The reason why American Jewish youth seem to have a "waning love affair" with Israel is not reparable by simply working "as partners, for the long haul ahead" is because of a general difference in values. We cannot simply join hands when our goals are vastly different. I am very well acquainted with people my own age who shock me in the juxtaposition of their high level of education and dedication to racist policies. I have had friends tell me that they have no interest in living amongst Arabs in their country and others asking why they can't just leave Israel. When these views are popular among young people, how can the older generations expect us to see eye to eye?
In programs in which American and Israeli youth interact, many close friends are made and these friends surely see each other again when the Israelis visit the US and Americans go back to Israel for other programs. However, I've noticed that my American upbringing has led me to develop this egalitarian ideology in which nobody has the right to trample the rights of another, regardless of ethnicity, race, political status, or religion. I understand that this way of thinking is not typically American, either, as many Americans do not exhibit this kind of behavior. However, the general policy of our country is to uphold this ideology in which everybody is equal and has the same basic rights.
In Israel, many of my friends do not see matters in the same light. They understand it from the American perspective, but when applied to their own country they just cannot agree. Even some of my American Jewish friends have the same dilemma in applying such standards to Israel, and in fact, they sometimes conclude that Israel cannot be expected to uphold the same morals. I simply cannot figure out why people who believe in the morals of equality and justice can pick and choose where these morals belong in the world. This is the reason that I have noticed a strain on the relationships that I have with many of the friends that I have met on my travels to Israel, as well as why it may be difficult for our young communities of American and Israeli Jews, which are growing apart in terms of our central values, to work together in combating something that only one of these two demographics sees as a threat to Israel's future.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
j street and the jewish exponent
Finally, a group comes along where I feel comfortable supporting Israel's future existence while simultaneously criticizing the policies that I believe are bad for its long term security. J Street calls itself Pro-Israel and Pro-Peace, and I feel that it is very important for the American community to have a group like this, that acknowledges the wrongdoings of Israel while also urging our society to support Israel in the most effective way. We are citizens of the largest superpower and our relationship with Israel is extremely important to them.
Then there are those who do not quite get that. I just want to take some time to respond to some of the points that this man argues.
Then there are those who do not quite get that. I just want to take some time to respond to some of the points that this man argues.
- Israel was founded, though not entirely, through force, violence, and yes, even terrorism, and I do believe that overturning the injustice of Israel's turbulent beginnings is in its own interests as well
- Israeli policy, especially during times of extreme unrest, have been reckless, as has the policy of the USA and most other nations in the world
- While the PLO conference praises "killers of Jews as heroes," Jews all over praise killers of Arabs as heroes and even elect them to their highest offices of government--did you know that the two communities have been at war with each other several times in the past century and have not yet resolved their differences?
I'm not going to take the time to pick apart every wrong sentence that he spouts, but the general idea of his claims are inaccurate and harmful. His unwavering praise of Israeli policy for the past few decades is blind, and when he calls out the PA's "16-year failure ... to dismantle terrorist groups," he is discrediting the PA for the only thing that they have accomplished. I am not saying that the PA is a wonderful and functional organization, but the only violence that they have exhibited in the past 8 years since the last major direct conflict with Israel has been directed exclusively at extremist groups and groups that refuse to participate in the peace process in their own jurisdiction. They train policemen with US backing and dispatch them among the PA strongholds in the West Bank in order to promote their centralization of power. What do we want over here, democracy someone on which we can depend? Abbas is committed to fighting any power that is not him for the US and Israel's sake as well as his own, but perhaps this is at the expense of democracy. Congratulations American Jewish community, this is what you're asking for, and it's still not enough.
I understand that turning this man's argument around is not doing any good for the situation. Bashing Israeli policy makes them look like the Big Satan in this situation, but promoting it does no good for their future. Israel is there, a thriving society of millions of people, that is understood, and the world must do what it can in order to protect that nation from its own demise.
Monday, October 5, 2009
go women
I was reading this blog entry on Huffington Post, and it reminded me of my experiences this past year, specifically in Israel when working with the women's groups through Shatil. Being a feminist to an Arab Muslim woman does not mean removing their veil or anything like that. How about having a community in which women can talk about reproductive health, sexual issues, and other various subjects that are important to women? When your society prevents you from discussing these issues, they can become amplified and lead to larger issues in society.
At some point during my job with Shatil, I wondered whether or not my efforts were imposing in some sort of vague imperialistic way. The work that I did was not an attempt to direct the organizations, and through simply listening to their goals, objectives, and activities through which they realized these without offering my suggestions, I learned a lot about what is important to these women and the other groups that I worked with. Arab women in Israel are living in the Arab society that is not promised a role in the state, and on top of that there are different obstacles to their full participation in their own communities.
