I'm late sharing this information about changes and additions to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA - http://www.elca.org/) staff whose work intersects with the ELCA's Peace Not Walls campaign. I have added a few links to the ELCA memo.
Middle East for Networking Update
June 10, 2008
1. Director for Middle East Policy in Washington , D.C. [from Rebecca Larson, Executive Director, ELCA Church in Society]
On behalf of Church in Society and Global Mission I would like to announce the hiring of the Reverend Susan P. Wilder as the new Director for Middle East Policy in Washington , D.C. and welcome her to the ELCA. She will be based in the ELCA Washington office - http://archive.elca.org/advocacy/federal/index.html - and will begin her work June 16.
Rev. Wilder lived in Jerusalem with her family between 1999 and 2002 and brings to this position a knowledge of and passion for the issues affecting people in the region. She has served in ecumenical and interfaith networks as grassroots organizer, speaker, and educator, working to raise awareness about the nature of the Israeli/Palestinian impasse and how the faith community can be a change agent for peace. She has worked in partnership with Israelis and Palestinians in pursuit of a just peace. In advocacy with congress, the White House, and the State Department she has articulated a vision for compassionate justice that addresses the welfare of all concerned.
Rev. Wilder is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. , and has served churches in the Washington , DC area. In this way she also embodies the commitment of the ELCA to work ecumenically on these important issues and to work toward a stronger, combined public presence by people of faith, both in the Holy Land and for advocacy work in the United States. Rev. Wilder will make a significant contribution to the ELCA's public work and witness.
2. Communications Assistant to Bishop Munib Younan and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Palestine (ELCJHL - http://www.elcjhl.org/) [next three notices from Robert Smith, Europe Middle East Desk Director, ELCA Global Mission]
Allison Schmitt, called to serve as ELCJHL communications assistant, is currently employed as a writer, editor and photographer at Luther Seminary ( St. Paul , Minn. ). She received a B.A. in Mass Communications from Mankato State University ( Mankato , Minn. ) in 1990 and a M.A. in Systematic Theology from Luther Seminary in 2007. Her previous experience includes desktop publications, writing, editing, research and design for various newspapers and publishing companies. She has excellent computer skills and is familiar with numerous software programs. Allison is a member of an ELCA two-synod Peace with Justice group, has participated in letter-writing campaigns for Bread for the World. Her previous international experience includes one month volunteering at the Quo Vadis Interfaith Dialogue Center in Tamil Nadu, India .
3. Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) Program and Trips Coordinator
Martin Shoffner has been called by the ELCA to serve a dual function: half of his position is designated for the coordination of ELCA trips to Palestine (including official delegations); the other half is designated for the coordination of the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM - http://archive.elca.org/globalserve/youngadults/index.html) program being instituted in Palestine . The YAGM program means that Martin represents another six missionaries who will be coming to work during 2008-9 with the schools and other institutions of the ELCJHL.
Martin is married to Suzanne Shoffner, a PC(USA) pastor, who is designated as a Global Mission Associate. Martin recently retired from his home-building business in North Carolina . He graduated from Guilford College (Greensboro, NC) in 2007 with a dual degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and Anthropology.
4. ELCA Regional Representative for the Middle East
Rev. Peter Johnson has been called to serve as the ELCA Regional Representative for the Middle East . He and his family will be based in Cairo . The regional representative position will be a new relationship for ELCA accompaniment in the Middle East. Under Robert Smithʼs direction, Peter will travel throughout the region, supervise ELCA missionaries, evaluate current programs and relationships, and maintain strong accompaniment with our companions.
Peter has served as a pastor for 10 years, most recently at Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church (Minneapolis , Minn.). He earned both the M.Div. and the MA in Islamic Studies through Luther Seminary (St. Paul , Minn.). Peter is married to Michelle, a business communications specialist; together, they have three children. A good portion of Peterʼs childhood was spent in Cairo.
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Sign up for the ELCA e-Advocacy Network! E-Advocacy empowers ELCA members to advocate for peace, justice, and care of creation. You'll receive timely updates from the ELCA on a wide variety of issues, including hunger, poverty, and the environment; and you can be confident knowing you are being asked to call or e-mail your elected officials only at the moments when your voice can make the most difference. Click this link to join:
http://ga6.org/elca_advocacy/join.html?r=H7NS18FqOqTjE
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To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Newly-updated Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking
Churches for Middle East Peace has updated its successful "Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking."
This email is also available online at: www.cmep.org/Alerts/2008July8.htm
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to release its newly updated "Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking." The Toolkit was first created in May 2006 and is designed to equip local churches and activists with tools to engage in awareness-building, education and advocacy activities in their communities.
This summer and fall will be an exciting time with the run-up to the November election and preparations for a transition to a new Administration and the 111th Congress. It is vital that church advocates work now to energize existing networks and build new ones to ensure that Middle East peace efforts continue now and are made a top priority in January 2009.
