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Dear Friends,
Word of Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) seems to be out. Over the past few months, people and organizations around the world recognized what you have long known -the quality and impact of JPB's pioneering peace-building work.
In Rome, London, New Haven, Houston and Jerusalem, JPB caught the attention of leading institutions. These acknowledgements honor our on-going work, and we hope that they strengthen your confidence in JPB.
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Jerusalem's Old City from the Mount of Olives
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This recognition helps us advance a new approach to peace-building that incorporates Israeli, Palestinian and American institutional partners in ways that empower their local work and keep JPB efficient.
In 2017, we plan to include participants from the Galilee, central Israel and Gaza in our summer programs. This is very exciting, and without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you.
God bless,
Nicholas Porter and Stuart Kensinger
Co-Founders
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GIFTS FOR WORLD RELIGIOUS LEADERS
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Justin Welby, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury (left), and Pope Francis (right) met for an historic summit in Rome, Italy on October 5, 2016. JPB co-founders, Nicholas Porter and Stuart Kensinger, were there and presented these two world religious leaders with watercolors of Jerusalem (see below) painted by Old City Armenian artist
and JPB participant, Shoghig Shahanian.
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YALE UNIVERSITY HONORS THE PORTERS
JPB Co-Founders receive 2016 Curren Award
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On November 9 and 10, Nicholas and Dorothy Porter will share their experiences of launching and operating Jerusalem Peacebuilders as well as pragmatic advice for Yale students seeking to dedicate themselves to social justice and the public good.
JPB's Service-Learning Program in New Haven brought the Porters to Yale's attention, and the university's
Dwight Hall named them the 2016 Jane and William E. Curren '49 Distinguished Mentors for their "commitment to creating a better future for humanity by providing Israelis, Palestinians and Americans with the skills, opportunities and confidence they need to become future leaders for peace."
The mission of Dwight Hall is to inspire and nurture Yale students to be leaders of social change and to advance justice and service in the world.
The Jane and William E. Curren' 49 Distinguished Mentor Program
supports this mission by providing students with access to role models who have demonstrated life-long commitments to promoting the public good.
Other recipients of the Curren Distinguished Mentor award have been Kurt Schmoke former Mayor of Baltimore and Dean of Howard University School of Law, Frances Beinecke former President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), John E. Pepper, Jr. former CEO of Proctor & Gamble and co-chair of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Eric Liu founder and CEO of Citizen University and executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program.
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KARN RETURNS TO SERVE AND TEACH IN JERUSALEM
Nine-month mission holds promise
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Continuing
to build upon the successes he achieved on his previous stay last spring, Karn will be instrumental to furthering JPB's Jerusalem Schools Initiative and strengthening the connections and partnerships with other people-to-people organizations. When asked about this undertaking, he said:
"
I am grateful to return to Jerusalem
and to further peace
among the peoples of Israel/Palestine. Historically
, Christians
have been
bridge-builders
and agents of reconciliation in the Middle East.
To embody
that same
spirit
in my service is a
blessing that
I will cherish every day."
This opportunity comes with significant costs to place Jack in Jerusalem. Therefore, we are making a special appeal on behalf of Jack for your help in supporting his work. Please consider making a donation to JPB online or by mail.
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STUART KENSINGER HONORED IN HOUSTON
JPB Co-Founder recognized for leadership and service
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Stuart Kensinger (center), with fellow alumni award recipients
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Houston's premier school,
St. John's School honored co-founder Stuart Kensinger with the 2016 Maverick Award for his role in Jerusalem Peacebuilders.
Each year, St. John's awards the Maverick Award to an outstanding graduate in recognition of a personal, professional, or artistic accomplishment that reflects the creative and independent spirit that St. John's School seeks to instill in its students.
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JPB INTRODUCES BISHOP DOUGLAS TO HOLY LAND
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Bishop Ian, Anne Lynn and Father Nicholas with Armenian Patriarch (center) and Lutheran Probst (far left) in Jerusalem |
It began with a telephone call from Bishop Ian Douglas of Connecticut to JPB Executive Director Nicholas Porter. Six months later, they were finally standing within the gates of Jerusalem. The two-week journey around Israel and Palestine soon involved praying in Jerusalem, meeting renowned Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers, swimming in the Sea of Galilee and exploring Gaza.