One of the women I worked with explained it to me in this way. Imagine two women like to meet and talk about issues in their respective marriages. Every day around a certain time they talk about these things in each other's houses, but they don't discuss these issues with other women because they are not comfortable with that. Information spreads quickly in the community, and God forbid, it should come back to hurt them that somebody hears a personal issue that one of them is having. However, even meeting with the woman one on one every day in such a fashion causes suspicion among neighbors. People start talking about the two women and how they see each other so frequently, and why?
The incredible woman I worked with decided to make a center in which women can come and share all of these issues about health, both physical and emotional, grow as a community of women, and feel empowered to bring progressive ideas to other women in their community in a way that does not create fear of destabilizing the community. These women don't want to wear what the girls are wearing in New York, they just want to vent--and know about their bodies and how to keep them healthy. Despite the fact that many Arab women, especially in Israel and Jordan, have the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees, they do not necessarily have access to information about their own bodies.
These concepts are a brand of feminism that we take for granted in the United States. All kinds of attention is poured into raising girls so that they can take care of their bodies by seeing the right doctors and checking the right places in order to prevent serious illnesses. However, some societies are a bit more shy about these issues, and as a result, many people are suffering from lack of information.
At some point during my job with Shatil, I wondered whether or not my efforts were imposing in some sort of vague imperialistic way. The work that I did was not an attempt to direct the organizations, and through simply listening to their goals, objectives, and activities through which they realized these without offering my suggestions, I learned a lot about what is important to these women and the other groups that I worked with. Arab women in Israel are living in the Arab society that is not promised a role in the state, and on top of that there are different obstacles to their full participation in their own communities.
One of the women I worked with explained it to me in this way. Imagine two women like to meet and talk about issues in their respective marriages. Every day around a certain time they talk about these things in each other's houses, but they don't discuss these issues with other women because they are not comfortable with that. Information spreads quickly in the community, and God forbid, it should come back to hurt them that somebody hears a personal issue that one of them is having. However, even meeting with the woman one on one every day in such a fashion causes suspicion among neighbors. People start talking about the two women and how they see each other so frequently, and why?
The incredible woman I worked with decided to make a center in which women can come and share all of these issues about health, both physical and emotional, grow as a community of women, and feel empowered to bring progressive ideas to other women in their community in a way that does not create fear of destabilizing the community. These women don't want to wear what the girls are wearing in New York, they just want to vent--and know about their bodies and how to keep them healthy. Despite the fact that many Arab women, especially in Israel and Jordan, have the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees, they do not necessarily have access to information about their own bodies.
These concepts are a brand of feminism that we take for granted in the United States. All kinds of attention is poured into raising girls so that they can take care of their bodies by seeing the right doctors and checking the right places in order to prevent serious illnesses. However, some societies are a bit more shy about these issues, and as a result, many people are suffering from lack of information.
Friday, October 2, 2009
mother russia
One of the most fascinating aspects of Israel is the Russian dynamic that has changed the country for the past twenty years. This article in the Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia's major Jewish newspaper, discusses many of the achievements of the Russian Jews in Israel since the mass migration in the early 1990s, and it also touches on some of the challenges that the community has faced.
However, they paint a pretty picture in some of the accomplishments of the new Russian community. All of the facts and figures about engineers, medical professionals, and educators are based on truth, but we are talking about a community of somewhere around one million immigrants nearly 20 years ago.
When I lived in Israel, who did I see cleaning the streets? working in menial clerical positions? panhandling in major pedestrian areas? sometimes begging? Older Russian men and women, many of whom have degrees in engineering, chemistry, medicine, etc. These people had come to a society in which they were given anything but the chance to maintain their status as professionals. Sure, there were plenty of Russians who did succeed upon arriving in Israel, but many were not given such opportunities. Overeducated and overexperienced Russian immigrants could not find work unless it was work that the rest of Israel did not want to do.
The article I linked to earlier did mention the issue of the rabbinate not accepting many of these self-identifying Jews as halachic Jews, of Jewish status according to religious law. It is true that many cannot marry in Israel, but they are readily drafted into the army. It is a tough society for them because of the fact that the older generation does not speak Hebrew as a first language, and the younger generation must go through formal Orthodox Jewish conversions in order to have the same rights as their non-Russian peers.
The changing dynamic in Israeli demographics has always played a role in the national character, and every generation sees an influx of a brand new ethnicity that adds to the incredible diversity of their society. The challenge remains to be met in which Israeli society can create a national identity in which all of its diverse minorities can truly feel that their society belongs to them.
However, they paint a pretty picture in some of the accomplishments of the new Russian community. All of the facts and figures about engineers, medical professionals, and educators are based on truth, but we are talking about a community of somewhere around one million immigrants nearly 20 years ago.
