I met Tidhar in New Haven, CT in August 2023, and just saw him again, November 2024 in Jaffa, a neighborhood outside of Tel Aviv. I had a tea and we went for a long walk. Tidhar’s 19 years old now. When I first met him, he shared a less than optimistic view of the future for Israel and Palestine. His predictions before October 7th were proven correct. Upon graduating high school last year, Tidhar received a medial diagnosis that determined he was exempt from joining the Israeli army.  In lieu of joining the army, he was required to find another type of occupation, so he has been volunteering for the past year with the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation where he works 5 days a week coordinating events between young Arabs and Jews, like soccer games, etc.  It’s more of a challenge to bring these groups together lately for the obvious reasons, but he believes in the mission of the center.  He also is required to send a certain amount of money to the Israeli health department each month as part of this agreement. The traditional trajectory of an 18 year old Jewish Israeli is that once they graduate high school, they enlist in the army.  Some go to University before joining the army, but that is mostly the exception, like Tevel, who plans to join the army afterwards.  If a Jewish Israeli citizen is deemed physically and mentally fit and has no questionable history, then they are required to serve.  If you decide not to serve, you can be confronted with one year of jail time in Israel.  This does happen.  Another exception is that the Orthodox Jews are not required to serve in the army, which is a point of contention and protest within the country. Druze and Circassians males are also required to join, but not the females. As you see, there are rules for some groups but not others in the sate of Israel. Growing up with 2 siblings and parents in marketing and education, Tidhar lives in a supportive home.  He's authentic as they come, says what he feels, kind but critical where he needs to be, and without any degree of arrogance or self-righteousness.   He reminds me of Holden Caulfield, slightly disaffected, but still believes in ideals larger than himself.   We start our conversation about the war(s) in and outside Israel.  He first offers to me bluntly that he does not want to contribute to an apartheid state. But he’s not talking about apartheid within the Israeli borders, he’s specifically talking about what’s happening in the West Bank where they have Jewish settlements and Palestinian neighborhoods separated by walls and barriers.  Two communities that live right next to each other, but cannot interact or see one another.  From the West Bank, a Jewish settler could take 20 minutes to drive to Jerusalem, where it could take a Palestinian resident two hours to travel the same distance because of all the checkpoints they would have to go through.  Tidhar educates me about a law in the West Bank that allows arrests with no warrant and no cause to combat terror in the West Bank.  And up until two days ago, he said, the law applied to Arabic and Jewish people. Now the law no longer applies to the Jewish people in the West Bank.  This means, only Arabic people in the West Bank can be arrested without a warrant or cause in the efforts to combat terror. On a side note, the West Bank is divided into three zones, Area A, B and C.  Each Zone has a different level of Israeli involvement and Palestinian sovereignty.  Area A: Palestinian administrative and police control.  18% of the West Bank.  Area B: Palestinian Authority has administrative control, but shares security control with Israeli authorities.  22% of West Bank Area C: The most complicated and hotly contested area of them all.   Israel administers Area C.  300,000 Palestinians live here along with 400,000 Israeli settlers residing in approximately 230 settlements.  30% of Area C is a designated “firing zone” for military training.  It is nearly impossible for Palestinian residents to obtain land permits for housing and farming in Area C.  60% of the West Bank. These areas aren’t divided up like Neapolitan ice Cream in 3 separate sections partitioned off, it’s more divided up like rocky road, where you are see a random settlements of Area A and B in the swath of Area C. Tidhar further continues explaining that Jewish settlers from the West Bank can travel into Israel, but a Palestinian in the West Bank cannot see the sea and cannot walk into the Israel.  “You can argue if it’s for defense, but you cannot argue that it’s not apartheid. We are settling there and kicking them out.  We burned their olive trees.  There are no repercussions. They will dislike the word but they don’t have a problem with the idea of apartheid.” Aside from the West Bank, I ask him if he thinks there is apartheid within Israel, and he responds that he does not think so. Tidhar does in fact believe in a Palestinian sate with Gaza and West Bank as one state connected by a road or train so there is freedom of movement between.  But, he lamented that he does not think this is plausible in the next 50 years.  “The problem right now is that no one is trying to stop it, we keep killing Palestinians  There is a war. A solution takes a lot of fucking time.” Resolute with his deep-seated belief in peace, he recites, “The hardship of peace is better than the suffering of war.” We go on for a while digging deeper into Israeli policy in the West Bank with “what ifs” and “if only” scenarios.  We discuss the plausibility and implausibility of a one-state solution.  When discussing Israel's need for defense, he tells me that “No one thinks about other people when their life is on the line.” I directed the conversation towards Gaza as that is the topic that is front page in the United states from students protesting at universities, citizens marching in streets, and disruptions in American governmental activities.  