Jerusalem: October 12-15

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Our arrival in Jerusalem landed us in the midst of a very tense time in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with spurts of violence breaking out.   This context has made our experiences palpably emotional and real. 

Day One:  Abu Gosh and Shorashim

Our first destination was Abu Gosh, an Arab village outside of Jerusalem,  where we enjoyed an abundant lunch of Middle Eastern foods.

At the Cultural Center in Abu Gosh, we greeted  Philadelphia musicians Udi Bar-David (Israeli cellist) and Hana Khoury (Palestinian violinist).  We were honored that they  opened their intercultural peace-making journey with us, offering moving pieces that put this region's questions, pain, challenges and hope to music.   We especially appreciated their choice of the piece Istanbul to help us transition to our new context.    

After reflecting with Udi and Hana on their "dialogue through music", we were treated to a surprise dance performance by a half dozen teenage boys from Abu Gosh's Cultural Center.

Diving right into the heart of Jerusalem's struggles, we met with Ali (Palestinian) and Shaoul, (Israeli from one of the settlements) who have formed an organization, Shorashim (Roots) to build bridges between their communities.  Please take a moment to visit the website for this remarkable effort, Shorashim (Roots) at www.friendsofroots.net.




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