Wahat Al-Salam Neve Shalom

Home , Bruno Hussar, Neve Shalom

Wahat al-Salam Neve Shalom Palestinians and Jews Living and Working Together for Equality, Justice and Peace ~ Community ~ Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom (WAS-NS) is a vil- patterns of racism and discrimination as well as the lage of Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel ded- continued confict. The community has established icated to building justice, peace and equality in the educational institutions based on its ideals and con- country and the region. Situated equidistant from ducts activities focused on social and political Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the community was change. Many of the village members work in peace, established in 1970 by Fr. Bruno Hussar on land of justice and reconciliation projects. It has a popula- the Latrun Monastery. It is a model of equality, mu- tion of 70+ families and will grow to 150 families. tual respect and partnership that challenges existing ~ Primary School ~ The idea of establishing an the school system serves approx- educational framework that imately 270 children from the would express the village's age of 3 months through 6th ideals of coexistence and grade, who come from the village equality was born together and 19 towns in the area. The with its frst children. Ac- school complex includes a nurs- cordingly, in 1984, it foun- ery, kindergarten, a music room, ded the country's frst bilin- animal corner, recycling center gual, binational primary and ecological greenhouse, all of school. From the late 1980s, the school began to which work with the aim of educating for peace welcome children from nearby communities. Today, between the two peoples. ~ School for Peace ~ The School for Peace (SFP) was established in 1979 cluding students, professionals, members of NGOs as the frst Jewish - Palestinian educational institu- and others. It offers workshops, training programs tion to promote broad and university courses, and scale change towards trains professionals from felds peaceful, humane, egalit- such as politics, media, environ- arian and just relations mentalism, education, urban between the two peoples. planning, leadership in shared Some 65,000 Jews and cities and mental health ser- Palestinians from Israel vices. In programs based on a and Palestinians from the truly equal dialogue, the SFP Occupied Territories have taken part in its boosts a joint awareness of the confict and of the programs. role played by the individual in creating or ameliorating it. The programs encourage the The School for Peace works with young and adult, graduates to take personal initiative for establishing male and female, Jewish and Palestinian groups, in-

1 ongoing joint projects. over 1,000 graduates, some of whom have gone on to lead peace, social change, and human rights or- The SFP produces publications in various languages ganizations in Israel and Palestine. on peace, dialogue and the confict, and recently established a research center on these issues. The [email protected] | www.sfpeace.org | SFP’s world class facilitator training program has facebook: School for Peace | email: [email protected]

~ Pluralistic Spiritual Community Center ~ The Pluralistic Spiritual Community Center (PSCC) Recently the village opened an art gallery, which or- was established in commemoration of WAS-NS ganizes exhibitions and programs with the participa- founder Fr. Bruno Hussar. It provides social and spir- tion of Palestinian and Israeli artists. itual activities for the community and guests as well The PSCC facilities include two beautiful halls, a as a framework for personal and group refection, courtyard, green spaces and the dome-shaped study and encounter. "House of Silence" (Beit Ha-Doumia / Bayt as-Saki- Among the initiatives of the PSCC is the “World nah), all of which provide a "safe space" for many Rescuers Garden”, which honors those who acted to kinds of programs and activities. save and protect others from human rights crises [email protected] | www.wasns.org/-pscc- and natural disasters. ~ Nadi: Youth Center ~ The "Nadi" Youth Center trains the young people of The Nadi is run by a youth leader, who is assisted by the community as future leaders. The Center seeks parents and young adults. to foster and sustain interpersonal connections between the children and graduates of the village’s educational system who necessarily study outside the village during their high school years. The Cen- ter promotes values of mutual acceptance and respect, hones awareness of Palestinian - Jewish relations and social justice issues, and encourages individual and social responsibility towards peers, towards the community and towards society. In addi- tion, the Nadi develops informal educational programs that promote a shared existence.

2 ~ Visitors Center ~ WAS-NS conducts programs that cater to the varied Tel: 972(0)29996305 | [email protected] interests of international and local visiting groups. www.wasns.org/-programsfor-visitors-

For groups on a day or over-night visit, an introduct- ory presentation on WAS-NS includes discussion with a community member and a tour of the village. Longer programs feature cultural, artistic or spiritual activities or alternative tourism. The Center offers a broad range of lectures and workshops in the feld of shared existence, social and political issues, peace education and more. Programs may include a stay at the hotel or meals. Groups and individuals may apply to our visit programs director.

~ Hotel ~ Situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and enjoy- ing a superbly scenic location, the hotel offers an at- tractive base for touring Israel, visiting the village and/or participating in programs. Hotel rooms are well-designed, air-conditioned, and spacious, each with a private balcony. Facilities and catering for conferences, seminars or other events are available. An outdoor swimming pool is open in season. The hotel welcomes individual travelers and groups for accommodation or meals. Please book well in ad- vance. [email protected] | Tel. 972 (0)29993030

~ Volunteer / Intern Programs ~ Wahat al-Salam ~ Neve Shalom accepts a small num- For details and application: ber of volunteers and interns who usually stay www.wasns.org/-volunteering- between six months and a year. www.wasns.org/-internship-

~ Contacts and Internet ~ Neve Shalom, MP Shimshon 9976100, Israel E [email protected] ? www.wasns.org v 972(0)2 9996305 f oasisofpeace  972(0)02 9911072 m @oasis_of_peace

3 ~ Support for WAS-NS ~ The activities and ongoing development of Wahat Please contact us or our Friends Associations (see al-Salam ~ Neve Shalom depend on the moral and below) about possibilities for tax-free donations. fnancial support of all who believe in our mission.

~ Bank Information ~ Association of Friends of Educational Institutions Acct No. 12-690-454444 Online donations IBAN: IL 92-0126-9000-0000-0454-444 www.wasns.org/donate Swift code: POALILIT ~ International Friends Associations ~

Austria Norway www.wasns.at www.wasns.no [email protected] [email protected] France & Belgium Sweden www.wasns.org/-france- www.fredensoas.se/ [email protected] [email protected] Germany Switzerland www.wasns.org/-de- www.nswas.ch [email protected] [email protected] Holland UK www.nswas.nl/ www.oasisofpeaceuk.org [email protected] [email protected] Italy USA www.oasidipace.org/ www.oasisofpeace.org [email protected] [email protected]

Printed: July, 2019