So, I ask him, “Do you think there is a genocide in Gaza”. He replies, “We are very close to it.  Most of the illegal war crimes happen because of rogue soldiers.  They don’t get prosecuted.  They don’t get a direct order.   There are a lot of Israelis searching for revenge.  It’s not black and white.” As Tidhar opened up to me about his feelings and reflections on the current state of affairs in Israel and Palestine, we walked over from Jaffa to Tel Aviv along a pathway situated next to unused railroad tracks.  The area felt like parts of West Village or Brooklyn, people were going about their lives, going out to dinner.  And, just the day before, I was hearing sirens and going to the safe room because of a Hezbollah attack on Tel Aviv.  The threat of war and attack is a daily concern in Israel, as I’m sure it Is an hourly concern in Gaza, too. People are under constant threat and the emblems of a country at war exist everywhere. Knowing that he told me a year ago that the country of can be toxic, I ask him again, "Do you like living here?" With a slight pause, “It’s unbearable, but I like it.” I am glad to have the opportunity to speak with Tidhar, because as a Jewish person living in Israel, he presented a different perspective than that of Tevel and Nikol. We boarded onto the same subway, getting off at different stops.

On the plane from Dubai to Houston, there is news a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah has been reached. There are the compulsory platitudes from those who asked me about it, showing a bit of optimism that things are getting better. But I, and perhaps they as well, knew that this was an illusion that things are changing. We breathe a tentative breath and hope that the rockets may not fire as regularly, but the chess board hasn't changed. We're still playing the same game and still have the same pieces. I am hoping this cease-fire will save innocent lives. People are actively working to stop the bleeding on one part of this dysmorphic body structure. Though, to change things systemically without resorting to violence, there needs to be an elevated change in the societal structures we've built and maintained. Same is true for Gaza. More so. When the atrocities on the population in Gaza ends, when the hostages are freed, what will have fundamentally changed in the relationships between Israel and the Palestinian people of Gaza? Is there also an illusion that Israel will defeat Hamas? What happens in 5-10 years when another terror group emerges? What happens when the Palestinian people in Gaza are still suffering and without fundamental resources? -- The cease-fire lasted all but one week until rockets were exchanged again: Headlines: "Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, but tense ceasefire holds" "Israel, Hezbollah trade fire" "U.S. tells Israel it is concerned Lebanon ceasefire could unravel" "Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon after fire exchanges with Hezbollah that test ceasefire’s limits" I don't know what constitutes a break in a case-fire agreement, but I imagine when rockets are exchanged, it is hard to still say there is a cease-fire in place. The illusion of change quickly evaporated, but I imagine no one flinched when this became apparent. It's expected. -- As people either fight to eliminate Hamas, to free Palestine, to come together Muslim and Jew, what is the society in this part of the world we are envisioning so the chess board fundamentally changes? How can we stop praying on our illusions?

I first met Tevel, Yousef, and Nikol in Navasota, Texas as part of the Jerusalem Peace Builders program. I haven’t seen Tevel and Nikol in two years and Yousef in one year.  I met up with them all yesterday as I traveled from Jerusalem to Netanya to see Tevel and Nikol, and Nazareth to see Yousef. We each spent an hour or two filming for the documentary. Tevel is a 2nd year student at the University in Tel Aviv in mechanical engineering, he plans to join the army after his studies in order to be a specialized officer. Tevel identifies as Jewish and non-practicing, but his family keeps Jewish transitions. Tevel's father, Israel, is quite literally named after the state. Yousef is working in Nazareth, with plans to attend the same university of Tevel. Youself is an Arab Israeli Christian. His religion is an integral part of his life, and he chooses not to talk about politics, but prefers to focus on peace. I respect him for that.  Nikol has both Jewish and Christian ancestry, though she identifies as agnostic and Israeli in nationality. She joined the Israeli army a few months ago and plans to be there for over 3 years. Tevel and Nikol discussed their views of the ongoing war and the detrimental effect the war has had on their friendships with Palestinians from the peace program. Because the situation is so tense in Israel currently, many friendships between Jews and Muslims don’t always continue. Everyone agrees that the current situation is the worst it's been ever. Nikol mentioned that once the peace facilitators were no longer present, the participants more often engaged in unproductive ways of speaking to one another - or not speaking to one another. Consequently, their friendship bonds with Palestinians have frayed, and the divisions have grown deeper since October 7th. Tevel and Nikol both gave substantive interviews and shared some personally challenging moments along with what they hope for the future. I will share parts of their meaningful stories soon. I also know how necessary it is to equally represent the Palestinians that were part of the peace program. I'm working on it. Not everyone is comfortable speaking on camera during this time. I'm trying to build trust and hopefully the vision will help do that.

