Galilee Circus wins our Rosh HaShana competition

September 21, 2009 - 10:45 AM by Nicky · 1 Comment
Filed under: General, Holidays, coexistence 

The Galilee Circus performing in the US.

The Galilee Circus performing in the US.

One of our readers, David, will be spreading a little happiness this holiday season, after winning our Rosh Ha’Shana competition.

We asked readers to choose their top charity, and to explain why they felt this charity should receive a $25 gift voucher from JGooders.

Out of a choice of eight, David picked the Galilee Circus, a troupe set up in the Galilee to bring Jewish and Arab children together to learn circus skills and put on performances.

In his comment, David said:

“The Galilee Circus – the effort brings many smiles to folks who could use it, while working on reducing stereotypes – key for a peaceful co-existence.”

We’ve featured Galilee Circus a couple of times on ISRAEL21c. You can see our features here:

Youth circus troupes build a pyramid of hope in Israel

Jewish and Arab children learn cooperation in the Galilee circus

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the competition. The final word goes to Tova, one of our readers who said:

“These are all amazing causes – and even if you don’t win, you can think about making a small gift in honor of the new year…..I personally did so.”

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Spread a little happiness with a Rosh Ha’Shana competition

September 14, 2009 - 2:01 PM by Nicky · 10 Comments
Filed under: General 

Making the desert bloom.

Making the desert bloom.

With Rosh Ha’shana (the Jewish New Year) fast approaching, we are offering a competition for one and all to make Israel a little bit brighter and better, with a $25 JGooders gift token to give to one of eight charities.

All you have to do is to take a look at the charities listed below – all of which appear on the JGooders web site, and choose which one you think should get the money. Then tell us why – in no more than 50 words, and post your suggestion in the comments on this story, with your email address attached.

We’ll choose a winner on Monday next week, and then send the gift token on to you to give to one of the JGooders charities. This is your chance to spread a little happiness this holiday season.

The Nalaga`at Theater

The Nalaga’at Theater provides deaf and blind actors with the opportunity to achieve artistic expression and create awareness and acceptance of the deaf-blind in Israeli society.

100 Ethiopian-Israeli Engineers by 2014

The project is raising engineering college enrollment for young men and women from the Ethiopian Israeli community, to secure their place and success in academic engineering degrees and future careers in Israel.

Make the Desert Bloom – Student Scholarships

The project’s goal is to match government funding for 300 student scholarships of students who live in the Negev. Ayalim students live in the development towns of the Negev and volunteer in the community, with the purpose of building their permanent home in these areas.

Green Processes Center
The Green Process Center’s aim is to lead the assimilation of sustainability in Israel. The center includes research in Green Engineering, Green Chemistry and Clean Technology, and various academic and community programs.

Hug an Abandoned Baby

First Hug received the 2009 Presidential award for volunteerism for providing small, permanent volunteer teams for each child during the time they are hospitalized, providing warmth, love and a homely environment.

Galilee Circus
The circus was set up to create a harmonious family of Jewish and Arab children who learn circus skills and work together as a troupe, bringing the message of peace and coexistence to audiences.

Around the Clock Family Project
Shanti House`s main goal is to absorb 100% of Israel`s run-away and homeless youths.

NATAL’s Social Therapeutic Club

The club aims to empower trauma victims to reintegrate into the Israeli community.

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Victims donating to victims

January 23, 2009 - 10:26 AM by Harry · 3 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Israeliness, Life, Politics, War, coexistence 

Hadas BalasThroughout the recent Gaza war and its ongoing aftermath, Israelis and Palestinians have been trying to paint themselves as “the real victims” and the other side as “the real perpetrators.” But if we’re all victims, then how can we possibly take responsibility for war spearheaded by our leaders? And if we’re all perpetrators, then why would we care?

The fact is, Operation Cast Lead has meant horrible levels of destruction for the infrastructure and people of the Gaza Strip, destruction which could have been avoided if Hamas hadn’t hidden behind the human shield of one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And as we’ve seen on ISRAELITY before, just because Israelis support our government’s recent war against a terrorist regime that’s been shooting rockets at us for years doesn’t mean that we’re numb to the damage done.

Two grassroots activists are trying to organize Israeli sympathy into material support for Gazan families whose lives and homes were recently under severe fire by the region’s military superpower. 27-year-old peacenik Lee Ziv and Sapir Academic College 25-year-old student Hadas Balas (pictured, doubling as a not-so-shabby singer-songwriter) decided to collect clothing, bedding, nourishment and other essentials from donors to bring them in to Gaza.

Ziv spoke with the Jerusalem Post this week:

“There is no connection to politics,” said Ziv. “We don’t represent a side, we just see an immediate need for blankets for people who have nothing to cover them at night and milk for infants who have nothing to eat.”

Since a short radio interview on Sunday morning, Ziv said her phone had been ringing off the hook. “Within two minutes of the interview, I had 40 voice messages. The response has been overwhelming. Schools have called asking how they can help. A father called who had three sons serving in the IDF in Gaza. A woman called who had a mortar fall on her house.”

The duo thought they’d be bringing one or two truckloads of supplies in today, but thanks to the viral snowball of their email campaign, media interest like the radio interview last week, and the bandwagoning on their efforts by some key human rights organizations, the donations have been so numerous that they’re spearheading a fleet of 10 full trucks.

According to coverage in Haaretz, the duo has accomplished this feat thanks to key help from organizations like Hashomer Hatzair in Jerusalem, Beit Hachesed in Haifa and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the Qassam-battered community which has offered up its warehouses as a depot for the donations.

More information on donating to the operation can be found here.

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Finding hope in the Gaza conflict

January 5, 2009 - 7:56 AM by Nicky · 3 Comments
Filed under: General, Life, Politics, War, coexistence 

One of the gifts of working for an organization like ISRAEL21c is that even in the midst of conflict and crisis, we get the rare privilege of seeing another side of the story.
In the last difficult week, when the images on TV and in the newspapers were so negative and heart wrenching, we still heard stories about ordinary Israeli Jews and Palestinians working together in an effort to bring reason, peace and humanity to the Middle East.
One of the most touching stories to emerge during this current terrible war was the tale of a tiny baby boy from Gaza called Jafar.

Born a few weeks ago with serious heart defects, his Palestinian doctors knew that he couldn’t survive without surgery. They phoned Dr. Akiva Tamir, an Israeli doctor they knew from the Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart, and together the Israeli and Palestinian doctors raced to bring Jafar to Israel.
On Monday of last week, while missiles rained down on Gaza and southern Israel, Israeli doctors from Wolfson Medical Center near Tel Aviv volunteered their time, and performed surgery on the small boy. His grandmother was there waiting for him when he was transferred to intensive care.
Jafar is still at the hospital. He is recovering well. His heart surgery was a success. He joins a growing number of Palestinian children – 1,000 so far – who owe their lives to the volunteers at the wonderful charity Save a Child’s Heart.
Sometimes, like so many people here, I worry that this battle between Israel and Hamas will never end, but it’s stories like these, of individual Israelis and Palestinians working together and thinking far beyond the conflict that give me hope that one day things will be better.

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