Blog | The Jerusalem Intercultural Center

Toward an Alternative Jerusalem Day – Call for Programs on Diversity

Jerusalem Day. This year it comes out on Sunday, June 5. What a better opportunity to discuss about the city we love? One day to reflect on its history, its peoples, its diversity. Well, not so easy….

As our own Michal Shilor recently said in the local Kol Ha’Ir newspaper, “Over the last few years we are witnessing more and more incidents of hate and violence on Jerusalem Day… I’m excited to be a part of making this city more tolerant …on this tension-filled day. Most of us are looking for a different way to mark Jerusalem Day, one that respects and marks Jerusalem’s political, social and cultural diversity.”

Jerusalem day is the most important time to emphasize the need for a more tolerant Jerusalem for all of the various identities and groups living here. This year, we will re-claim Jerusalem Day through a variety of activities designed to promote tolerance – “A Different Day in Jerusalem!“

Jerusalem Day 2016: A Different Day in Jerusalem

Together with a number of major partners in Jerusalem – This is Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Foundation, the UJA-Federation of New York, the Jerusalem Young Adults Center and more – we have lined up cross all sectors and groups – religious, secular, men, women, all languages and faiths, political right , left and center. The idea – to encourage a broad range of initiatives engaging a wide variety of populations and to flood the city with activities marking Jerusalem’s diversity.

Practicing effective dialogue in Zion Square

Thus far we have a long list (more than 40), and the list is growing. Events will be taking place all over the city, from Saturday evening, June 4 through to Sunday evening, June 5. See the map of all the events:

Map of events

To further these events and develop new initiatives, we held an Open Space Technology meeting on Sunday, May 15. Already-registered initiatives refined their programs, and new initiatives were presented.

Reporting vandalized sign to be fixed

In all, 10 initiatives were discussed. They included an inter-religious study session of religious texts, reporting defamed signs throughout the downtown Jerusalem area, educational activities in schools, an Effective Dialogue workshop at Zion Square, cleaning the roof of a multi-cultural art studio, panel discussions, and more. They were added to a growing list of events designed to highlight Jerusalem’s diversity. A full and updated list can be found on the event’s web page:

http://www.jerusalemtolerance.org

Different types of activities listed on the site

And here’s the Hebrew invite to the Open Space Technology Facebook event.

And here’s the Hebrew invite to the “A Different Day in Jerusalem” Facebook event.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T11:33:18+00:00May 18th, 2016|Asylum Seekers, Blog, Christians, Effective Activism, Ethiopian Jews, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, Jewish-Palestinian/Arab, New Immigrants, Palestinians/Arabs, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem, Ultra-Orthodox Jews|

MiniActive – Multigenerational Effort to Help Children with Cancer

Put environmental work together with community empowerment in East Jerusalem and what do you get – a MiniActive project!

We described here the recent efforts by local Palestinian girls from East Jerusalem to improve the courtyard of one of the schools in Ras al-Amud, as well as an adjacent garbage receptacle.

New project: developing a new garden for children with cancer

We’ve also described here the first Arabic-language horticulture therapy class that is coming to a close.

Mothers and children helping children with cancer

Now we’re marrying these two initiatives in a joint effort to fix up and renovate a garden for the al-Amal organization that helps children with cancer. There are 25 teenage girls participating, and an equal number of women and their children, both boys and girls.

Mothers, sons and daughters working together

They began in late April, and the project is expected to continue until the end of May.

Work in progress

It looks great so far – we’ll keep you posted on the progress.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T11:44:08+00:00May 13th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

Lessons in Tolerance from the Holocaust

“It was very interesting, very emotional, very special. In my circle there was a very interesting discussion about the memory of the Holocaust for the different sectors, about questions that arise around the memory, and what motivated the participants to take part in this very special meeting.”

Diverse Yom Hashoah

This is how one participant described her experience at the event, “The Holocaust – Does it Divide Us or Unite Us?” which was organized by the Rehavia Tolerance Team in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day that took place on Thursday, May 5. The event was held together with Plugta, an organization that seeks to delve into deeply divisive issues through learning, study and discussion. Here’s the post about the meeting on Facebook:

The evening began with an open discussion with Rabbi Moshe Grileck, editor of the Haredi newspaper, Hamishpacha, and continued with discussion circles between Haredi and secular residents.

In small groups as well

The question that was central to the evening was – In light of the fact that we stood in the same line for the gas chambers because we were Jewish, is there a common line that we’re all waiting in now? In other words, what are the common denominators that we as a diverse society can act upon?

