Dear Friends,
The celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas each declare an extraordinary Divine message: the answers to life's challenges dwell not in the heavens but here on earth - in the compassion of the human heart, in the strength of the human soul and in the ingenuity of the human mind. The hope for the future lies within each of us.
This Divine truth is one that many would deny because it places great responsibility upon each of us. Indifference, despair and apathy always tempt us, and yet the truth of our God-given power remains. Nowhere are these denials and temptations greater than in the Holy Lands today, where divisions among Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze are longstanding and deep.
Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) believes all of us are called to live up to our human potential and to transform a world paralyzed by hatred and fear into one made better by compassion, engagement and ingenuity. Last year,
with your involvement,
we
created a four-year system of year-round peace and leadership education for high schoolers in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Tel Aviv and Texas.
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Building bridges and filling gaps:
Omri and Dahoud speak |
Yes, JPB attracts and sustains diverse and highly motivated young Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze leaders, but we are not stopping there. Next July, in partnership with Israeli Arab and Jewish educators, JPB will launch a teacher-training program for bicommunal understanding at Cambridge University. To promote change among Israeli and Palestinian parents, JPB will now work with Creating Friendships for Peace.
Our commitment is steadfast, and a
ll these programs, of course, require funding. That's why, in this special time of year, we are reaching out to friends like you who appreciate the importance of building lasting peace in the Holy Lands. Won't you, during this holy season, support the work of Jerusalem Peacebuilders by making a contribution? The hope of the future lies in our hands.
Sincerely,
(The Rev. Canon) Nicholas T. Porter and Stuart R. Kensinger
Co-Founders, Jerusalem Peacebuilders
