropriate I hope to find myself walking into the Baqa office again to continue with this work, giving a loud mar7aba saba7 al 5eir!! to all of the inspiring people who run that office. I will remember last night in Nazareth as a turning point in my life, when I actually realized the extent of my internal accomplishment and the accomplishments that I now have the capacity to realize.

--Abe