Grieving Together How can you humanize a people you are fighting? If a group of people have violently killed your family, taken you hostage, stripped away your livelihoods, leveled your home, how can you not be filled with such extreme anger, sadness, vengeance? And, when you join the forces to fight an aggressor or an oppressor, how can you still maintain friendships with those that identify with the people you are fighting? A Wednesday visit to the site of the Nova Festival where the October 7th massacre was sobering. I viewed hundreds of memorials dedicated to the victims of those murdered that day, each one with a photo of them, flowers, a few sentences about their personalities and then a second-by-second recounting of their last moments on this earth. Some sacrificed their own lives to save others, some were there visiting from another country, and all didn’t deserve to die. They were killed by terrorists who had no respect for innocent human life. I spoke with a mother the night before whose son has been held hostage in Gaza for over 400 days, and every night she stands in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense to say, “We’ve eliminated the terrorists. Enough with the war. Bring them home”. And from where I was standing, three miles due West of the Nova Festival, lies Gaza, literally still up in smoke. It seemed both close by and so far away. Gaza is living memorial of its own. Truly hell on earth that has been under constant bombardment by the IDF where entire communities and families have been obliterated since October 7th. Entire cities have been leveled, catastrophic levels of hunger, disease, and lifelong trauma. People living in Gaza have been dehumanized, and often compartmentalized. Over 45,000 have been killed. 70% of those killed were women and children. I have heard the response from people when confronted with the number of Palestinian deaths say things like:Those numbers aren’t accurate.Hamas uses them as human shields.The IDF avoids innocent people at all costs. If our first response to learning about innocent lives being murdered is a justification for it, then we must ask ourselves if we are also personally accountable for also dehumanizing them whether consciously or unconsciously. When we argue over whether we call it a genocide or not, are we losing the plot? Countless innocent lives have been murdered, isn’t that enough to end the conversation? Arguing over a label is further emotionally distancing ourselves from the true horror of it all, because a murdered child is a murdered child. Are we as humans capable of simultaneously having empathy for all innocent lives that have been killed? Not just saying that we care, but truly showing that we care with our actions? I find ourselves as a society digging further and further into our respective camps, surrounding ourselves with people who only share what we believe – perpetuating and hardening our stances, leaving no room to be open to explore or even consider someone else’s point of view. Listening and considering someone else’s lived experience and point of view is one of the hardest things to do when we personally feel we are in the right. It’s hard for me. We don’t have to agree, but can we listen? A personal note on why I have felt disaffected from attending some synagogues lately. I used to host Shabbats before October 7th, but the atmosphere changed. I didn’t feel any less Jewish, but somehow it all became political. I couldn’t find my place through it. When I’ve attended synagogues in the past year, the rabbi would always pay tribute to the Israeli hostages which I was appreciative of and felt was important, but there was no mention of the tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians who have been murdered. And, if there was a mention of Palestinian lives lost, it was a footnote. I didn’t feel comfortable being part of a religious entity that could only express grief for one side. I needed, and still need, a place of worship that can hold space for more. PS. I’m having experiences and observations at a faster rate then I can write blogs right now. I plan to write blogs on middle eastern food, Kibbutzim, the army, pine trees/olive trees, and intermarriages. But for now I must sleep. I’m in Givat Ela today and tomorrow I go to Jerusalem. It’s late 4:30am, still jet lagged, and hear the morning prayer from the mosque one town over. My family and friends whom I’m staying with are incredibly generous, kind, and welcoming. Offering histories, and I’m fortunate to have such a loving extended family here.

