Sushi & Peace

April 1, 2007 - 3:30 PM by Stephanie

A little uplift for the holiday:

I’m a believer in the fact that the human spirit prevails despite tragedy, misery or failings. That we carry on in the face of the dire due to a pressing need for attaching meaning to our lives and the lives of others.

The Hebrew press ran a story about an organization – The Women’s Forum of Israeli-Palestinian Families For Reconciliation, Peace and Tolerance – that recently convened. “A long name for a war that still has no end in sight,” writes Smadar Sheer in her article.

The forum is an offshoot of The Parents Circle-Families Forum started twelve years ago and today consists of 500 families from both sides of the conflict who have lost loved ones. Founder Yitzhak Frankental’s son Arik was kidnapped and killed by Hamas at age 19.

All of the forum members’ personal stories are tragic and heart wrenching. And yet…

Last year, a women’s forum grew out of the larger group and most recently they held their fourth get-together: A Sushi Seminar where the women rolled their own. “Our first meeting we cried buckets,” says one of the 15 participants. “But after we cried it all out, we decided to move foward and laugh together instead.”

They talk, share and listen and they have branched off as women because they feel there is a unique perspective they can bring to the forum as mothers, sisters and wives.

There have been a few stumbling blocks: language barriers and fear of disclosure on the part of Palestinian participants. “Bad things can happen to us for trying to make peace; there are people where we come from who don’t understand that nothing will come of war,” a Palestinian participant shared. Her brother was killed by point-blank IDF (Israeli army) fire.

“There are slight differences between us – nuances of mentality and religion,” an Israeli participant said. “But we are sisters in the sense of wanting something much deeper than politics: Peace.”

Good luck and Godspeed.

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