CMEP encourages you to download the Toolkit and use it to augment your current activities or begin new initiatives. You might use the Toolkit to establish a new committee or group dedicated to peacemaking. Or you might share it with your church leadership, whether it be your pastor or priest or social action committee chairperson. You might also want to pass it along to other churches in your area.
Below are links to access the Church Toolkit, an excerpt from the introduction, which provides a summary of the purpose of the Toolkit and the resources it provides, as well as comments from advocates who have used the Toolkit. If you would like to have a copy of the toolkit mailed to you or if have any questions, please contact the CMEP office at info@cmep.org.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Access the Toolkit
View Toolkit as a Webpage - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/Church_Toolkit.htm
Download and Print Church Toolkit as a PDF file - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/CMEP_Toolkit_for_web.pdf
To Download and Print the Toolkit, along with the included Resources go to the Toolkit Homepage - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/Church_Toolkit.htm
~~~ ~~~
Excerpt from the Introduction and Guide to the Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking
Many American Christians share a concern for peace in the Holy Land. They are drawn to this troubled region because of their spiritual connections to the places of Jesus' ministry, their relationships with the struggling Christian community, their concern for the suffering peoples of the conflict and their commitment to peacemaking. They often want to learn more about current events in Israel and Palestine and to better understand the conflict and possibilities for its resolution. At the same time, many see the complexities and controversies of Israeli-Palestinian issues and wonder where to begin.
Many churches and church organizations have policy positions and statements on the Middle East, mission personnel serving in the region and relationships with Holy Land churches. If you and your congregation or committee are just getting started, look for resources from your church or denomination. Learn more about the Christian community in the Holy Land - who they are, where they live, where they worship and how the conflict is affecting them. Pray for the Christians in the Holy Land. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem - a lasting peace for the two peoples and the three faiths. Using church guidance and resources, take action in support of peacemaking.
The Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Church Toolkit is designed to assist congregational leaders in planning a worship service, prayer vigil, adult Sunday School series, workshop, panel discussion, advocacy initiative or other community activity by highlighting topics as well as resources for more information.
~~~ ~~~
What People Are Saying About CMEP's Toolkit:
"Thank you for the toolkit. I plan to give the members of our Missions Committee a copy of this toolkit for them to read and to discuss how our church can use the information. I feel that it will be a helpful tool to get us further involved in working for peace in the Middle East."
Sue Woodling - Raleigh, North Carolina
"The toolkit is an excellent resource for congregational, regional and conference use. I have made multiple copies to distribute at the Bi-annual Assembly of the Northwest Region of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)."
Marvin Eckfeldt- Kent, Washington
Send us your comments on how you've used the toolkit in your local area! Email info@cmep.org
~~~ ~~~
Churches for Middle East Peace
Email: info@cmep.org
Phone:202-543-1222
Web: http://www.cmep.org
Churches for Middle East Peace
110 Maryland Ave. NE
Suite 311
Washington, DC 20002
--- --- ---
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
This email is also available online at: www.cmep.org/Alerts/2008July8.htm
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to release its newly updated "Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking." The Toolkit was first created in May 2006 and is designed to equip local churches and activists with tools to engage in awareness-building, education and advocacy activities in their communities.
This summer and fall will be an exciting time with the run-up to the November election and preparations for a transition to a new Administration and the 111th Congress. It is vital that church advocates work now to energize existing networks and build new ones to ensure that Middle East peace efforts continue now and are made a top priority in January 2009.
CMEP encourages you to download the Toolkit and use it to augment your current activities or begin new initiatives. You might use the Toolkit to establish a new committee or group dedicated to peacemaking. Or you might share it with your church leadership, whether it be your pastor or priest or social action committee chairperson. You might also want to pass it along to other churches in your area.
Below are links to access the Church Toolkit, an excerpt from the introduction, which provides a summary of the purpose of the Toolkit and the resources it provides, as well as comments from advocates who have used the Toolkit. If you would like to have a copy of the toolkit mailed to you or if have any questions, please contact the CMEP office at info@cmep.org.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Access the Toolkit
View Toolkit as a Webpage - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/Church_Toolkit.htm
Download and Print Church Toolkit as a PDF file - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/CMEP_Toolkit_for_web.pdf
To Download and Print the Toolkit, along with the included Resources go to the Toolkit Homepage - http://www.cmep.org/Toolkit/Church_Toolkit.htm
~~~ ~~~
Excerpt from the Introduction and Guide to the Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking
Many American Christians share a concern for peace in the Holy Land. They are drawn to this troubled region because of their spiritual connections to the places of Jesus' ministry, their relationships with the struggling Christian community, their concern for the suffering peoples of the conflict and their commitment to peacemaking. They often want to learn more about current events in Israel and Palestine and to better understand the conflict and possibilities for its resolution. At the same time, many see the complexities and controversies of Israeli-Palestinian issues and wonder where to begin.
Many churches and church organizations have policy positions and statements on the Middle East, mission personnel serving in the region and relationships with Holy Land churches. If you and your congregation or committee are just getting started, look for resources from your church or denomination. Learn more about the Christian community in the Holy Land - who they are, where they live, where they worship and how the conflict is affecting them. Pray for the Christians in the Holy Land. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem - a lasting peace for the two peoples and the three faiths. Using church guidance and resources, take action in support of peacemaking.
The Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Church Toolkit is designed to assist congregational leaders in planning a worship service, prayer vigil, adult Sunday School series, workshop, panel discussion, advocacy initiative or other community activity by highlighting topics as well as resources for more information.
~~~ ~~~
What People Are Saying About CMEP's Toolkit:
"Thank you for the toolkit. I plan to give the members of our Missions Committee a copy of this toolkit for them to read and to discuss how our church can use the information. I feel that it will be a helpful tool to get us further involved in working for peace in the Middle East."
Sue Woodling - Raleigh, North Carolina
"The toolkit is an excellent resource for congregational, regional and conference use. I have made multiple copies to distribute at the Bi-annual Assembly of the Northwest Region of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)."
Marvin Eckfeldt- Kent, Washington
Send us your comments on how you've used the toolkit in your local area! Email info@cmep.org
~~~ ~~~
Churches for Middle East Peace
Email: info@cmep.org
Phone:202-543-1222
Web: http://www.cmep.org
Churches for Middle East Peace
110 Maryland Ave. NE
Suite 311
Washington, DC 20002
--- --- ---
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Franz Schemmel reflection: Re-creation is dying and rising, the path to hope
Pastor Franz Schemmel wrote this essay for the newsletter of Messiah Lutheran Church here in Weatherford, Texas, upon return home from our June trip to Palestine and Israel.
I have been frequently asked since returning from the Holy Land on June 18 whether I had a good time. It's a natural question, one we usually ask vacationers, and we hope to get a big "Yes" in response. In struggling to find an adequate reply, I have settled on this: I did not have a good time, but I had a good recreation, better stated as re-creation. Martin Luther, following St. Paul, describes the life of the baptized as a daily dying of the old person and a rising of the new. Perhaps it needs to be said that the dying doesn't always come easy, and the new life, like a baby's new life, starts out in weakness and tears and takes some long while to become self-confident and strong.
The dying part of this trip's re-creation took an unusual form: I found that I had to let go of something that I have always thought of as good. I had to let go of optimism. In this realization I took my cue from our hosts. Nearly everyone we spoke to had lost confidence in the value of the current peace process. Our Palestinian Lutheran friends have been waiting for the last two U.S. administrations to broker a peace that would bring about a Palestinian state. What they have seen instead is a steady increase on the limitations brought to their lives by the restrictions of Israeli military rule, the continuous construction of the separation wall that divides them not only from the Israelis but also from one another, and a hardening, rather than a softening, of attitudes between the conflicting parties in the general population. These difficulties have encouraged a steady emigration of Christians from the Holy Land, with the younger and best educated leading the way. I.e., for the Palestinians the larger trends are bleak indeed.
I am lucky. I have an American passport and can return to the equanimity of Weatherford, and I do not claim a visceral understanding of the deep disappointment of the Palestinians. But I am still saddened by my own loss of expectation that the political leadership of any persuasion in this country will do what is necessary to bring hope, justice, security, and peace to our brothers and sisters of all faiths in the Holy Land.
But it is the dying that makes possible the rising, as the scriptures teach us. Our Holy Land friends bear witness to this as well. As Rev. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Chistmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem said to us, "I am not optimistic, but I am hopeful." Optimism depends on what we see. Hope depends on faith.
It is hope that inspires Pastor Raheb to open a college of fine arts in a place where all spirits are beaten down. (www.annadwa.org)
It is hope that empowers Palestinian Lutheran schools to teach nonviolence in a place where violence is the path of least resistance.
It is hope that brings together the grieving Israeli and Palestinian parents of the Parent's Circle (www.theparentscircle.org) to seek a path of reconciliation out of their common bond of pain.
All these witness to us that the deep things of our faith are not made void by hatred, disaster, or war, but are instead made stronger by the hope from the Spirit that comes when false hope is lost. The birth of that true hope is true re-creation.
Blessings and peace,
Franz
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To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 7, 2008
Lutheran World Federation calls for support for ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations
LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
LWI News online: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html
LWF Council Press Release No. 14-2008
LWF Council Calls for (...) Support for Ongoing Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2240.EN.html
ARUSHA, Tanzania, 1 July 2008 (LWI) - The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) [...] applauded the current ongoing negotiations between the Israeli government and Palestinian authority, and encouraged the two leaderships to aim at reaching a final status agreement to a two-state solution and a shared Jerusalem.
"The Council calls upon the member churches to remind their members of the long-standing support of the LWF and World Council of Churches for an all inclusive, shared Jerusalem, as also reflected in the statement of the heads of Churches in Jerusalem in 2006," the Council stated.
The LWF governing body rejected any armed struggle to solve political divisions and encourage the Palestinian people to overcome their divisions, and pursue a unified strategy for justice, rule of law and a pluralistic state.
The Council reiterated its strong support for the ecclesiastical, educational and diaconal work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Holy Land in the face of grave challenges.
The Council is the LWF's governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years.
LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
Editor's E-Mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
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Lutheran world Federation: http://www.lutheranworld.org/
For more background see - Israel’s 60th Anniversary Should Be an Opportunity for Reorientation and Renewal: LWF General Secretary Appeals for Dialogue for Just Peace in Holy Land - http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2207.EN.html
For information about the work of the LWF in the Jerusalem area - http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DWS/Country_Programs/DWS-Jerusalem.html
--- --- ---
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
LWI News online: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html
LWF Council Press Release No. 14-2008
LWF Council Calls for (...) Support for Ongoing Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2240.EN.html
ARUSHA, Tanzania, 1 July 2008 (LWI) - The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) [...] applauded the current ongoing negotiations between the Israeli government and Palestinian authority, and encouraged the two leaderships to aim at reaching a final status agreement to a two-state solution and a shared Jerusalem.
"The Council calls upon the member churches to remind their members of the long-standing support of the LWF and World Council of Churches for an all inclusive, shared Jerusalem, as also reflected in the statement of the heads of Churches in Jerusalem in 2006," the Council stated.
The LWF governing body rejected any armed struggle to solve political divisions and encourage the Palestinian people to overcome their divisions, and pursue a unified strategy for justice, rule of law and a pluralistic state.
The Council reiterated its strong support for the ecclesiastical, educational and diaconal work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Holy Land in the face of grave challenges.
The Council is the LWF's governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years.
LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
Editor's E-Mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
--- ---
Lutheran world Federation: http://www.lutheranworld.org/
For more background see - Israel’s 60th Anniversary Should Be an Opportunity for Reorientation and Renewal: LWF General Secretary Appeals for Dialogue for Just Peace in Holy Land - http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2207.EN.html
For information about the work of the LWF in the Jerusalem area - http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DWS/Country_Programs/DWS-Jerusalem.html
--- --- ---
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Lutheran youth undertake summer encounters
The July calendar from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) features youth of the church and their plans for summer encounters.
These and previous calendar pages can be useful in congregation newsletters, study groups and prayer circles. You can find download the calendar and photo at the ELCJHL calendar web page: http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/calendars/
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ELCJHL young people are gathering for a number of different adventures this summer both within the ELCJHL and with international partners.
At the end of June, Pastor Sani Ibrahim Azar took about 50 youth 16 and under up to Nazareth for an ELCJHL Youth Retreat. This trip was easy to plan because those under 16 don't need a permit.
Unfortunately, the Israeli civil administration didn't give permits for 5 of the 10 young men from the Boys' Home in Beit Jala to go to our ELCA partner synod in New England to visit and go to a camp. So 4 of the boys will have to go through the Amman airport on their own to the states (West Bank people cannot use the Tel Aviv airport).
Pastor Imad Haddad from Beit Sahour accompanied youth from the Beit Sahour school choir and debke dancing team to Finland in June, where they performed and got to know their partners.
Pastor Azar of Redeemer church is also taking both a group adults and a group of youth on separate trips to their partner church in Bad Toelz, Germany. Thanks to all of our partners who are sharing these opportunities to enable our young people to learn from one another and build bridges between nations and churches.
(Prayer) Gracious God, watch over our young people and those they visit as they travel and gather this summer in all different places and surroundings. Guide their feet and shape their minds and hearts into strong and faithful leaders in our churches, society and homes, living with all neighbors in peace and justice. In Jesus' name, Amen.
-- -- --
For lots more about the ELCJHL, see the church's web site: http://www.elcjhl.org/
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
These and previous calendar pages can be useful in congregation newsletters, study groups and prayer circles. You can find download the calendar and photo at the ELCJHL calendar web page: http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/calendars/
-- -- --
ELCJHL young people are gathering for a number of different adventures this summer both within the ELCJHL and with international partners.
At the end of June, Pastor Sani Ibrahim Azar took about 50 youth 16 and under up to Nazareth for an ELCJHL Youth Retreat. This trip was easy to plan because those under 16 don't need a permit.
Unfortunately, the Israeli civil administration didn't give permits for 5 of the 10 young men from the Boys' Home in Beit Jala to go to our ELCA partner synod in New England to visit and go to a camp. So 4 of the boys will have to go through the Amman airport on their own to the states (West Bank people cannot use the Tel Aviv airport).
Pastor Imad Haddad from Beit Sahour accompanied youth from the Beit Sahour school choir and debke dancing team to Finland in June, where they performed and got to know their partners.
Pastor Azar of Redeemer church is also taking both a group adults and a group of youth on separate trips to their partner church in Bad Toelz, Germany. Thanks to all of our partners who are sharing these opportunities to enable our young people to learn from one another and build bridges between nations and churches.
(Prayer) Gracious God, watch over our young people and those they visit as they travel and gather this summer in all different places and surroundings. Guide their feet and shape their minds and hearts into strong and faithful leaders in our churches, society and homes, living with all neighbors in peace and justice. In Jesus' name, Amen.