I was talking to an Arab Israeli man and we were talking about the Israeli government’s action during the current Gaza war. He was saying to me that Arab Israelis cannot criticize the Israeli government online, not on Facebook, not on Whatsapp, not liking a post on X, nowhere that can be publicly seen. Why? Because you may get a knock on your door. I understand this is one person saying this to me and I don’t have a full poll out asking everyone, but I do get the sense that publicly criticizing the Israeli government online is not taken well, especially if you are Arab and are also an Israeli citizen. And though Israeli law recognizes protection of freedom of speech as a constitutional principle, there is a chasm in what the state says and what the state does. Freedom of speech is not truly free if we cannot criticize our government without consequences. I will also mention that Israel does not have a constitution. Suffering consequences for being critical of the Israeli government doesn’t just extend to Israeli Arabs, the parents of the Jewish Israeli hostages that are being held in Gaza are also harassed by government officials and through social media. This seemed absolutely ludicrous to me. A grieving parent who has had their child held hostage for over 400 days is now the subject of scorn because they are seeking a truce and a cease-fire. What about home and land ownership? There are Jewish neighborhoods and there are Arab neighborhoods, and few truly mixed neighborhoods in the entire state of Israel. An Arab would find it almost impossible to buy a house in a closed Jewish community, though there are notable exceptions. I will have to ask if the same holds true for a Jewish person wanting to buy a home in an Arab neighborhood. Should not the ability to buy a home or join a housing community not be dictated by your race or religion? And democracy is not just a division between Arabs and Jews, it’s also between secular Jews and the ultra orthodox Jews. And though the army deserves its own blog post, the ultra orthodox jews are exempt from an otherwise mandatory military service for Jews in Israel. Is this democratic? Is this fair and democratic for one Jewish person to be exempt because they are more religious? Arabs are also exempt from mandatory military service, but they are also not encouraged to join nor do the majority of Arabs want to join. Arabs would be fighting their own communities across the border if they were to join. The IDF does accept them by they are the extreme minority. What I see is a country that has different rules for different races, religions, degrees of religiosity and a country that has different expectations for these people. I know America is also divided, too, and America’s democracy is on the edge as well. But, it begs the question, what is a democracy anyway?

[ Apologies in advance for the heady and over-written nature of this particular blog entry ] One of my cousins in Israel said, "We are all brainwashed to some extent by some ideology". I've been thinking of this statement in how we are all influenced by the forces around us: the media we consume, the books we read, our schools, religious organizations, families, friends, community, activities, camps, personal experiences. All of this contributes into shaping our world view and reinforcing it. And if one only hears a singular ideology, when an alternative point of view is presented, there is no context in which to accept it or even understand it. It's that much harder to see someone else's point of view if we grip so tightly to our own. And, when we separate/segregate our lives from those that are not like us, it's that much easier to form a negative opinion or be distrustful about the other. We've all seen or experienced this. One of the reasons I'm focusing on teenagers who are dedicated to peace building in the middle east for this documentary project is because this is the time in a person's life when their world view is forming. It's the time where they are beginning to have individual ideas that don't always align with their parents. It's the time where they are absorbing different pieces of information and having those life-changing experiences. It's when they are open to exploring other points of view and taking risks. But at the same time, adolescence can also be a time where they close themselves off if they are confronted with a negative experience. It's the decisions they make in these formative years that can determine the trajectory of their lives, and these decisions they make should be instructive to us all. Not just in how they are forming their own sense of self, but in how we, as a society, are responsible for those influences that we've built and maintained. What types of messages are we putting into the world that are creating division whether directly or indirectly? And in what form are these influences presented? Regarding the current wars in Israel/Palestine, It is no surprise that these external influences are happening everywhere in neighborhoods in Israel, West Bank, Gaza, cities in the United States, and throughout the world as well. I'd like to talk about some of these influences that I saw while on my visit in Israel. And, although I didn't enter the Palestinian territories on this trip, I hope to one day soon so I can include more balanced content depicting life there, too. Can we agree   on   two experiences? Before I begin, I hope we can generally agree on these two statements below before I make observations of the influences. I would more than happily make an edit to what I write if I missed something. Contact: dan@gordoneducation.org The vast majority of Jews and Muslims alike condemn the violent attacks by Hamas on October 7th which violently killed over 1,200 innocent lives at a music festival - and took 251 innocent people hostage. The terrorists that committed this atrocity do no represent all Palestinians as a people nor do they represent Islam as a religion, and it would be wrong for me to conflate the two. In response to this terrorist attack, Israel has promoted signs virtually everywhere around the country for the hostages with the language of "Bring them Home" with the occasional "FCK HMS". And, I know for a fact if my family member was held hostage for over a year, I would be there, too, leading the charge every day until they were