Effective Activism | The Jerusalem Intercultural Center

MiniActive Community Cleanup – Taking Responsibility for Your Own Street

Part of the guiding principle of MiniActive is that residents take responsibility for their own environments – neighborhoods, streets, schools.

Cleaning up our streets

As part of this effort, MiniActive has organized several community clean-ups.

Sweeping, collecting

Community cleanup number 2 took place on May 21 in Kufr Aqeb. The main participants – 20 teenage boys from a local school.

Organizing into teams

Many thanks to the school and its staff for their support!

Dividing up the equipment

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

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-07-02T15:02:34+00:00June 2nd, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Women Recharging Batteries in the North

It’s important for us all to get away and have some fun once and awhile, so that we can set to our goals with recharged batteries when we get home.

Last week, on May 20, we took 54 MiniActive women on a trip up north. They picked cherries.

Picking cherries

They had a picnic.

Group picture!

They went on a boat ride.

Different types of water activiteis

And the highlight – rafting on the Jordan river.

Out on the water

Almost as if we were there along with them…

Yikes! Hope no one falls in!

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-07-02T15:04:20+00:00May 30th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

Read All About “A Different Day in Jerusalem” in the Jerusalem Post

We’re working hard to bring you “A Different Day in Jerusalem“ – an alternative way to celebrate Jerusalem – in just a few days. In the process we’ve found that the energy generated around the ever-growing list of events is truly inspiring! Looking at the list, there is a vastly broad spectrum of events – from tours of neighborhoods to inter-faith and intercultural events to events for families and discussions with Likkud politicians. Something for everyone.

Jerusalem Day 2016: A Different Day in Jerusalem

As part of our preparations, this past Friday we were mentioned in the Jerusalem Post, in the In Jerusalem Magazine (Click here for the electronic version):

Jerusalem Post article

Many thanks to reporter Peggy Cidor on the mention. Looking forward to seeing you at the activities!

Many thanks to the UJA-Federation of New York for their support of this project.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T12:36:52+00:00May 29th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

Graduation of Horticulture Therapy Course

It took months of planning, and then re-planning, but we are proud to announce the completion of the first Arabic-language horticulture therapy course in Jerusalem! The course took place in cooperation with the David Yellin Academic College of Education, as part of our MiniActive program. During the course of the program participants established and cultivated a beautiful garden at the school. Here’s how it looked in the beginning:

Learning Practical Part of Horticulture Therapy

And this is how it looks today (or from March, after a lot of work had been done):

The garden in March

As we posted here, the course began in January of this year. It took place at the Al-Shuruk School for Special Needs in Beit Hanina. Here is everyone a few days ago, on May 25, at the end of the course. Congratulations!

Final picture of graduates

Here’s the post from the MiniActive Facebook page (in Arabic):

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for its continued support of the MiniActive program.

Naomi Roff2016-06-12T12:30:19+00:00May 28th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

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|

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|