-- -- --
For lots more about the ELCJHL, see the church's web site: http://www.elcjhl.org/
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog, A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sabeel presents `Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years After the Nakba'
I encourage anyone to take part in Sabeel's annual conference in Jerusalem. This year's theme, Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years After the Nakba. Information and links are provided here.
Pilgrimage and Christian Witness Opportunity:
Seventh International Sabeel Conference
This link provides all relevant information, a pdf file of the brochure, and registration form: http://www.fosna.org/conferences_and_trips/index.html
Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years After the Nakba
November 12-19, 2008
Mark your calendars, and spread the word! The conference will focus on the commemoration of 60 years since the Nakba, and the complex issues of memory, narrative, and identity raised by the events of 1948. The conference will include: 4 nights in Nazareth, with trips to villages that were destroyed in 1948 and visits with the local Christian community; 4 nights in Jerusalem, with trips to Jaffa, Ramle, and Lidda; Lectures, workshops, discussions, and cultural events focusing on the last 60 years and the future for Christians living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; Optional pre-conference travel to holy sites in the Galilee; Optional post-conference travel to understand the Occupation including visits to holy sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Troubled Past, Complex Future
Among those who struggle for justice and peace in Palestine, our focus has been the fight to end the illegal Occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, in order to truly understand the complexities of memory, narrative, and identity faced by the Palestinian community, it is vital to examine the events of 1948—what the Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or Catastrophe. For 60 years, the Nakba has cast its shadow over the struggles of identity and narrative undertaken both by Palestinian citizens of the state of Israel and those in the Occupied Territories. As the nonviolent resistance to Occupation continues, the question of what it means to be a Palestinian remains.
As Israel begins its celebration of 60 years since independence, the Palestinian community will commemorate 60 years since the Nakba. During this important year, Sabeel believes that it is vital to examine the impact of 1948 on the quest for justice and peace in the Holy Land. It is only by examining and understanding the past that the Christian community—and, indeed, all people of this land—can begin to move towards a future of justice and reconciliation. For Palestinian Christians, and those Christians who are now citizens of the state of Israel, the question of identity becomes even more complex. As this community continues to address identity crisis, it also questions what resources within its past can enable to it to construct a more just and hopeful future.
In addition to the question of identity, this conference provides an opportunity to address the ongoing refugee crisis which had its genesis in the Nakba. As Christians, we must face the challenge of finding a just resolution to the longest standing refugee crisis in the world today. This conference will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the refugees, and to explore options for a just and hopeful future for these Palestinians.
Sabeel believes that Christians are called to prophetically speak of justice and hope in the face of injustice and hopelessness. While memories of 1948 are often shocking and disturbing, the necessity of shining the light of justice and truth on the events of the past remains. By so doing, Sabeel hopes to forge a path from remembrance to justice and mercy and to challenge Christians and the global community to come to terms with 1948, to have a better understanding of the Palestinian Christian community inside the state of Israel, and to find a just solution to the refugee crisis.
The Questions
+ What truly happened in 1948, and what did the Nakba mean for Palestinians?
+ How have the events of 1948 shaped the complex identities of modern Palestinians and Israelis, and especially Christians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel?
+ Why has the refugee crisis remained unresolved for 60 years, and what can churches and the international community do to promote a just resolution of this situation?
+ How will the events of 1948 continue to effect the quest for a just peace in Palestine and Israel?
+ What do the events of 1948 reveal about injustice within Israel in addition to the injustice of the Occupation?
+ How can those who seek justice for Palestinians as well as Israelis face the truth of 1948 while moving beyond memory to justice and reconciliation?
The Forum
These are some of the questions we will address at our Seventh International Conference. A roster of respected theologians, academics and activists from around the world will gather in Nazareth and Jerusalem in November 2008 to lead panel discussions, lectures, workshops, bible study and worship. Participants from many countries and a variety of faith denominations will have an unparalleled opportunity to learn, share insights, and work together.
The Invitation
We invite you to be a part of this important conference through your financial support. Your generosity can enable us to:
- Organize and facilitate an international dialogue on these challenging questions
- Host prophetic speakers from around the world.
- Provide assistance to participants from developing countries.
- Publish the conference proceedings so that others may benefit from what has been learned.
To provide a tax-deductible financial contribution for this important international conference, mail your gift to Friends of Sabeel—North America with a note stating it is for the "7th International Conference." Mail to Friends of Sabeel, PO Box 9186, Portland, OR 97207.
For more information, email: conf2008@sabeel.org or call: (972) 2-532-7136 in Jerusalem.