From September
15 - 26, Bishop Ian, Anne Lynn of the
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) and Nicholas traveled as pilgrims with three specific goals: 1) to encounter God deeply in the Holy Land; 2) to become better informed about the current situation in Israel and Palestine; and 3) to learn from courageous Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders.
It was Bishop Ian's first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and what they experienced was transformational. Among the highlights were: the silence of the Judean Desert, the ingenuity of the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center in Ramallah, the commitment of peace-builders from Ben Gurion University, and the compassion and leadership of the tiny Christian community in Gaza.
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With the Greek Orthodox community in Gaza
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The pilgrimage also provided an opportunity to gather the JPB family, and participants of the recent
Service-Learning Program in New Haven for an evening together with Fr. Nicholas and Anne Lynn. At this gathering, promising Armenian artist and JPB alumna, Shoghig Shahanian, offered two watercolors as gifts for the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Meeting with local peace-builders throughout the pilgrimage opened exciting new opportunities for JPB in central Israel, Gaza and the Galilee. (
More on these breakthroughs in the months ahead
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Junior Counselor reflects on her summer experience
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En route to the UN
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My experience at the Service-Leadership Program in New Haven was powerful and two-fold. I was a participant and a junior counselor, which means I had the chance to delve into the dialogues, as well as to help with day-to-day logistics.
Besides visiting
mosques,
synagogues, and
churches, which is always an enlightening experience, and touring
Yale University, which was fabulous in every way, the experience that really hit home for me was volunteering to help Syrian refugees.
Almost a month and a half after I graduated high school, I walked into the English classroom at IRIS- a refugee resettlement agency. I found a seat and listened to the instructions. I noticed that everyone at the table was enthusiastically engaged in answering the questions being asked. They were all eager to work with my partner and me.
That was everyone except a young couple sitting next to me. So I turned around and introduced myself, in Arabic, and asked if they wanted to practice describing pictures. They both agreed. As they practiced with me, I noticed that they would leave out random parts of the sentences. I explained the basic format of a sentence and the woman asked me to stop for a moment so she could take out her notebook. She passed it to me to write notes on, and I saw a notebook full of every single word the instructor had ever said along with its definition.
It was then that she told me that she and her husband would study these words after every class, but were never confident enough to answer questions out loud. After just a few helpful tips, their sentence structure improved exponentially and they both enthusiastically volunteered to answer the instructor's questions. As I am taking Hebrew Language courses and studying for college entrance exams, I think that whenever I learn something new, I will remember that woman and her notebook.
"I plan to serve others by continuing to volunteer my
time
and skills
wherever and whenever I can. I want to
maintain helping others
academically through tutoring and generally
by actively listening to
those who feel like
they
have no one to listen to them."
~ Nadia, Palestinian Christian
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND,
OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 6
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Fr. Nicholas explaining a religious
site in Jerusalem
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Co-Directors, The Rev. Canon Nicholas Porter and Stuart Kensinger, will lead a large
pilgrimage of Houstonians to the Holy Land later this month.
The group will visit and experience Christian holy places like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the Sea of Galilee but also encounter the people and places that are central to all three of the Abrahamic faiths including the Western Wall, The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque.
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Adult EXCEL (USA):
June 28 - July 9, 2017
Leadership (VT):
July 16 - 30, 2017
Service-Learning (TX):
August 3 - 13, 2017
Service-Learning (CT):
August 3 - 13, 2017
It is never too early to inquire or to apply to these dynamic programs. JPB offers sessions with a balanced mix of Jews, Christians and Muslims, males and females, Israelis, Palestinians and Americans.
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THE GREATEST INVESTMENT IS PEACE
Did you know that 90% of our participants
require scholarships to participate?
Please help us in raising the next generation of peacebuilders.
"This year, I feel like all I ever read is news of
violence. I choose to donate to JPB because I have witnessed them enact and embody - not simply discuss - peace. I cannot imagine a better investment."
~ Recent donor
Donation checks should be payable to
"Jerusalem Peacebuilders" and sent to:
Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB)
3300 Chimney Rock, Suite 301
Houston, TX 77056 USA
Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) is a tax-exempt organization per section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is further classified as a public charity. Donations may be made directly to JPB and deducted under Section 170 of the Code. JPB's federal tax identification number (EIN) is 45-2233148
Thank you for supporting the pioneering work of peace
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