Understanding Israeli & Palestinian Youth (Continued)
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what’s new at Musalaha? Understanding Israeli & Palestinian 1. This month we say a bittersweet goodbye Youth continued to our long-serving volunteer, Jemma. We ( ) hope that she returns to Oceania with 1 22 positive experiences, new insight, and Israeli-Palestinians are part of the state of Psychologist Judy Kuriansky suggests legitimize opposed claims and foster good friends that she met through her time Israel geographically and legally, yet they several steps for changing the attitude existential insecurity. Delegitimization volunteering with us. are excluded from national expression as of each group. The first step is to stop of the other’s identity is a common theme the flag, anthem and ideology of the state, delegitimizing the enemy, which is done by in Israeli and Palestinian societies, and 2. This December is full of events for among other things, fail to represent relating to one another as human beings. Israeli-Palestinians deal with the challenge Musalaha’s women’s groups. We are having them. Israeli-Palestinian youth comprise This can be accomplished through meeting of falling between these two conflicting a conference on trauma, a worship night for nearly twenty-six percent of Israel’s child one another and developing relationships. cultures. Though there are a number of new participants, and regular meetings of population. Three central themes in their Next, working on joint projects together organizations in Israel and Palestine local groups. Please pray that these events master narrative are: discrimination can aid in working toward reconciliation as that attempt to encourage positive will produce fruit that will spread to other WINTER 2012 women in our communities. and subordination; hyphenation and a common goal helps break down physical interaction between these three groups, double marginality; and existential and psychological barriers. Encouraging there is still much work to be done. In our insecurity. The first theme describes their dialogue aimed at dealing with deeper context working with Messianic Jews and unequal rights as a minority. The second issues helps each party voice its hurts and Palestinian Christians, we find the need theme describes the challenge they face concerns, allowing time for listening and to discuss these issues while meeting 3. Hear what Israeli and Palestinian believing in identifying with either their civic further engagement to take place. Finally, the spiritual needs and challenges of our PENETRATING THE WALLS OF FEAR youth have to say about reconciliation at Musalaha’s youth blog at musalahayouth. (Israeli) or cultural (Palestinian) identity; reducing collective fear, anger and hatred youth and youth leaders. There is a need to In a recent staff meeting we read Henri and isolated; he comes and he steps into his in these tough times. In the same forum, 3 4 they encounter a measure of exclusion is possible not only through reconciliation, teach our youth leaders how to deal with blogspot.co.il. Musalaha is also developing Nouwen’s chapter entitled “A Suffocating creation. He comes to be with us. He does not a Palestinian stressed the importance of a youth curriculum for reconciliation. For 3 from both Israeli and Palestinian but also through thoughtful contemplation authority in a Biblical context, as well as Loneliness” from his book Reaching Out. He impose himself. He comes gently, quietly, identifying with the other side by watching more information, please contact us at communities. Their existential security and self-healing which can be done when how to address theological differences in discusses how many of us have a deep fear of vulnerably as a baby. People who are hurting, their news and praying for their civilians. [email protected]. results from Israel’s attempts to strip it is not possible to meet with the other youth groups. We at Musalaha are trying rejection which is rooted in loneliness, and rejected and fearful need not be threatened. These messages are meaningful rays of them of their Palestinian national and group. In our Christian context, we find to address this through developing a youth we try and fill our lives with entertainment God’s love and gift penetrate our walls of hope shining through the current darkness. 