brought home safely. This is beyond heartbreaking for those who have family members killed or taken hostage. I had the opportunity to speak with a hostage's mother as well who is going through this daily trauma which felt by the majority of the country. No one should have to experience this. The Israeli army next launched a mission in Gaza to retrieve the hostages and take down Hamas, and in doing so, has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, as reported. This number of deaths is unfathomable and far exceeds the number of Hamas terrorists. Entire innocent families have been erased in Gaza. Generations of Palestinians have been traumatized. Many of those living in Gaza are now in need of food and there is a vaccination campaign because rampant disease is imminent. Utterly devastating to witness. Most people that I've spoken to around Israel, including one of the hostage's mother, believe the the siege in Gaza should have ended and they should have a cease-fire. And whether you consider it a genocide or not, there is an enormous number of innocent people (women, children, etc) that have been killed in Gaza who didn't deserve to die. I felt the need to write the above statements as I will be trying, however falteringly, to bring a basis of compassion for all people effected by the horrors of war, and to illuminate the motives for either side believing what they believe. And, the reasons for these belief systems are often deeply rooted in the influences around them. Let's get into it. Educational influences . In Israel, there are Jewish schools and there are Muslim schools. Except for very rare circumstances, the curriculum is never mixed. Jewish schools teach Torah and Muslim schools teach the Quran as a basic compulsory knowledge base. Already from a young age, we are setting up influences into a belief, history, and ideology. Growing up exposed to a singular religion, one is influenced by a sense of righteousness for their own religion and ideology. A multi-ethnic/religious education setting is the opportunity for young people to learn about each other's traditions, religions, customs, similarities, differences. And, for over 99% of Israel, students are not afforded this opportunity. At the same, time, perhaps many prefer to stay separate to preserve their identity and culture. Many say a mixed education would not work. I seems to me, the educational setting is one of the biggest influences that contributes to shaping an Israeli student's global view from a young age. Poster/Sign/Sticker   Influences . While in Israel there were many posters, signs, billboards, stickers with the words "Bring them Home" referring to the hostages still held captive for over 400 days by Hamas. Businesses have the signs in their windows, people put these stickers on their cars alongside stickers that say "FCK HMS". And, on the sides of buildings, 50 ft. tall images of the face of three terrorists with crosshairs on their foreheads as if to say they have been or will be eliminated. The image on the side of a building is s a huge depiction of killing the enemy - something I have never seen before in the United States in such large display. All of these posters/signs/stickers around the country give the impression of a unified country at war. Now, what posters and signs are we not seeing around Israel? We are not seeing the "Free Palestine" signs that are all across America with concentrations on college campuses and liberal leaning cities. We are not seeing signs/posters/stickers in Israel that present a loss of innocent life in Gaza because of this war. My question is: How does the absence of signage influence us? And, more largely, what visual cues are we seeing or not seeing every day that could influence our own opinion? I believe these influential visual cues can apply to everybody no matter where we live in the world. We are influenced by what we see and read. Group Think Influences. I struck up a conversation with a 20-year-old Israeli soldier on the public bus from Givat Ela to Jerusalem. We chatted the whole way and he was telling me that there was a professional soccer match between Israelis and Arabs. During the Israeli National anthem, Arabs turned their back on the flag. And the Israelis, later on in the game chanted "We hope your village is burned". A soccer game quickly devolved into a match of invectives instead one of camaraderie. And, if your friends and family members are caught up on one side either turning their back or on the other side chanting "we hope your village is burned", it's that much harder to go against the grain if everyone we know is following suit. We are influenced by the groups that surround us. What groups do we identify with? Do we agree with everything they say? And, what if we don't? The group influences are powerful social mechanisms that can influence behavior, and I remember seeing the earliest expressions of this when I was a kid. Clothing Accessories as a Type of Influence. To remember the Israeli hostages, Israelis wear a yellow ribbon on their jacket, tied onto their car, or on the door handle of their home or business. The yellow ribbon becomes a symbol of unity and solidarity as a call to bring the hostages home. And, in regards to an accessory that I have seen, though I was not in Palestinian territory, I know that Americans will don a keffiyeh as a sign of alliance with being Palestinian resistance. These are non-Arabs and Araba wearing keffiyehs as a sign of solidarity with the population in Gaza who are being continually displaced and under constant bombings. Both of these clothing accessories have become a symbol of solidarity for a human cause, the cause and dignity of life! Does it become a binary choice for people who choose to express compassion for all innocent lives? Other Influences: social media, news, extracurricular activities, places of worship . I could give examples of every type of influence that exists, but I am not writing a term paper here so I'm not trying to be exhaustive, but I want to draw attention to the idea that we are all products of influence. I'm not saying influences are good or bad, they are just forces that shape our lives, our opinions, and our world. My overall questions are: Are we self-aware to understand all of the influences that are shaping our opinion? And what influences are we not seeing?