Thought-provoking questions, not just for Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The Rehavia Tolerance Team is part of a citywide network of Tolerance Teams that aim to promote pluralism and acceptance of the ‘other’ throughout Jerusalem, supported by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Naomi Roff2016-05-21T08:35:02+00:00May 10th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, New Immigrants, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem, Ultra-Orthodox Jews|

MiniActive – Getting to Know My City

We’ve described here how we’ve arranged for the MiniActive women to take tours throughout the country, but it’s also important to see the special things close to home. That’s what we’ve been doing recently, with a number of tours of the Old City. Thus far we’ve planned 3 groups (2 have already gone) and a third will be going soon.

From all quarters in the Old City

In all, about 100 women from the MiniActive network will have gone. They reach all areas of the Old City, mainly through the Ramparts Walk, which encircles the city walls. For some, it was the first time they’d ever been atop the Old City walls, and was a very special experience.

On tour with Anwar guiding

The guide was Dr. Anwar Ben Badis, who also serves as one of our ever-popular instructors in Arabic language. Thank you Anwar for your always-popular tours!

The Old City from a birds eye view

Here’s one of the posts from the MiniActive Facebook page:

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for their ongoing support of MiniActive.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T11:40:21+00:00May 7th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

Tragedy in Shuafat Refugee Camp – Local ERN Leader Murdered

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is how we’d like to remember local Emergency Readiness Network (ERN) leader Baha Nababte Naufal, who was murdered a few days ago in the Shuafat Refugee Camp.

Baha collecting blankets

This picture was taken from our blog post from January 2015, which described the fantastic collaborative efforts citywide (especially between MiniActive and the ERNs) to deal with severe cold waves and winter storms in December 2014 and January 2015.

Leading the ERN

Indeed Baha was instrumental in establishing and leading the ERN in the Shuafat Refugee Camp and enabling local residents to care for their community, even in emergency situations.Here is how it is reported in 0202 – A View from East Jerusalem:

Baha Nababte was a prominent figure in the Shuafat refugee camp. We have been following the announcements of his murder since the early hours of the morning. Residents of the camp and of East Jerusalem mourn the loss of an important activist and local leader who worked tirelessly for the camp. Baha symbolized for many the hope for building a better civil society for Palestinians, and many see this killing as an attack on the residents themselves. The 0202 FB page has published a number of Baha’s posts, and even had the honor of hosting Baha in the “Leaving the Screen” celebration that was held to mark the first anniversary of the page.

At the 0202 anniversary celebration

Even his last moments were spent helping the community – he was killed while paving a road from the refugee camp to the neighboring village of Anata.

Here’s the post from 0202 that reports on his death:

And from his memorial page, translated to English by 0202, an article by Nir Hasson in Haaretz.

Naomi Roff2016-05-13T14:32:52+00:00May 5th, 2016|Blog, Emergency Readiness Networks, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Palestinians/Arabs|

Baka’a – a Neighborhood of Many Colors

We knew that Baka’a was a neighborhood rich in diverse groups, hailing from all over the world. Now, it is indeed, a neighborhood of many colors.

Neighborhood of Many Colors

On Wednesday, April 27, parents and children, religious and not, speaking multiple languages, decorated a local park on Lipschitz St. with beautiful signs of tolerance. Let’s let the pictures tell the story:

Starting with a blank canvas

There were many kinds of participants, of many ages:

Many kinds of participants

To each one, tolerance meant something different. It could mean this:

One view of tolerance

Or this:

A different view

Or this:

All you need is love

But in the end, all these different expressions of tolerance shared the same space:

Tolerance throughout the park

The Baka’a Tolerance Team is part of a citywide network of Tolerance Teams that aim to promote pluralism and acceptance of the ‘other’ throughout Jerusalem, supported by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Naomi Roff2016-05-21T08:34:12+00:00April 30th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

MiniActive – Waiting for the Bus in Style Beit Hanina

Yes, in Beit Hanina, you can now wait for the bus in style.

Renewed bus stop in Beit Hanina

In this neighborhood, as in many Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, residents suffered for a long time from poor infrastructure in general, and specifically, from broken bus stops, many of which did not have benches or seats or backs.

Now you can lean back as well as sit

As we wrote here, MiniActive was recently in contact with the person in charge of bus stops for the Jerusalem Municipality. This led to all the bus stops in the neighboring Shuafat neighborhood being either replaced or repaired. Here’s the our Facebook post:

This past week, it was Beit Hanina’s turn. The contractor in charge of installing and repairing the bus stops had toured the neighborhood with local MiniActive women, and this week, we finally saw new bus stops.

A ticket to ride and a seat to wait

Congratulations! Next scheduled stop – ????? We’ll keep you posted.

Naomi Roff2016-05-13T14:21:33+00:00April 25th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

The Arabic Sounds of Passover from Katamonim Tolerance Team

Passover songs in Hebrew, Passover songs in Aramaic, Passover songs in English. Passover songs in Arabic? Why not?