When I lived in Israel, who did I see cleaning the streets? working in menial clerical positions? panhandling in major pedestrian areas? sometimes begging? Older Russian men and women, many of whom have degrees in engineering, chemistry, medicine, etc. These people had come to a society in which they were given anything but the chance to maintain their status as professionals. Sure, there were plenty of Russians who did succeed upon arriving in Israel, but many were not given such opportunities. Overeducated and overexperienced Russian immigrants could not find work unless it was work that the rest of Israel did not want to do.
The article I linked to earlier did mention the issue of the rabbinate not accepting many of these self-identifying Jews as halachic Jews, of Jewish status according to religious law. It is true that many cannot marry in Israel, but they are readily drafted into the army. It is a tough society for them because of the fact that the older generation does not speak Hebrew as a first language, and the younger generation must go through formal Orthodox Jewish conversions in order to have the same rights as their non-Russian peers.
The changing dynamic in Israeli demographics has always played a role in the national character, and every generation sees an influx of a brand new ethnicity that adds to the incredible diversity of their society. The challenge remains to be met in which Israeli society can create a national identity in which all of its diverse minorities can truly feel that their society belongs to them.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
example
This is yet another example of the inequality that so rampantly appears in Israeli policy. I forgot to discuss another issue I was thinking about today, which this article seems to bridge over to perfectly.
The concept of a community is beautiful, and the Jewish community is one in which I have grown up and felt at home for my entire life. However, I am very uncomfortable with the exclusivity of Judaism in certain ways, whether they be religious laws that prevent certain kinds of mixing or even just the stigma that there is against intermarriage and dating outside of the community.
Then I am presented with this argument: "How can we expect to retain our identity in the world if we simply do everything like other people and don't maintain a degree of separateness?"
Touché.
As always, however, I have a response. I am a huge fan of tradition and culture. It's fascinating to me to have my own to show off to the world and I love learning about others'. I practice my culture and heritage not only out of fascination and pride, but also because my family has been doing this for so long, and it is a way for me to feel as though I have a stronger connection to them and their accomplishments which have led to my great life. When looking at the big picture, I don't see that the purpose of our morals, values, traditions is to be exclusive, to not share them with the world. I see our virtues to be examples, to show what a beautiful society we have without imposing it on others. I see sharing amongst all peoples, which happens so regularly in the US and other parts of the world, yes even Israel. Why should I follow strict dietary laws that prevent me from eating at a friend's house or drinking wine that he or she has poured?
I understand that these laws were intended to maintain the strength of community that we have, to prevent us from diluting our people and becoming one of the rest. But are people not to be trusted? Can we not balance our personal culture with our roles as global citizens? Am I really going to connect more with someone based on which day of the week I don't command electricity so much so that I will never be tempted to marry someone who is not Jewish? On the flipside, is it a given that if I choose not to eat kosher that I will sacrifice all of my Jewish heritage for a life completely free of it? I am looking at a big picture, and the line between participating in the world and upholding your heritage is not too fine. There is a wide spectrum of ways to fulfill both at different degrees, and I feel that neither one of these obligations set before us--whether we choose to fulfill either one of them--should interfere with the other.
--Abraham
The concept of a community is beautiful, and the Jewish community is one in which I have grown up and felt at home for my entire life. However, I am very uncomfortable with the exclusivity of Judaism in certain ways, whether they be religious laws that prevent certain kinds of mixing or even just the stigma that there is against intermarriage and dating outside of the community.
Then I am presented with this argument: "How can we expect to retain our identity in the world if we simply do everything like other people and don't maintain a degree of separateness?"
Touché.
As always, however, I have a response. I am a huge fan of tradition and culture. It's fascinating to me to have my own to show off to the world and I love learning about others'. I practice my culture and heritage not only out of fascination and pride, but also because my family has been doing this for so long, and it is a way for me to feel as though I have a stronger connection to them and their accomplishments which have led to my great life. When looking at the big picture, I don't see that the purpose of our morals, values, traditions is to be exclusive, to not share them with the world. I see our virtues to be examples, to show what a beautiful society we have without imposing it on others. I see sharing amongst all peoples, which happens so regularly in the US and other parts of the world, yes even Israel. Why should I follow strict dietary laws that prevent me from eating at a friend's house or drinking wine that he or she has poured?
I understand that these laws were intended to maintain the strength of community that we have, to prevent us from diluting our people and becoming one of the rest. But are people not to be trusted? Can we not balance our personal culture with our roles as global citizens? Am I really going to connect more with someone based on which day of the week I don't command electricity so much so that I will never be tempted to marry someone who is not Jewish? On the flipside, is it a given that if I choose not to eat kosher that I will sacrifice all of my Jewish heritage for a life completely free of it? I am looking at a big picture, and the line between participating in the world and upholding your heritage is not too fine. There is a wide spectrum of ways to fulfill both at different degrees, and I feel that neither one of these obligations set before us--whether we choose to fulfill either one of them--should interfere with the other.
