With the recently signed ceasefire tempering hostilities between Israel and Hamas, I decided to share some thoughts this week about organizations and experiences in Israel that helped broaden my perspective about Israeli society, its relationship to its neighbors, and hopes for the future.
How does one broaden her/his/their perspective regarding a conflict that seems to eschew perspective?
Perhaps it begins with listening. This is the course of action advocated by Encounter, an insightful nonprofit venture that brings together leaders from the American Jewish community with Israelis and Palestinians to better understand the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During webinars and a four-day seminar in the West Bank, participants are encouraged to listen, without judgment, to apolitical testimonies presented by Palestinian civil leaders, businesspeople, negotiators, and grassroots activists. By doing so, participants gain invaluable access to the nuances and humanity behind the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that are not easily accessible abroad and certainly are not accessible through news or social media.
More than 2,500 Jewish educators, rabbis, lay leaders, and philanthropists have benefited from the programs thus far, enabling them to help inspire discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that simultaneously acknowledges and celebrates the dignity and humanity of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Support for the Encounter program may be provided at www.encounterprograms.org/donate.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel