4:00 Some of us arrive early to set up slide equipment and exhibits (photographs on bulletin boards, scrapbooks of Dialogue Group history, Oslo Accords, positive news articles)
6:00 Relationship-building dinner (Middle Eastern food) with
Rabbi Greg Wolfe and the most interested members of his congregation and of the Sacramento Palestinian and Jewish communities. Rabbi
Wolfe begins with "The Lemon Tree," a recent 10-minute television documentary filmed about a special relationship between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man whose family once lived in her home before 1948.
7:45 As people arrive for services, begin showing slides, "The Faces of Our Peoples," a repeating visual presentation of Palestinians and Israelis.
8:00 Sabbath services begin with Rabbi Greg Wolfe's welcome and peace songs in Hebrew and Arabic, as slides continue. There is a somewhat abbreviated service dedicated to peace. (Rabbi Wolfe prepared a special printed prayer and music program for this service.)
8:30 Rabbi Wolfe introduces panel -- 3 Palestinians and 3 Jews (Nadim, Sandra, Don, Elias, Elise, and Nazih)
8:35 The history of the Dialogue Group is briefly described by Libby and Len, who do not sit on the panel.
8:40 The panel responds to questions (A) previously sent by the congregation and written on a large pad, and (B) asked by attendees in the moment.
1. Why did each of you join the Dialogue Group? What were your expectations? What were your fears?
2. What have you learned about (A) yourself and (B) those on the "other side?
3. Have you had a major breakthrough in how you have thought about the Palestinian-Jewish dialogue? Describe.
4. What have been some of the most challenging/rewarding experiences that you have had in the group?
5. What has been the biggest obstacle or hardest challenge that you've had to overcome as a dialogue group?
6. How do you concretely affect (A) people in the Middle East and (B) the peace process itself?
7. What are the remaining challenges?
8. What additional tangible results do you hope to accomplish by continuing this process?
9. What motivates you to continue? What advice would you give to newly forming dialogue groups?
10. Additional questions from the audience.
9:00 Oneg Shabbat (Food, drink, and relationship)
9:15 Panel continues, with more questions from the group, and group interaction.
9:45 Conclude the panel. Ask evening attendees to express what the evening has meant to them, and any ideas they have for possible ongoing activity. What's next? Begin a Palestinian-Jewish mealsharing group?
9:55 Rabbi Wolfe closes the evening. Attendees with interest to continue in some form of Jewish-Palestinian activity can sign 3x5 cards with their contact information.