I was feeling nervous the entire day (more like entire week) leading up to my departure to Tel Aviv from Newark airport.  It conjured up many emotions and as take-off drew near.  But, in the last few hours before I left, I grew more and more quiet, alert, focused. A flood of images filled my mind from war that I read about in front page headlines, seen in documentaries, heard on the news, spoke to people about who are one degree separated by either a hostage or a family member who was murdered, and the relentless scrolls on social media depicting the horrors of war – it was beginning to feel more personal now.  No longer detached or dissociated by the gulf of the Atlantic Ocean and the distractions of daily inconveniences or delights, it was happening now where I was heading Seeing videos of scores of innocent people being massacred is one thing, but to be amongst the people who are directly affected, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, created a sense of stillness in me.  But, these weren’t people that were just personally affected by these circumstances, they were also people that were effecting – whether contributing to the war effort, peace effort, justice effort, or the self-preservation effort, the desire to live another day. But, despite my nervousness, I am well aware that life presses forward – some more easily than others.  In Tel Aviv, my cousin’s friend attends the opera, only for it to be disrupted half-way through by an air raid siren – go to nearest bomb shelter as the aria comes to a halt I imagine.   If they are still able to go to the opera, life must not be that bad, right?   But, I imagine for many Gazans, it is all just one long loud silent siren for those suffering a barrage of tragedy and death – only without the opera stage.  Or maybe this war is one long tragic opera they are living in as well.   From my perspective, there are fears everywhere, there is fight everywhere.  And there is a determination and will to keep moving forward. I haven’t even stepped foot on soil yet, but from the Israeli who flanks me to my right on Emirates airlines, he describes the presence of war as a constant way of life.  You go about your life – and if you hear a siren, you go the safe room.  You read about the damage, the casualties.  And, then you go about your life again.  There is a coolness, coldness, but also a nonchalance as we as Americans may feel the severe inconvenience of a traffic jam on the highway. But for this 36,998 ft. perspective right now – I am understanding our way of internalizing war can float from hot anger, to disassociation, to resigned depression.  But, it remains the undercurrent always for those in the Palestine/Israel region. I packed light - two video cameras in a backpack weighing 15 pounds, a few articles of clothing, and all my camera gear checked underneath. Of course, I brought some gifts for my relatives, too. Some of these relatives, 3rd cousins around my age, share the same great grandparents as I by the names of Wolf Jacobs (b. 1862) and Udel “Bertha” Shapire (b.1861) on my maternal father’s side and great grandparents by names of Levi Netheim(b.1838) and Helena Visitor(b.1849) on my maternal mother’s side.  Many cousins, much history – me, a dissociated American has roots with family living in modern day Israel (or the land referred to as Palestine, depending on who is reading this).   I have some vivid memories of when I visiting family in Israel was 32 years ago in 1992 when I was 8 years old and staying at kibbutz Ma’ayan Tzvi. The sense of families living together, a socialist way of life, all contributing, and sharing a meal in the common dining hall known as the Chadar Ochel.   32 years later, I will return to the same Kibbutz. I have memories of making up songs with my family to understand the difference between a Bar and Bat Mitzvah – song can create a lasting memory with place. The intention of this trip to capture the Palestinian and Israeli teenagers who I first met in 2022 as part of peace building institute in the United States, and I will go much more in depth into this later, but now knowing that I have cousins across the country drops me into a deeper association.  Though I have never lived here, I have a bloodline here.   Two observations from the first leg of my plane ride that I will carry with me throughout my trip. Lesson one: Remain calm when things don’t go according to plan. One hour into flight, the typical international flying fear was my reality – I lost my passport after I got on the plane.  I quickly went through scenarios in my mind if I could have left it at the market counter at Newark airpot, how I would be able to enter a country without it, etc.  My seat-mates looked around our seats with no luck.  A few deep breaths and after a surprisingly good meal on Emirates, I went to the overhead compartment and in the chaos of boarding the plane, my passport somehow slid underneath someone else’s suitcase.  Let me rephrase it, my passport didn’t just slide on its own – I left it up there, baggage got moved around, and there it was – completely my fault.  The illusion of me being self-aware of my surroundings and alert was met with reality.  Even if I didn’t find it, it’s just a passport, there are ways to still go forward, to press on.  