Throughout the ages Jews from all over the world wrote and sang songs and prayers in the language of their land. On Sunday, April 17, in preparation for Passover, the Katamonim Tolerance Team presented “Passover according to the Syrian Tradition,” baking soft matzot and singing Passover songs in Arabic.

The Arabic sounds of Passover

The evening was led by musician Shmuel Nelson. In addition to the music, the evening featured soft matzot baked in the Syrian tradition. Yum! (can we say that about matzot?)

Soft Syrian matzot

And here’s a taste of the musical tradition:

The Katamonim Tolerance Team, part of our citywide Tolerance Team Network supported by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Naomi Roff2016-05-21T08:27:53+00:00April 22nd, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, New Immigrants, Palestinians/Arabs, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

Creating a Different Jerusalem Day – “a Different Day in Jerusalem”

As our name states, we’re all about Jerusalem. Especially about Jerusalem and all its cultures, ethnicities, religions, nationalities. On this upcoming Jerusalem Day, we, together with a number of prominent Jerusalem-based partners seek to show this love for Jerusalem, in a way that is different than what has developed in recent years. We were recently featured in an article in the local Kol Ha’ir newspaper. Click on the picture for the PDF version:

The Hebrew article, from Friday, April 15

The Hebrew article, Friday, April 15

In the article, Michal Shilor, our coordinator for the Grassroots Campaign to Promote Tolerance in Jerusalem, said,

“Over the last few years we are witnessing more and more incidents of hate and violence on Jerusalem Day. Many of the events that take place in the city do not leave room for most of the city’s residents to mark that day in a tolerant manner, and I, like many residents of the city, hide away at home or leave the city on that day in order to get away from the blatant racism that is expressed in the streets on that day. This year, I’m excited to be a part of making this city more tolerant in general, and on this tension-filled day in particular. Most of us are looking for a different way to mark Jerusalem Day, one that respects and celebrates Jerusalem’s political, social and cultural diversity – and now we have a chance.”

This initiative, called, “a Different Day in Jerusalem“, is a collaboration between the Jerusalem Intercultural Center, This is Jerusalem, the Young Adults Center and the Jerusalem Foundation. It is supported by the UJA-Federation of New York .

There’s already a long list of projects and programs taking part in the day’s events. On Sunday, May 15 we’ll be holding an additional Open Space Technology meeting to garner even more.

Here’s the link to the Facebook event (Hebrew).

And this is the link to the internet site that features all the events of “a Different Day in Jerusalem“.

Mark your calendars for June 5. It’s going to be something special!

Naomi Roff2016-05-21T08:15:04+00:00April 19th, 2016|Asylum Seekers, Blog, Christians, Effective Activism, Ethiopian Jews, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, Jewish-Palestinian/Arab, New Immigrants, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem, Ultra-Orthodox Jews|

Cultural Evening for Arabic Language Students

On Tuesday, April 12, we held yet another evening of culture – a lecture by Mr. Omar Othman, renowned teacher of Arabic and well-known author Arabic-language books, of for our students of Arabic. For the first time, this lecture was geared to our students in levels one and two. (Previously, events were held for more advanced students.)

Omar Othman

Mr. Othman has been teaching Arabic for some 40 years to non-Arabic and non-Hebrew speakers. In simple language (for the students), he told fascinating stories of his life. The 45 students listened, enraptured, throughout the entire presentation and discussion.

Students in the audience

He told about his childhood in Beit Safafa, and how his family moved to Bethlehem as a result of the 1948 war. He and his 5 brothers stayed with their mother in Bethlehem while his father traveled to Jordan to work. In 1951 his father returned to Bethlehem, and after much effort, they returned to their family home in Beit Safafa. At that time he went to work in the Mahane Yehuda market as a porter and selling vegetables and herbs in order to help his family’s income. He told about his determination to continue his studies and how, together with his cousin, he traveled from Jerusalem north to Tira in order to become accepted into a high school and how he returned once a month to see his family. He told how he became a teacher in the village of Ein Rafa, a principal in Abu Ghosh (adjacent to Ein Rafa), and at the same time how he finished his B.A. at the Hebrew University and even continued his studies.

Omar eventually returned to teach in Beit Safafa and became the principal of its high school, one of the few in Jerusalem that teaches both the Israeli bagrut track as well as the Jordanian tawjihi track for matriculation (prevalent in East Jerusalem). In 1991 he retired and began teaching Arabic and writing Arabic language instruction books.

“Omar has dedicated much of his time and energy in teaching the Arabic language, and his story inspired us all,” said Orna, one of the participants.

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for their continuing support of this program.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T11:15:12+00:00April 18th, 2016|Blog, Courses, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish-Palestinian/Arab, Language Center|