For prices and information about registration, etc., please go to
For questions, contact conf2008@sabeel.org or world@sabeel.org
Air Travel:
You may arrange your own air travel or make flight arrangements through Shepherds Tours of Jerusalem:
Shepherds Tours
9 Azzahra Str.
P.O. Box 19560
Jerusalem
Tel: 972-2-6284121
Fax: 972-2-6280251
Email: info@shepherdstours.com
--- --- ---
To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, subscribe at the blog - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace - http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/
Pilgrimage and Christian Witness Opportunity:
Seventh International Sabeel Conference
This link provides all relevant information, a pdf file of the brochure, and registration form: http://www.fosna.org/conferences_and_trips/index.html
Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years After the Nakba
November 12-19, 2008
Mark your calendars, and spread the word! The conference will focus on the commemoration of 60 years since the Nakba, and the complex issues of memory, narrative, and identity raised by the events of 1948. The conference will include: 4 nights in Nazareth, with trips to villages that were destroyed in 1948 and visits with the local Christian community; 4 nights in Jerusalem, with trips to Jaffa, Ramle, and Lidda; Lectures, workshops, discussions, and cultural events focusing on the last 60 years and the future for Christians living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; Optional pre-conference travel to holy sites in the Galilee; Optional post-conference travel to understand the Occupation including visits to holy sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Troubled Past, Complex Future
Among those who struggle for justice and peace in Palestine, our focus has been the fight to end the illegal Occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, in order to truly understand the complexities of memory, narrative, and identity faced by the Palestinian community, it is vital to examine the events of 1948—what the Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or Catastrophe. For 60 years, the Nakba has cast its shadow over the struggles of identity and narrative undertaken both by Palestinian citizens of the state of Israel and those in the Occupied Territories. As the nonviolent resistance to Occupation continues, the question of what it means to be a Palestinian remains.
As Israel begins its celebration of 60 years since independence, the Palestinian community will commemorate 60 years since the Nakba. During this important year, Sabeel believes that it is vital to examine the impact of 1948 on the quest for justice and peace in the Holy Land. It is only by examining and understanding the past that the Christian community—and, indeed, all people of this land—can begin to move towards a future of justice and reconciliation. For Palestinian Christians, and those Christians who are now citizens of the state of Israel, the question of identity becomes even more complex. As this community continues to address identity crisis, it also questions what resources within its past can enable to it to construct a more just and hopeful future.
In addition to the question of identity, this conference provides an opportunity to address the ongoing refugee crisis which had its genesis in the Nakba. As Christians, we must face the challenge of finding a just resolution to the longest standing refugee crisis in the world today. This conference will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the refugees, and to explore options for a just and hopeful future for these Palestinians.
Sabeel believes that Christians are called to prophetically speak of justice and hope in the face of injustice and hopelessness. While memories of 1948 are often shocking and disturbing, the necessity of shining the light of justice and truth on the events of the past remains. By so doing, Sabeel hopes to forge a path from remembrance to justice and mercy and to challenge Christians and the global community to come to terms with 1948, to have a better understanding of the Palestinian Christian community inside the state of Israel, and to find a just solution to the refugee crisis.
The Questions
+ What truly happened in 1948, and what did the Nakba mean for Palestinians?
+ How have the events of 1948 shaped the complex identities of modern Palestinians and Israelis, and especially Christians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel?
+ Why has the refugee crisis remained unresolved for 60 years, and what can churches and the international community do to promote a just resolution of this situation?
+ How will the events of 1948 continue to effect the quest for a just peace in Palestine and Israel?
+ What do the events of 1948 reveal about injustice within Israel in addition to the injustice of the Occupation?
+ How can those who seek justice for Palestinians as well as Israelis face the truth of 1948 while moving beyond memory to justice and reconciliation?
The Forum
These are some of the questions we will address at our Seventh International Conference. A roster of respected theologians, academics and activists from around the world will gather in Nazareth and Jerusalem in November 2008 to lead panel discussions, lectures, workshops, bible study and worship. Participants from many countries and a variety of faith denominations will have an unparalleled opportunity to learn, share insights, and work together.
The Invitation
We invite you to be a part of this important conference through your financial support. Your generosity can enable us to:
- Organize and facilitate an international dialogue on these challenging questions
- Host prophetic speakers from around the world.
- Provide assistance to participants from developing countries.
- Publish the conference proceedings so that others may benefit from what has been learned.
To provide a tax-deductible financial contribution for this important international conference, mail your gift to Friends of Sabeel—North America with a note stating it is for the "7th International Conference." Mail to Friends of Sabeel, PO Box 9186, Portland, OR 97207.
For more information, email: conf2008@sabeel.org or call: (972) 2-532-7136 in Jerusalem.
For prices and information about registration, etc., please go to
For questions, contact conf2008@sabeel.org or world@sabeel.org
Air Travel:
You may arrange your own air travel or make flight arrangements through Shepherds Tours of Jerusalem:
Shepherds Tours
9 Azzahra Str.
P.O. Box 19560
Jerusalem
Tel: 972-2-6284121
Fax: 972-2-6280251
Email: info@shepherdstours.com
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Notes from the ‘Legacies of 1948’ Delegation
Interfaith Peace-Builders & American Friends Service Committee sent a delegation to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories this season under the theme, "Legacies of 1948."
