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January 23, 2004
Arab-Jewish friendships
Seattle camp tries to make peace, one child at a time.
JANIS SIEGEL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
For the last 10 years, more than 40 campers have come to an inner
city Middle East Peace Camp located in Seattle, Wash., to spend
five days making warm friendships in the hot August sun.
Located in the expansive backyard of Seattle philanthropist and
peace activist Kay Bullitt's home, the camp offers children, some
of them first generation Palestinian Arab-Americans, an opportunity
to mix with other local Jewish and Christian children. Organizers
believe these relationships can forge long-lasting connections that
can impact the peace process, one child at a time.
"Peace in the Middle East is one of our founding principles,"
said Susan Davis, executive director of Kadima, a progressive Jewish
community in Seattle and one of the organizers of the camp, along
with the Arab Centre of Washington and Beyond Borders.
"We've already raised a generation of children who believe
in this idea," she said.
The campers, who range in ages from six to 12 years old, learn about
Middle Eastern food and music, make Origami peace doves and hear
presentations from rabbis, sheiks, ministers and other local peace
activists who tell them their religion's perspective on peace.
Maha Gebara, a molecular biologist from Lebanon who left the country
during its civil war in 1996, has been working closely with Davis
and others to make the summer camp happen. Gebara's children are
attending the camp.
"The only way towards peace is working with the Jewish community
and working with kids," said Gebara, who has started a Lebanese
dance group in Seattle called the Arab Children's Dabke Group. Gebara
says the dabke is a traditional Lebanese dance that is similar
to the Jewish horah.
As Middle Eastern music plays in the background, the children circulate
between four large billowing tents donated to the camp by the Arab
Centre of Washington. Bullitt looks on with quiet satisfaction.
"I said we should do something with Arabic and Jewish kids,"
said Bullitt, while relaxing on cushioned floor mats and surrounded
by brass teapots and drums in the hospitality tent.
Davis, Gebara and Bullitt met during their involvement with a community
effort called the Middle East Dialogue. That's when they decided
to work together in a project that focused on the children.
"If you can bring the people with the heritage together in
a day camp setting, it's not difficult," Bullitt explained,
while sporting a necklace with the words salaam and shalom,
the Arabic and Jewish words for peace, around her neck. "And
you can be so much more successful with children."
Bullitt has a long history of working with peace projects. During
the Second World War, she worked with an educational child-care
group in Germany. Later, she was involved with an interracial farm
project in the southern United States. She began her involvement
with Middle East issues during the Persian Gulf War when she participated
in the Middle East Dialogue.
After Sept. 11, Bullitt turned her attention toward the Middle East
conflict. Hosting the Arab Festival at her home was one way that
she could help integrate children of different backgrounds. But
the longtime Seattle resident knew she wanted to do more.
"They asked me if I would talk about peace and justice and
the things you can do to make peace," said Bullitt, so she
decided to become involved.
"I feel that this is the sort of thing that people anywhere
can do," she said.
In between the games and activities, the older children are exposed
to programs about conflict resolution, differing cultural perspectives,
Hebrew and Arabic art, human rights and even a program on cells
and DNA showing kids how much all humans actually have in common
biologically.
The last day of the camp is Middle East Day. Parents and other interested
family members are treated to a program and then have a community
potluck.
The camp is open to all children who want to attend, but Davis wants
parents to understand that it is a place for those families who
have already decided that co-existence between Palestinians and
Arabs is the path to the future.
This is not a setting, said Davis, where there is debate about the
issue or a question about who is right or wrong. It is a place to
establish friendships and cross-cultural and religious understanding.
She has already seen small successes.
"Last year at the very end," said Davis, "there were
two Arab girls standing by some coins and I asked them whose money
it was. Neither of them claimed it, so I said I would give it to
tzedakah (the Jewish word for charity). That's when the little
Arabic girl said, 'Hey, we have a word (in Arabic) just like that!'
"
Gebara shares the same sense of satisfaction.
"One of the other things we saw last year were budding friendships,"
she added. "The young ones have no idea about Arabs and Jews.
And most children who come already have taken that first step because
of their parents. You see these hugs sometimes. I just love that."
Janis Siegel is a Seattle freelance writer.
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