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Salem (Peace) be upon us and the whole world.

And some other good things that are happening....


 

Hello everyone.


It's true, I haven't written for a long time. But, this time you'll be surprised - also for good reasons. We are all still carrying the pain since 7.10, the endless war, hostages in Gaza, internal and external chaos and uncertainty. (Which is, by the way, the only thing that is certain! ).


While I didn't write, many bad things continued to happen, many left us, and the anxiety continues. But I ask to allow myself to dream (as Maoz Yinon said) because without our grandparents who dreamed of a state, it would not have been established. I want to dream of hope, of peace, of trust - despite everything that has happened, my personal effort is to capture a healthy human spirit in all sectors that believes that just as we can destroy, we have the possibility of building - trust, hope and love that will reach the hearts of everyone from the river to the sea.


Fortunately, I have other partners and friends who join me or support from afar – Assi and Assaf, Dorit, Yonatan, Noam and Gali, Avia, Ehud, Erella, Lisa, Idit, Shaul, Uri, Mairon, Hadassah and Yair (and many others who will forgive me if I forgot to mention their names...).


So while we can hardly find the light, I want to tell you about some things that give me the light of hope and the strength to continue.


Salem


Fundraising to employ a Palestinian human rights activist in the area of ​​Masfer Yatta (Southern Hebron Hills)


Masfer Yatta is a group of 19 small Palestinian communities that have lived for generations in the southern Hebron Hills. Their main livelihood is based on herding flocks and small-scale agriculture intended mainly for self-consumption.


Since 7.10.23, there has been a serious increase in violent activity against the residents of the area. The result is harm to every aspect of their lives, lives and property on a daily basis, and severe damage to the communities ability to make a living. Our goal is to strengthen local activities in the area, by employing a significant local activist.


Salem is an activist with whom we have been in contact for 15 years, as part of the activities of the 'Peace-Bringing' organization. He is accepted by his villagers and the people of the area, a pleasant person, proactive, open and attentive to getting to know others and hearing different opinions. He has an open heart to help everyone, and voluntarily serves as a connecting link for our activities even when we are not in the field.


In recent years, Salem has voluntarily taken a central part in the organization's activities in the field and in courageous partnership in initiatives of meetings with Israelis who want to get to know the reality and be partners in reconciliation and peace-making initiatives.


Before the war, Salem worked hard in Israel for a living (the sidewalks in Herzliya and Tel Aviv that some of you are stepping on...). Unfortunately, at the time, we were unable to support him financially so that he could only focus on peace-making and establishing good human relations in the area. The current situation also prevents Salem from earning a living And to bring the basic needs to his family and at the same time the need for a local contact person who is available and helpful in light of the circumstances increases.


Salem's employment with a monthly salary will allow the expansion and deepening of the activity, within a true Israeli-Palestinian partnership. It will also help Salem earn a living and allow him to continue helping the residents of his area in a continuous and better way.


Donations are tax-deductible and a receipt is automatically sent to all donors from the Theater House - an association in the spirit of Rabbi Froman's vision that aims to promote reconciliation and peace between peoples. For Germans only -please contact me personally for a tax-deductible receipt from a German church. A tax-deductible receipt is available for U.S.A and UK residents.



Desert vegetables



The past year has brought the residents of the West Bank into a survival situation they have never known. The main source of income – work in Israel – has been taken away from most of them, grazing areas have been reduced by nearly 60%, many of the harvests will not be possible and the overall policy has brought many close to the ignominy of starvation. I am only mentioning here the financial difficulty that was added to all the other things that were worsen at the same time!


During this period, we spread 4000 meters of irrigation pipe and vegetable seedlings and people grew their own food!


We were surprised to see that even in August, the cucumbers were successful in the heart of the desert! Some families even managed to grow more than they needed and distributed to neighbors or sold a little at the Yetta's market.


The meaning of this project is, first of all - someone see us, we are not transparent, someone is aware of what is happening in our lives. It creates a connection with other Israelis and allows us to cultivate hope that peace is possible if only it sprouts in the hearts of human beings from both nations. In addition, it allows for something to do that is daily and life-sustaining.


We intend to continue and expand the project and any help (donations of money, seedlings, irrigation equipment, assistance in guiding and supporting the project) is welcome.

 

Turn "garbage" into flowers - garden planters made from pallets



Another very successful project is building planters and garden furniture from pallets that were supposed to be thrown away. I taught a Palestinian family, a father and five sons who worked in Israel before the war, to dismantle pallets and build beautiful planters for the garden from them. Although I showed one prototype, they expanded the selection and created many beautiful things. Nearly 300 planters supported five families in a way that was not possible throughout the entire year. If you have a desire to distribute and help with this, I would be happy for you to contact me. The planters are currently available for purchase in Givat Ada, Kibbutz Ravdim and Meitar.


Thank you

Asi, Assaf, Dorit and Eyal

 


 

 

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