|
|
February 20, 2004
From Lotusland to Holy Land
Non-Jewish supporters of Israel go on a week-long learning experience.
ALEXIS PAVLICH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Pita, hummus, labneh, falafel – it seemed as though we were
back in Daliyat al-Carmel lunching with our Bedouin hosts. But we
weren't. We were in Vancouver reminiscing about our recent visit
to Israel. A very special visit.
Last year, staff at Hillel Vancouver approached the national office
of United Israel Appeal and National Jewish Campus Life to fund
an Israel advocacy initiative developed here in Lotusland.
Hillel Vancouver was encountering increasing numbers of non-Jewish
students anxious to involve themselves in Israel advocacy efforts
on campuses across the Lower Mainland. These students, as diverse
a group as any in Vancouver, have gravitated toward Israel advocacy
because of their interest in educating their campus communities
about the current conflict in the Middle East and countering widespread
biases against Israel. They recognize the shared values of Canadians
and Israelis, especially democracy, pluralism and the rule of law,
and they seek to impart the importance of those values to others.
The vast knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict held by these
Israel advocates does not stem from firsthand experience. To remedy
this, Hillel Vancouver approached partner organizations to fund
a study trip to Israel for them. Those organizations saw the value
of enhancing that knowledge with hands-on experience and a pilot
project was launched.
Thirteen non-Jewish Israel advocates from campuses across Canada
– four participants hailed from Vancouver – recently returned
from Israel after a week-long learning experience. The students
climbed Massada, swam in the Dead Sea, toured Jerusalem (including
the four quarters of the Old City) and Tel-Aviv and travelled north.
Each site offered insights into the many layers of Israel's multi-faceted
historical, religious and social existence.
Intense emotions surfaced for these non-religious Christians and
Muslims when they entered their religiously and historically significant
houses of worship in the Old City: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
and the Dome of the Rock. There was much soul-searching, especially
when they stood at the Western Wall among religious Jews celebrating
the beginning of the Sabbath and heard nearby church bells ring
and a muezzin's call to prayer on the Temple Mount.
Other visits included Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and the Museum
on the Seam, otherwise known as the Museum of Tolerance. Yet it
was the political seminars that stimulated growth, discussion and
much introspection. Guest lecturers – all experts in politics,
history, communications and so forth – spanning the political
spectrum, addressed the students on a variety of topics. Representatives
from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke of the challenges
they face in hasbara, or public relations.
Dr. Epipham Sabella, executive director of the Middle East Council
on Churches, works in the department of service to Palestinian refugees.
He described his family's personal narrative as refugees. In a talk
on Media and Truth Through the Eyes of Palestinians, Khaled Abu
Toameh, a Palestinian journalist, reported on the challenges journalists
face when working in the territories. David Oleskar, a communications
specialist, presented a session on advocacy and messaging. And Hebrew
University Prof. Gadi Wolfsfeld explored the topic of Israel and
the international media. Other highlights of the trip included meetings
with Ami Ayalon (former head of the Shin Bet security services who
outlined his People's Voice peace plan), Natan Sharansky (former
Soviet refusenik and now Likud politician) and Shimon Peres.
Students also had the opportunity to travel in an armored bus to
Efrat (which sits across the Green Line) to hear a resident's perspective
of the current situation and prospects for peace. The next day,
they drove alongside the new security barrier on their way to meet
with staff from Givat Haviva – a centre for coexistence. From
there, they went to a nearby town where they met Palestinian laborers
working illegally in Israel to support their families. These workers
described the daily hardships in Palestinian society as a result
of the intifada. Israeli victims of terror - survivors of the Park
Hotel (Passover) bombing – also described how the intifada
has changed their lives.
These 13 "friends of Israel" are a unique group of individuals
who had a truly amazing Israel experience. They are often misunderstood
by Jews and non-Jews alike who sometimes have difficulty comprehending
why they are so passionate about Israel advocacy. Perhaps this is
a significant factor as to why the group bonded so well. Special
circumstances brought them together to travel to Israel to further
their knowledge of both the country and the complexity of the Middle
East conflict. They learned from one another by challenging their
intellect and sharing complex emotions. Ultimately, they returned
to Canada even more committed to Israel advocacy than before and
re-energized to face challenges on campus.
This initiative is one example of the contributions Hillel Vancouver
has made toward Israel advocacy on a local and national scale. This
pilot project was a resounding success and will certainly occur
again next year.
Alexis Pavlich is the director of Israel affairs at Hillel
Vancouver. She accompanied this group of non-Jewish Israel advocates
to Israel. For more information on Israel, please call 604-224 4748.
^TOP
|
|
