Hey, to anybody interested in reading more about the inequality I mentioned in my last post – check out this article that was written about an hour ago http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/is-civility-breaking-out-in-israel-s-politics.premium-1.506417 – by the founder and director of Merchavim: The Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel.

So, it has been one month (roughly) since coming to Israel – here is what I have learned and seen in my time so far (in no particular order):

1. Jerusalem is the jean skirt capital of the world.

2. There are A LOT of Seth Rogen look-alikes throughout the country. You can really find them just about anywhere.  This guy is on a random bus – I would guess that I have noticed something like 5 Seth Rogens at this point…

3. Falafel is good, but schwarma is delicious. The pita and hummus are amazing! And the best of all of this is found in the West Bank.

4. I miss pork.

5. A burger is just not the same without cheese. Go to Tel Aviv to escape kosher food.

6. I enjoy the company of Russians and they cook wonderfully.

7. Warm winter days bring out all of the pregnant women – the city brims with life, happiness and potential.

8. A lot of young Americans make me embarrassed to be American when I hear them in public…

9. On the other hand, there are a lot of young Americans in less crowded public places that not only are not foolish, but are filled with excitement, ingenuity and are truly interesting people – they make me proud of the future that could be.

10. The Israeli government is unique. Sadly, this is largely in a negative way – it is incredibly bureaucratic (but then again which government isn’t?), but it is selective in its use of this bureaucracy which creates the immense inequality that exists here.  The government chooses not to actively support small organizations like Kids4Peace that are trying to create a culture of peace by not allowing Jewish outreach, lessening the participation of Jewish youth.  At the same time, it apathetically endorses apartheid by making it nearly impossible to get housing permits (in certain neighborhoods – guess which ones).

While visiting the Ramallah and Jericho in the West Bank a few weeks ago, it is easy to see that the people want to live in peace – they are clearly tired of constant fighting and military presence, and a major push in that direction would be for the Israeli government to take a step forward and say “yes, we will promote peace NGO’s; yes, we will actively allow Arabs to go through the same amount of bureaucracy as Jews; yes, we will stop building our governmental buildings in lands that are under Palestinian control creating even more havoc.”

12. I miss the sight of knees. The tendinitis in my knees has been acting up lately, I think it is because my knees miss the sight of other knees too.11. When asking directions, Arabs are the first choice – they usually walk you at least part of the way (even if not the right way) to where you are going and invite you for tea and dinner at their home along the way.  If there are no Arabs around, find an immigrant – they are friendly and tend to give good directions.  Only if desperate, ask a local Israeli, not only are the directions usually poor, but they are rushed and, although they are not actually angry about being asked, it just feels that way sometimes.

13. Its nice to get lost, you never know where you’ll end up or who you’ll meet.

14. Do not leave home between 2 on a Friday and 7 on a Saturday (winter times) – the entire city shuts down. Speaking of which, Shabbat is boring.

15. Soda is expensive. But that doesn’t stop me from drinking it… a lot.

16. No offense Kenya, but its nice not to have to take a bucket shower and to always have hot water.

17. Just because the carton says milk doesn’t mean it is milk.

18. Its nice to be able to drink the tap water.

19. The major local beers are awful, but the micro-brews are outstanding.

20. Most importantly, I have learned that I am doing what I was meant to do with my life.  I am happy at work, I enjoy what I do, I love the people and the kids, and I believe that this work can truly make a difference and hopefully will.  There is a lot of work to be done and a lot to get down about, but staying positive and energetic is the most important thing – we are making change in the community and therefore the world, even if only one life at a time.  Who knows what that person will do in the future to carry on the tradition, skills and knowledge they have gained through the K4P program.

Much love and Happy on-coming Spring from Jerusalem.

I am taking a large role in helping to improve the efficiency, reach, and desire for continuation of the first year program, for 6th graders, at Kids4Peace (monitoring and evaluation).  This past week, on Valentine’s Day and my birthday, we conducted interviews for some 70 youth – marking the beginning of the selection process.

The days were long and full of activity and stress for the children and staff alike, but we found plenty of time to enjoy ourselves as well.  On both evenings, I worked the check-in getting the opportunity to meet all the youth interested in joining the K4P first year program – and on the second evening my roommate Noa joined me for much of the time.

