WHAT’S NEW
MOVERS AND SHAKERS JR’S ROUND UP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THINGS HAPPEN
HAGIT MENDELLEVICH, mother of a 13-year-old boy killed in a suicide bombing, and NONIE DARWISH, daughter of a Palestinian ‘martyr’, met together in London in March to demand that the mothers of the Middle East conflict become the driving force behind the movement for peace. They called on the region’s mothers to stop cultivating hatred and start teaching peace.
In an emotionally charged speech at St. Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace & Reconciliation, Hagit spoke of her lost son who had been part of a Jewish-Arab co-existence programme. She recalled the agony of watching the mother of the suicide bomber celebrating in the streets, encouraging her other children to follow in their brother’s footsteps. Nonie spoke of her upbringing in Gaza and her schooling in hatred and vengeance, and how she was encouraged to avenge her father’s death by killing Jews.
“Our children and the children of the Palestinians deserve a better future,” Hagit said. “We must work for peace and put an end to the culture of hatred that breeds terrorism. It is women that will help bring peace in the Middle East. Not only do we bring life to this world, more importantly we educate our children, and our children are the future.”
Nonie added: “It is the brave moderate Arab voices, not terrorists, that are the true freedom fighters in the Middle East. They are the ones really risking their life, speaking and advocating peace and freedom and promoting the compassion, forgiveness and tolerance that exists in Islam.” She concluded: “I want to tell Hagit that there are Arab women who love their children very much and also love Israel’s children.”
DAVID RUSSELL
GAVIN GROSS is a brave man. During the week of 13 March, the Jewish Society which he chairs organised a Jewish Awareness Week at SOAS, an institution known for its radicalism. In November 2003, the SOAS student body passed a motion stating that “peace requires the elimination of Zionism and racial discrimination in all its forms” and condemning the expression of Zionism on campus.
Among the Jewish Awareness Week events were films and a lecture on the Pleasures of Judaism. All events were well attended but the most popular was a party, which drew about 100 students of many different faiths and saw them polish off 200 falafels, two cases of wine, and take part in spirited klezmer dancing.
Gavin Gross is a mature student. Brought up in New York City he came to London in 1993 as a high earning commodities trader in the city. He gave this up in 2004 to become a postgraduate student in Middle East Studies. “I was looking for more intellectual and meaningful pursuits. I chose SOAS because I knew it was a problem campus for Jewish students and for Israel, and I wanted to check it out first-hand. I thought I could make a difference there.” JL
MICHAL HASSON, who arrived only seven months ago from Israel, has been doing the near impossible, bringing together the Orthodox north of Manchester with the more progressive community to the south of the city. As the new Shaliach (Israeli youth worker) for UJIA-Makor she has set up Beyachad Ba’tzafon, a forum of local youth leaders. “You have people from Ezra (ultra Orthodox group) talking to Reform. They might not go to each other’s events but they have been working together to conceive our first ISRAEL WEEK.”
Michal is bubbling with enthusiasm for the week, which includes eleven events – designed to “to create some Israeli vibes” and discuss the important issues of Jewish identity. Not daunted by the religious restriction against playing music at this time, Michal is making cinema an important part of the week and has stocked up the Makor Centre with a range of DVDs of new films.
Now aged 29, Michal has worked in an open democratic school in Jaffa “Something like Summerhill here and on the lines of the ideas of Janos Korsack”, as well as in army education. She is passionate about ‘creative education’. In the UK she has been giving courses to Reform cheder teachers on creative Bible reading – and has given sessions at Limmud.
Shaliach Yehuda Bergman achieved wonders in Leeds in initiating the Leeds Jewish Theatre Festival on a strong enough basis to continue after his departure (bigger and better than ever this year). All strength to Michal’s arm in similarly energising Manchester. See WHAT’S HAPPENING page 30 for details of some of the ISRAEL WEEK events starting 26 April. JL
CALLING YOUNG POETS!
A chance to have your poem published in Jewish Renaissance have your poem displayed as part of the major
Jewish Museum exhibition IDENTITIES 2006 Young people aged 8 to 18 are invited to submit a poem on
ASPECTS OF JEWISH IDENTITY 2006 Prizes to be awarded at Young People’s Writing Workshop at the Jewish Museum on 9 July For guidelines contact: poems@jewishrenaissance.org.uk or go to www.jewishrenaissance.org.uk The Jewish Museum is running a photography competion both for young people and for adults in connection with their IDENTITIES 2006 exhibition. See: www.jewishmuseum.org.uk
Closing date for both competitions: 30 May
JEWISH RENAISSANCE APRIL 2006 2