It’s not the biggest of deals because there are actually small solutions that I can achieve.  The nice lady from Hyderabad, India, on my left, who shared with me her book of Krishna, Sree Bhagavadtham written in Telugu, helped me look, along with the Israeli real estate guy/comedian.  We all worked together in this moment to help achieve a common goal, simple, direct and marked with success. Lesson two: My only job is to listen. The aforementioned Israeli guy to my left taught me another lesson, though I don’t think if was the take away he wanted from me.  He just wanted me to laugh at his jokes – which I did for a bit.  He asks me about my documentary project in the Middle East and he immediately shares in lucid detail his sitcom idea going into lines and antics of the pilot episode – him acting out the characters on his show.  For the first hour of the flight, I’m his audience.  I was getting tired, and the lights were dimming – though he was revved up. After a couple more drinks, he was ready for his second set but I was ready for sleep. One way or another, we get into the subject of the Israeli army as his son is about to join – and here is where it gets interesting.  His humor was not fully transferrable to the Israeli army, and when he did make jokes about it, it was at the expense of those in Gaza. A firm proponent that joining the army is a duty, though he also believed the world was created 6,000 years ago.  I didn’t need to be provocative, I don’t need to debate, so even a little critical engagement on my part, led him to dig in more.  Though his opinions are always under the cloak of humor, so how serious was he really?  I don’t know.  But, I do know as I begin this interview process for the documentary, it’s clear that it is not my job to try to poke holes in things that may seem ridiculous to me, change anyone’s mind, or even to seem skeptical of a belief system that doesn’t align with my own.  I only need to listen and to capture “what already is”.  That’s enough.  If this guy who loves to laugh is any indication for what’s to come, then it’s most important to stay open and receptive to hearing all different opinions/beliefs – even if I personally may not agree.   When the plane landed in Athens for the layover, I tap him on his arm to wake up him.  He opens up his eyes, extends his hand for a handshake, and he says “Go Trump” with a provocative wink as I collect my belongings. Published from Athens, Greece November 18th Layover

The last time I set foot on Kibbutz Ma'ayan Tzvi, I was 8 years old, my sister was 12. She was in preparation for her Bat Mitzvah. And to remember the difference between a Bar and Bat Mitzvah, her and I made up this catchy song, "Bah like a Sheep goes Bah, bar like you eat at a bar." and we would repeat this same refrain each time going higher in pitch. It was a truly one of our greatest hits, part of our collection of songs that is still remembered as a family classic. And, now I return to the birthplace of the infamous song. My warm and knowledgable (and incredible tour guides) cousins on my mother's mother's side (Netheim), who I spent Thursday night with in the Lower Galilee took me back here to the kibbutz for my pilgrimage. For those of those that don't know, a kibbutz is a realized vision of utopian socialist society in a closed community where everyone works on the main industry for that kibbutz (farming, fishing, manufacturing, etc) and shares basically all resources: child care, car, food, everything. They have modest houses, kids play freely, and no sense of capitalistic tendencies. If a child wanted to take a dance class, the kibbutz would support it. This kibbutz was founded in 1938 by Germans fleeing the rising anti-semitism in Europe and it was here where part of my family settled and still lives til this day in 2024. The first generation of those that founded the kibbutz were idealistic.The second generation was semi-idealisticAnd, the third generation (today) has already privatized the kibbutz to a large extent My cousins and I surveyed a 2 story house under construction on the top of the hill with a wide balcony that is being built on the kibbutz, dwarfing all the other modest houses below. The communal dining hall that was in operation when I visited in 1992, was closed down and is only used on special occasions. And, the industry that once supported the kibbutz, fishing and agriculture is now not enough to keep the lights on. My cousin said that when he was a child, he would work on the kibbutz by driving tractors after his studies at school every day. It wasn't a question of whether you worked, it was a way of life. But, despite the utopian vision of a kibbutz, there were some obvious pain points: Though children were raised by their parents, the children of all the families slept together in the same house. Kind of like a slumber party, but it was all the time. And not until later, did they realize this was not psychologically healthy for children to be separated from their parents homes when they go to sleep. A bit of difficult childhood memories for some. There was also the issue with money. What happens if you want to leave the kibbutz? You don't have an income. And though you receive a financial sum when you leave, it's not like your parents can support you financially because they also live on the kibbutz. Only 10% of the kibbutz in Israel remain in the classical sense, meaning that they still hold the same ideals and visions of its founding. What makes that work is that there industry is high grossing, so much so that if the family living on the kibbutz wanted to take a trip, the kibbutz can pay for it. You can have a wealthy kibbutz, too. In 1980 this kibbutz financially collapsed which was the start of the change in economic structure, so it had to adapt to the economic realities. A view from the kibbutz. My cousins