I certainly affirm these organizations' belief in the power of eye-witness experience and transformation. Given the opportunity to speak directly with Israelis and Palestinians, delegates return to the United States better informed, more energized, and with a deeper understanding of the possibilities for true justice in the Middle East.
I've added some links in the body of the text.
A series of reports have been posted at http://www.ifpbdel.org/del27/default.html
Photos are posted online here: http://www.ifpbdel.org/photos/del27/default.html
I chose at random Report Four: Bethlehem – Reconciliation & Return
“No More”
Mad man, bruised heart
Runs from grave to grave
Slams into walls, checkpoints,
Concrete barriers,
Occupied.
Refugee from Galilee:
An army, a lethal legion,
High-tech handcuffs,
American guns,
Creatures of habit and fear
Occupying mad man’s soul.
“I am not afraid of this legion.”
Exorcist believes, risks, invites
Mad man out of the grave lands –
To touch, to feel, to see,
To eat, to care, to shake
Off the mad occupation!
Organize friends, break bread,
Gather popular committees,
Stop walls,
Insist on boycotts, return to villages,
Respect everybody, respect all,
Love, love, love,
Sit when bulldozers roar to destroy,
Build now, build, build.
“You are shaking off the occupation!”
Mind clears, heart heals
So it can break right now
And grow strong,
Occupied no more.
--Dave Grishaw-Jones
June 1, 2008, Palestine
Mark 5:1-20
Birthday Reflections from Bethlehem
June 2, 2008
June 2, celebrating my birthday in Bethlehem! Like all of our days, full of contradictions and intensely powerful experiences. Started out in Jerusalem heading to Bethlehem – long way around – our tour guide says we can’t go through the checkpoint on the most direct route. Did I mention that Israel and Palestine are full of barriers – real tangible walls like the Separation Wall – and intangible walls – fear and prejudice. On the road, I ask our guide to explain the permit system again; seven days here, I still can’t keep it straight. Israeli Palestinians have Israeli citizenship; and like all Israelis, cannot travel in the West Bank, Zones A and B. (Except the 450,000 settlers who live in the West Bank, they travel around, but on settler only streets). So, Palestinians in Israel cannot visit their family members in the West Bank. East Jerusalem
Palestinians need a permit to get into West Bank; but West Bank Palestinians cannot come into Jerusalem or Israel except with a permit, and authorities only rarely give permits. Still not sure I understand it; except the system seems designed to limit Palestinians in as many ways as possible. Maybe I am getting it?
Morning at the Wi’am Center [http://alaslah.org/]. Once again, I am in awe, in a land that has been under occupation for decades, we meet men and women who still talk about hope. The Center is an inspiration – we hear how the Center is working to teach conflict resolution skills, to offer classes and community support for children suffering from the trauma of living under Israeli occupation, to offer training to women. Our host talks about how mediation here is different than in other places. The occupation and the incredible barriers used to try to destroy Palestinian communities may stem from a political motivation –but the economic effects have devastating consequences for the family and community structures.
We head out to Manger Square for a tour of the Church of the Nativity and a visit to the Peace Center [http://www.peacenter.org/]. Bethlehem isn’t the only town in the West Bank where Christian and Muslims live and work together – but certainly it’s the most well known. Again and again, we see Palestinian Christians and Muslims sharing community. The relatively peaceful co-existence in the Palestinian towns is a stark contrast to the settlements that have spread out over many mountain tops, in which Israeli settlers live in isolated communities. Time and time again, I hear Palestinians say “we can live together, and have been doing so for hundreds of years” and ask “why can’t they (Israelis)?”
Later, we are walking through Dheisheh Refugee camp. By now, the Nakba story is familiar – but hearing it from the Palestinians in the camp is heartbreaking. “We were forced out of our homes often by force. We thought we would go back in a few days, or weeks. Sixty years, and for us there is no right to return.” Suheir, our host’s wife, was born in the camp, and has lived there all her life, now her children also have grown up in the camp. Later, we meet her mother-in-law Fatma who was forced out of her home in 1948. She relays her story of Nakba: “We saw what was happening in a village close by and we took the keys to our homes and left. We thought it would only be for a short time until things returned to normal.” Suheir and Naji describe life in the camp, the horrific period in 2002 when the camp was under curfew for 45 days. Fatma tells us how important the right of return is to her, even now, she says she would live without anything if she was given the chance to go back to her village.
I keep asking myself, how can we have three generations of refugees – and no real solution in sight? How can you live at Dheisheh, in the shadows of a large (and illegal) settlement and just a short distance from the homes and villages you were forced to leave, and maintain hope?
Much of what I had learned about Israel and Palestine was distorted by a false view that Israel was right and that Palestinians were wrong. But, Israeli children were not told about the Nakba until recently; we heard somewhat conflicting stories, but even teaching about the Green Line is new. The US, and other members of the international community, have all said that the settlements are wrong, illegal. Still, while Israel was talking “peace” it was steadily building up the settlements in the West Bank. The Separation Wall seems to be more about taking land from the West Bank and less about security. Much of the nonviolent protests by Palestinians
and the international community has been and is being met with brutal and unrelenting force. And, I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness I have received in Jerusalem and in the West Bank. “It is complicated,” is the refrain I hear from Palestinians, from Israelis.
