Arab, Jewish "Potlucks for Peace" grow in
25 May 2005
Qais
Ghanem ( Ghanems@rogers.com ) is another example of
one person making a huge difference in the
In early 2003 he first extended his hands to both
Arabs and Jews in
Today in Spring 2002, "Potlucks for
Peace" -- 60 women and men -- continue to recruit new Arab and Jewish
members by word of mouth,
There are now about three Jews to every two Arabs,
up from three to one when the group began.
Many of the participants had had little or no contact
with members of the other group before coming to their first meeting.
Holding a frank but still civil
discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not an easy task.
Participants spent the first few months simply
getting to know each other, talking about children and food, building trust.
Ghanem knows that the people
who go to Potlucks meetings are an unusual group --- those willing
to take on the difficult task of opening their ears and minds to contrary
viewpoints and stories.
One participants feels a responsibility -- "a
role to play in extending that dialogue more broadly within this community, and
perhaps elsewhere in
"Potlucks for Peace" -- P4P --continues fostering sustained Dialogue
and building more bridges between their communities.
BBDD --
And they now have their own Web site at http://potlucksforpeace.org/
In dialogue group, Jews and Arabs in
By: Balint Molnar
OTTAWA, Canada, May 24 (JTA) It was a shouting match
that motivated an Arab man in
Qais Ghanem,
a Yemeni-born professor of medicine at the
The participants were members of the Canadian Jewish
and Arab communities, and the discussion quickly descended into a shouting
match, Ghanem said.
During a break, Ghanem
noticed two young women talking to each other.
One of them had identified herself as being Jewish
during the discussion, he, said, but he couldnt tell
if the other one was Jewish as well. Once he introduced himself to them,
though, he learned that the second woman was Palestinian.
Still, they talked as if they were old friends, Ghanem said.
The contrast between their civility and the verbal
slugfest that had unfolded on stage a few minutes earlier sparked his idea. He
organized an informal get-together between Jews and Arabs at his home, and
Potlucks for Peace was born.
Now, 60 Jews and Arabs have been meeting in
Members of Potlucks for Peace university professors,
professionals, musicians, students, senior citizens and others gather once a
month to eat, talk politics and learn about each others views, feelings and
experiences.
Much of the dialogue is about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Two and a half years after six people came to that
first meeting, the group has recruited new members by word of mouth. It has
attracted both Arabs and Jews.
There are now about three Jews to every two Arabs, up
from three to one when the group began. Many of the members had had little or
no contact with members of the other group before coming to their first
meeting.
The Potluck for Peace members at the groups May
meeting know that they live side-by-side in a multicultural society, and that
they hold strongly differing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We both live in
Shes from
I dont think theres enough dialogue between various communities.
Dialogue is very important, since multiculturalism can also lead to ghettoization, she said. I dont
think we should allow that.
Holding a frank but still civil discussion about the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not an easy task. Participants spent the first
few months simply getting to know each other, talking about children and food.
We were building up trust so that we could have a real
discussion, Ghanem said.
I took quite a long time to get beyond simply having
dinner and a pleasant social time. It also took a specific effort on our part
to generate discussion that really was difficult, said Allan Moscovitch, a university professor and active member of the
Jewish community.
According to Moscovitch, a
few months ago he and Ghanem had to model a
discussion on a controversial and difficult topic in front of the group to
break the logjam. They talked about anti-Semitism, focusing on commonly held
stereotypes.
They based the conversation on a notorious interview
with Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis
that appeared in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in
which Theodorakis rehashed well-known anti-Semitic
canards.
It was a very difficult discussion, but we showed that
it can be done, Moscovitch said.
The talk also was eye-opening to many Arab group
members, revealing the depth of Jews concern about safety.
What I learned is that the sense of fear which for me didnt seem real is really real, Reghai
said. I understood that its not something thats put on and not an excuse for something else, but
something rooted deeply in historical experiences.
By now, conversation flows more freely and touches on
many difficult subjects. At one point, one of the groups Jewish members asked
whether any of the Arabs in the group had anything good to say about
Monzer Zimmo,
a Palestinian born in
His criticism of
In fact, he added, he had two conflicting personal
stories about Israelis. One was about the Jewish doctor and nurses who saved
his fathers eyesight; the other was about the Israeli bulldozers and tank that
destroyed the olive groves at his familys farm.
I like to think of the first story, even if on a
collective basis there is more of the second, Zimmo
said.
Ghanem know that the people
who go to Potlucks meetings are an unusual group. Theyre
the ones willing to take on the difficult task of opening their ears and minds
to contrary viewpoints and stories.
Many also see their mission as spreading the word to
others in their own communities.
I think we have a role to play in extending that
dialogue more broadly within this community, and perhaps elsewhere in