I did get the opportunity to step in to a handful of interviews in order to get a good impression of what goes on, the questions being asked and the pressure the kids must feel.  It can not be an easy situation for an 11-12 year old to go through an interview mostly in their second language, but some of these kids are really something else!

In the back of the office, we set up a nice room for the parents and children to socialize with the rest of the staff and some of the high schoolers who have been through the K4P program.

It did not make for the happiest birthday of my life certainly, but it was a very interesting one and a great experience to learn and see what the organization does on a more intimate level.  Because of the craziness of the day, the staff decided to delay my birthday celebration until next week – which is just fine by me – now it will feel like I get 2 birthdays this year!

Also, we will be continuing the selection process next week as we begin the workshops where the youth get the opportunity to interact with one another in smaller groups in order to showcase their eagerness to participate and socialize, their knowledge and skill sets – particularly in language.

It is an exciting time at the Kids4Peace Jerusalem office and we are looking forward to seeing the new group of youth that will join us this year – and sad to have to say no to so many others.

ALSO – DON’T FORGET TO PLEASE VOTE FOR THE KIDS4PEACE VIDEO – THE WINNER GETS A NICE DONATION: tellusworld.org/entry/kids4peace – it only takes a couple minutes!!!

Just imagine the Los Angeles Lakers still refused to take on African American players…

Major news arose early in my time in Jerusalem: Beitar, the Jerusalem soccer team, desegregated for the first time in its history with the signing of two Muslim players from Chechnya- its first non-Jewish players in its 77 years.

The fans of the Beitar football team with the sign: “Beitar: Pure Forever”

In response, a portion of the Beitar fan base created a xenophobic uproar – “Beitar: pure forever.”  This disturbing image brings back shades of Nazism – from Jewish supporters of a Jewish sports team in Israel of all places…  It just goes to show that hatred comes from anybody at anytime.

A demonstration was put together to “say no to racism” in Israel with a number of influential speakers voicing their opinions on the subject.  I attended the rally at Teddy Stadium along with my two supervisors, Rebecca and Mohammad, decked out in our Kids4Peace T-shirts while Beitar played across the street.

Sadly, the demonstration was held on a freezing night and attracted small numbers, but the message was sent in front of numerous television cameras and newspaper reporters while a handful of angry fans yelled from the street and the stadium.  One line that I took to heart from the speakers: “Jerusalem shows the best of humanity and the worst of humanity.”

More recently, some Beitar fans torched the Beitar soccer offices – but this has only strengthened the resolve of the ownership of the team and the leadership of the country as even PM Netanyahu has now stepped up to speak out against the xenophobia.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/12/angry-fans-torch-jerusalem-soccer-offices-over-signing-of-two-muslim-players/

I have been in Jerusalem about a week, and have just finished my second day of work.  The city is old, diverse and beautiful – pretty much what I have remembered of it from past trips.  But it is the work that I have begun at Kids4Peace that is making me exciting me so much at this point.

The first day for the most part was just getting introduced to the small office and its co-directors, Rebecca and Muhammad. We shared expectations and goals for the next 7 months and began basic introductory work.  Day 2 brought the introductions of Naomi and Reeham, the team that runs the continuation program, and an opportunity to meet the seven amazing teenagers that have made it through four years of Kids4Peace programs and are now about to become counselors for the incoming first year participants.

I sat in on the final meeting in which the seven Arab and Jewish teens worked on dealing with conflict.  It didn’t take long for me to join in on the activities and help the youths with some knowledge that I have gained over the previous few years.  Although, this isn’t going to be my main line of work with Kids4Peace, it was an incredible introduction to the type of work that is done in the organization in the Jerusalem community.  The K4P team has already made me feel so much at home and has given me a strong confidence boost, making me feel like I have been there for years.

I can’t wait to really make my own way and help create a positive change, as seeing the skills and knowledge that these kids have is inspiring, and I look forward to helping to helping K4P develop a stronger, more consistent means of achieving their goal of a positive peace for the future of Israel and Palestine, Arabs and Israelis, Christians, Jews and Muslims. An organization like K4P shows a bright future is indeed possible.