Last night I woke up in Givat Ela to the sounds of missiles being intercepted in Haifa, a 30 min drive away from where I was spending the night. And amidst these missiles tearing through the skies, I hear the morning prayer at the local mosque ring out. Such a song to wake up to: prayers of the local mosque harmonizing with percussive intercepts coming from Lebanon. After the mid-air explosions died down, I went to sleep. The next morning, my family tells me this happens almost daily and they have an app that alerts you if a bomb near by so you can run to the safe room. Every home in Israel has a safe room with reinforced walls and metal coverings over the window. The war has effected all aspects of life for everyone. It’s taking a toll.

Today I had the pleasure of watching my cousin teach a course at Sapir college, just outside of Gaza. A campus filled with Jewish and Muslim students from different backgrounds. And, even though the Muslims and the Jews by and large sat amongst themselves during lunchtime, there was still this diversity on campus where everyone seemed to get along. Though this diversity at the college level is not the case for the K-12 public school system in Israel. A Jewish child can grow up in Israel and go through their entire school career and never come into much contact with an Arab child, make friends with them, share a meal with them, or play a sport with them. And, not until the student graduates, joins the army, or goes into the work force, will they have their first authentic interactions with someone outside of their Jewish identity. Similarly, an Arab child in Israel could go through the school system in Israel and have little to no contact with a Jewish child. Arabs make up more than 21% of Israel’s population, and Jews make up more than 73%. How can we expect peace to come to the region when children who are just learning how to read only interact with those of the same background? How can we expect children to empathize and have curiosity for other cultural and religious identities if the school system is not directly exposing them to a diverse population? Is this segregation truly what the government wants? Is the government afraid that a population that is integrated will make the country weaker? And, though the segregation of schools is not a law, it appears it is by design. There are some wonderful exceptions where there are schools that do integrate students from different backgrounds like Hand in Hand. But, unfortunately, there are just six Hand in Hand schools in the entire country. Not that Israel doesn’t have enough problems, but I wonder if one of the overlooked problems that Israel is currently facing is the segregated education system. Here is an article on the school system in Israel: https://en.idi.org.il/articles/2323#:~:text=Some%2063%20years%20ago%2C%20the,the%20results%20have%20been%20tragic . Sapir College

Like Americans, Israelis have a diversity of thought and opinion, often nuanced from one person to the next. Though, from not even a full day in the country, one underlying theme I am hearing from all sides is that the Israeli citizens are becoming more and more distrustful of the government. They feel the war could have ended, scores of lives could have been saved, and the hostages brought home. While in transit, I speak to a man who opens up to me. Regarding the prime minister, he says: “Once he called the left traitors.Then he called the center traitors.Now, anyone who doesn’t vote for him is the traitor.” After my family and i had dinner, we head to the street demonstration: Here is one of those voices at the demonstration:(please excuse the quality as I didn’t have my camera on me)

My mother traveled to Israel in 1973 and connected with her 2nd cousins forming lasting bonds that she kept up her entire life. It’s 2024 now, my mother’s 2nd cousins had children and my mother had me. Now, I’m here connecting with my 3rd cousins – continuing these generational bonds. My cousin and his partner have 3 beautiful children. We spent the evening playing all sorts of games, telling jokes, and making plans for me to come again. I visited my cousin’s husband’s film production studio where he makes documentaries and TV series focusing on family relationships. We obviously have this in common and are making plans for a collaboration. When we return home, his TV series is on at 9:30pm. After dinner, we head to the street demonstrations a few blocks away where the protesters block traffic and demand for the Ministry of Defense to put an end to the war – a war that could have long ended by now, prevented countless loss of life, and brought hostages home. Here I began some interviews on my phone.