--Abraham
part/apart
While reading this article, I read statements that have become so familiar to me and reflect nothing new in my stream of consciousness. However, I remember not too long ago when this article would have told me many new things. What this article does not say is something that I am constantly reminded of every day since my return to the US. Many Americans are oblivious to these arguments.
Israel should become a secular state
I think just two years ago before I had undertaken the task to learn as much as possible about Israel and Palestine, and I may not have even realized that Israel was not a secular state, that secularism of government was not something that the Israeli mentality as a whole saw as progress or beneficial to their society. I, like many Americans, assumed that Israel was far more like what we are comfortable with than not. It's not true. Israel can be a very open place in social life, but policies on social issues can be very close-minded. This may be obvious to people who study the region or have traveled there, but it is not clear to the average American that just because Israelis in Tel Aviv can walk around town with a beer does not mean that the government does not impose policies of Jewish law on secular Jews and non-Jews, that the government does not use tax dollars toward Jewish education and even programming for Jews living outside of Israel to travel within Israel--20% of tax payers are not even Jewish. These are only a few light examples of governmental injustices in which Israeli religious groups take advantage of a non-religious majority and a non-Jewish minority. Many Americans do not know this, but the Jewish community in America has yet to confront Israel in an effective way on these issues.
Israel should learn from Europe's example
I agree that Europe should be applauded for its incredible accomplishments in becoming the most peaceful region in the world, considering that in the last century the continent erupted into the most gruesome wars that the world has ever seen after centuries of constant fighting. However, this argument can be made even stronger if Israel could accomplish a secularization in which anti-racism was seen as a strong, core societal value. I don't need to recount the struggle for civil rights in the US, but in Israel, ethnic minorities face situations similar to black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s in the US. In my experiences, I learned that Arab citizens of Israel are told that they are not allowed to live in certain towns, even certain buildings. In some situations, their legal rights do not match up with the societal pressure from within their own community not to send their children to certain schools or live in certain areas in addition to an often belligerent Jewish community--secular or religious, of any socioeconomic class, regardless of level of education--that does not want Arabs to "infiltrate" the town. For example, just earlier this year in Carmiel, candidates for mayor ran on platforms intending to keep Arabs out of the city.
I feel that Israel's real battle is not simply secularization, but its domestic triumph will essentially be one of civil rights. Secularization is an important step in realizing the goal of equality for Israeli citizens, but the means must not replace the ends or we will never reach justice.
--Abraham
Israel should become a secular state
I think just two years ago before I had undertaken the task to learn as much as possible about Israel and Palestine, and I may not have even realized that Israel was not a secular state, that secularism of government was not something that the Israeli mentality as a whole saw as progress or beneficial to their society. I, like many Americans, assumed that Israel was far more like what we are comfortable with than not. It's not true. Israel can be a very open place in social life, but policies on social issues can be very close-minded. This may be obvious to people who study the region or have traveled there, but it is not clear to the average American that just because Israelis in Tel Aviv can walk around town with a beer does not mean that the government does not impose policies of Jewish law on secular Jews and non-Jews, that the government does not use tax dollars toward Jewish education and even programming for Jews living outside of Israel to travel within Israel--20% of tax payers are not even Jewish. These are only a few light examples of governmental injustices in which Israeli religious groups take advantage of a non-religious majority and a non-Jewish minority. Many Americans do not know this, but the Jewish community in America has yet to confront Israel in an effective way on these issues.
Israel should learn from Europe's example
I agree that Europe should be applauded for its incredible accomplishments in becoming the most peaceful region in the world, considering that in the last century the continent erupted into the most gruesome wars that the world has ever seen after centuries of constant fighting. However, this argument can be made even stronger if Israel could accomplish a secularization in which anti-racism was seen as a strong, core societal value. I don't need to recount the struggle for civil rights in the US, but in Israel, ethnic minorities face situations similar to black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s in the US. In my experiences, I learned that Arab citizens of Israel are told that they are not allowed to live in certain towns, even certain buildings. In some situations, their legal rights do not match up with the societal pressure from within their own community not to send their children to certain schools or live in certain areas in addition to an often belligerent Jewish community--secular or religious, of any socioeconomic class, regardless of level of education--that does not want Arabs to "infiltrate" the town. For example, just earlier this year in Carmiel, candidates for mayor ran on platforms intending to keep Arabs out of the city.
I feel that Israel's real battle is not simply secularization, but its domestic triumph will essentially be one of civil rights. Secularization is an important step in realizing the goal of equality for Israeli citizens, but the means must not replace the ends or we will never reach justice.
--Abraham
Monday, June 29, 2009
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
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
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