The
First Day of Global Arab Jewish Dialogue -- Sunday, July 20, 2003 -- was
marked here when Palestinians and Jews attended the San Francisco Jewish Film
Festival to see two documentaries about Hebron -- one about Palestinian women,
the other about Jewish women.
The Festival director, Don Adams, announced from the
stage the Global Day of Arab Jewish Dialogue.
After the movies, we walked together for a
lunch-Dialogue at a nearby restaurant. In a private dining area we
established a safe place of goodwill. For several hours we introduced
ourselves to one another, ate lunch together, and listened to each other's
narratives -- fears, responses to the film, and hopes for the future together.
As an exquisite closing, Cantor Linda Hirschhorn
sang her "Sarah and Hagar," from her CD called
"Heartbeat," shown at:
The inspiring words of "Sarah and Hagar" are
on the Web at:
PHOTOS from the day are on the Web at:
Some
of us attended a second, 4:00-8:00 p.m. Muslim-Jewish-Christian educational
dinner and relationship-building evening down the San Francisco Peninsula
in San Mateo.
Mysticism in the Abrahamic Faiths: Quest for the
Unseen brought together 175 Muslims, Jews, and Christians to better
understand one another and that part of our faith that connects us to the each
other and the whole of life.
Seven Muslim, Jewish, and interreligious groups
co-sponsored this informative, healing evening.
PHOTOS are on the Web at:
Keep your eye on the Web site of
the Global Day of Arab Jewish Dialogue for more news from around the world,
at:
And, once there, be sure to contribute your own
stories and photos.