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May 18, 2002Children's words depict a shared painStories shed light MideastBy STACEY SMITHRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - The stories, told through the eyes of children living in Palestine and Israel, moved the audience to tears. Many of the more than 80 people attending Children of Israel, Children of Palestine: Planting Seeds of Hope and Peace Friday night wept as stories told by children who lived with the ongoing battle between Israeli Jews and Arabs living in Palestine were read. The stories, taken from collections of first-person accounts of the effects of the violence in the Middle East and read by volunteers, ranged from an 11-year-old boy's account of losing his father to the war to an American woman's search for the reason her own father had been shot at by a Palestinian man. Amit Tal, the 11-year-old boy, wrote that all he wanted was for his father to again be with him and hold his hand while walking him to school. The stories, music and poems about peace - which also included the tale of a little girl who could not understand why her family had to leave their pet dogs behind when they fled Palestine in 1948 to escape the Israelis - had one thing in common, Gary Appel, one of the event organizers, said: They show "the pain is shared in the Middle East." Appel is president of Congregation Ahavat Shalom, an independent Jewish congregation which sponsored the event. He said diverse opinions among the congregation about the Palestine/Israel conflict sparked the idea for the program. Appel said the congregation's goal was to "reduce polarization among the congregation and members of the community" in discussions about the Middle East. "We wanted to have people listen to a narrative that is not their own," he said. Rabbi Stacie Fine said the goal of the evening was to promote peace. "We feel we need to take a leadership role in teaching peace-based approaches to this crisis," she said. "Programs and efforts which cause people to view a complex situation in black/white, hero/villain terms, serve only to deepen misunderstanding and fuel a climate of anger, hatred and discord. Our goal is to build peace beginning here at home." The program ended with Fine, Palestinian Gina Aranki and retired judge and Christian peace activist James McCormick reading "We Know What Peace Means," a book emphasizing life at peace in the Middle East. Stacey Smith is the reporter for Leelanau, Manistee and Benzie counties. She can be reached at (231) 933-1408, or at ssmith@record-eagle.com |
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