As I head off to bed – across the street from the refugee camp – I replay the anger and frustrations of the Palestinians we have heard in these past few days and am amazed that they find some way to hold on to hope – that the world will see what has happened to them and that they are not a forgotten people. I am in awe of the courage and resilience I see at every turn. I am no less in awe of the Israelis we have met who have spoken out about the human rights abuses we have seen with courage. It cannot be easy to speak out against the home demolitions, the Separation Wall, the military protection for the illegal settlements; but there are many who
do. It takes courage to be on the front line – and be willing to speak out and perhaps be arrested for helping Palestinians secure access to their lands, but Rabbi Ascherman assures us he can and has. I hear the New Profile [http://www.newprofile.org/] member’s challenge “There is more than one Israeli voice – one view. Don’t accept what’s happening in Israel without questioning it.”
What an incredible birthday; what an incredible new beginning in understanding the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
--Paula Roderick
“Brief Moments of Entire Lifetimes”
June 2, 2008
Our final stop of today was the Dheisheh refugee camp. This was a truly powerful experience. We were met with a tight-knit community that receives what few services it does from the UN and provides the rest itself on a volunteer basis. The community leaders we met are secular, political, socialist, and can easily navigate between anger at their constant state of dispossession to humbling warmth and hospitality. We were given harrowing firsthand accounts of Israeli occupation, brutality and insensitivity. We even heard from a survivor of the Nakba.
In fact, we were talked to so much that I felt brief moments of panic, as though the Occupation had descended upon me as some sort of immaterial weight, and I felt something like claustrophobia. I needed to get up and leave, see a different room from the one in which we spent a total of some three hours being lectured about refugees' suffering. I needed a different message, any message. I resisted this feeling, and these moments passed quickly when I focused on the speaker's humanity and individuality even within this massive stream of experiences of the occupied. On some level, perhaps, I saw a glimpse of what life under the Occupation is like.
I cannot imagine what it means for my brief moments to stretch out across entire lifetimes. On the other hand, I felt more like I was in a world where problems can be solved instead of normalized into constant fatalistic struggle when I was able to access the human behind the refugee. I do not think they would claim to be anything more than human, they just want to make sure we Americans know their stories since we never hear about them in the US.
The real tragedy of the Occupation is less the suffering alone and more that this suffering is imposed on human beings - who smile warmly, yell at their sons, tease their spouses and mothers, weep discreetly about the frustrations of the day. In other words, the Occupation and the Refugee crisis as political issues are something I can engage upon on an intellectual level and for which I can try to think of solutions and imagine my role in them. But when I see a human refugee, suffering in his or her own unique way from the Occupation, but also maintaining a humanity independent of the Occupation, then I can relate to and identify with the problem, and use this as my motivation for any role I might play in a solution.
We heard from no less than six speakers today, and to some degree it is difficult to differentiate between them. As I already mentioned, the constant and often repetitive discourse of suffering under the Occupation merged into a sometimes overwhelming stream but a few common themes emerged. First of all, every single person we talked to insisted that their vision for the region would be a single democratic state for all its people. All at some point or another emphasized that Jews would be welcome in this state, and some went on to say that the
enemy was Zionism and colonialism, not Judaism. They all assured us that the resistance would end if the Occupation were to end and these other conditions met. Maybe this is true, or maybe, as I'm sure some might say, they were just telling us what we wanted to hear. But at some point, after hearing this from Palestinian after Palestinian, it becomes increasingly difficult to declare them all liars in order to justify a paranoid xenophobic conviction that everyone's out to kill us, to which we seem to have become all too attached.
It's hard for me to think of us in this delegation as a resource to these disenfranchised Palestinians, and I feel extremely self conscious about using any of their resources. But they host us so well. Our stay at the Phoenix Center in Dheisheh was evidence that they have accommodations specifically for this kind of delegation. Hopefully we can live up to the hospitality we receive from the destitute, and give back to them by giving them a voice in a world that is not listening.
--Yotam Amit
[A longer version of Yotam’s piece was originally posted here: http://www.arabjewishpartnership.org/blog/?p=127]
“Mother of God”
They beat my children, she cries,
Fire in her eyes, her voice throwing sparks.
I don’t see any moment in my life
Without suffering.
I can’t breathe good.
She’s breathing fire.
I spend three hours, waiting in the sun,
At checkpoints; huge dogs, baring teeth,
Sniff me up and down, my children,
They watch. I am a human being, she says
And she says it again, I am a human being.
Can you imagine my children’s problems?
I am a refugee. All I think about.
It is no life.
She walks on shards of glass
Through unlit alleys –
And her children too.
I need a safe place for my children.
Why does Herod still rage
After Mary’s children
In Bethlehem?
--Dave Grishaw-Jones
June 2, Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem in Palestine
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