4. Once again, Musalaha is joining cultural identity through “Israelization” that this is achieved through prayer and leader’s curriculum which will teach youth and distraction to avoid the feeling of being fear, and he comes to indwell us. When we It tells those that are supposed to be the local Messianic Jewish and Palestinian in school curricula. Israeli-Palestinian proper teaching on forgiveness. leaders how to better communicate with alone. When others seek to inflict pain and feel secure and accepted, we are able to turn enemy: there are people on the other side congregations in Jerusalem for our third bi- school curricula do not allow them to youth, and deal with the issues we face in punishment on us, they deprive us of their to others, accepting and embracing them. that care about you and your people; you are lingual worship night. We hope for an event study Palestinian culture prior to 1948, The Israeli-Palestinian conflict influences the believing community and our conflict- attention, their time, and their intimacy. not alone. similar to last year’s, with 300 attendees and in addition, they study the Israeli this region’s youth culture tremendously. ridden society. bringing in the New Year in unity. As a result of fear, many Western societies As violence escalates in our region, many narrative of history. The master narratives currently in place -Musalaha Publications Department fill their schedules, avoiding truly free time. Palestinians and Israelis are suffering in We would like to wish you all a wonderful In our Middle Eastern context, instead of Gaza and Israel. We ask that you keep our holiday season. We hope that you will feel filling our day with “things to do,” we often leaders and people in prayer. Some people on God’s presence with you as you celebrate surround ourselves with our community, both sides have died, and many are suffering with your families. but even when we are together, we feel physically, emotionally, and psychologically. alone. When we have free time in education Please pray for Israelis and Palestinians in -Salim J. Munayer, Director Munayer family update and in our daily lives, we allow it to become harm’s way; wisdom for our leaders as their and the Musalaha staff filled with competition and rivalry or empty decisions impact hundreds and thousands The Netherlands United States Canada chatter. We are afraid of being still, and of people. Please also pray and for the local This time I, Salim, will be writing the he is studying in the Global Scholar’s particular. He is growing so fast, and he Near East Ministry Reconciliation Ministries Please make cheques payable to HOPE realizing that maybe, we are alone. believers on both sides. It is critical that family update, so it won’t be as funny. program in the school of international is dedicated to his swimming and studies. P.O. Box 30, P.O. BOX 238 Outreach of Canada. Please specify in the precisely at this time our response to the Over the years our home has been busy studies. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at Kay’s involvement in helping the poor NL-3780 BA Medina, WA 98039 note that the funds be designated for their The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not only conflict would be an encouragement and and noisy with four active boys, but his excellent grades. is increasing, and I believe that God will Voorthuizen USA Musalaha projects. an issue of denial of resources, but there blessing to our neighbors. in this issue... recently we have found ourselves with open new doors for her to bless people. NL is a desire to deny each other the right for Tax ID: 91-1960797 NOTHING SHORT OF A almost an empty nest. John left for YWAM in South Africa and I P.O. Box 20033 intimacy and love. We do this by denying the We are encouraged to see that in these times MIRACLE am so happy for him as it is a place where As for me, the last three months were United Kingdom United States Woodstock, ON identity and existence of the other. We speak when the conflict has a real and violent Jack is in his third and final year at York he needs to be. He is in a Discipleship very busy teaching, studying, researching The Andrew Christian Trust For Presbyterian Churches N4S 8X8 ill of the other, we delegitimize their claims, presence, Israeli and Palestinian Musalaha SHARING OUR University, and as a father I have the Training School and he will be going to and traveling, and the highlight of it Rockwood, Storth Road The Outreach Foundation 519-537-3511 and we demonize them. And this is often participants are answering the call of being NARRATIVES challenge to learn how to speak into the India for his outreach early next year. was teaching Musalaha’s “A Curriculum Sandside, Milnthorpe 381 Riverside Dr., Suite 110 just as hurtful, if not more hurtful, than the a blessing to the other side. Instead of life of a very educated young man. He of Reconciliation” at Fuller Theological Cumbria LA7 7PH Franklin, TN 37064 conflict over resources as it cuts to the core espousing hate and disunity through social UNDERSTANDING YOUTH UK - Charity: 327845 now needs to decide what he will do next. Sam is the one we feel the most for, as he Seminary. I was personally encouraged to USA of who we are. media, they have used it as a tool to spread is the youngest of four, and suddenly he see how our work in the past few years is Make a secure online donation through our website at www.musalaha.org encouragement.