Due to restrictions from COVID-19 Roots began hosting online programs via ZOOM, below are the full length recordings:
דיפלומטיה בין דתית מחצי האי ערב ובתוכו
התפתחויות הדיפלומטיות הדרמטיות האחרונות בין מדינת ישראל לבין מדינות המפרץ באות בעקבות יוזמות בין-דתיות מרשימות מהאזור - במיוחד מאיחוד האמירויות הערביות וסעודיה. יחסים בין-דתיים ימשיכו למלא תפקיד משמעותי בגישה האסטרטגית של חצי האי ערב. שמחנו לארח את רב דוד רוזן, שספר על ההתפחויות וההזדמנויות. הרב רוזן שיחק תפקיד מרכזי ביוזמות הבין דתיות הללו בעיקר כחלק מתפקידו כמנהל הבינלאומי לעניינים בין-דתיים של הוועד היהודי האמריקני. בפברואר לפני פרוץ מגיפת קורונה הוא היה הרב הראשון והישראלי הראשון שהתארח בריאד אצל המלך סלמאן הסעודי; וחודשיים לפני כן הוא נפגש עם הנסיך מוחמד בן זייד באבו דאבי
הרב רוזן הוא הרב הראשי לשעבר של אירלנד והרב הבכיר לשעבר בקהילה היהודית האורתודוקסית הגדולה ביותר בדרום אפריקה. היום הוא חבר בועדה ליחסים בין דתיים של הרבנות הראשית לישראל
שיחתו התקיימה ביום רביעי ה28 לחודש אוקטובר, 2020, אור ל-י"א מרחשון
A Christian, a Jew (and a Prophet) in the Belly of a Whale
Listen as a Christian and a Jew, Darel Grothaus and Hanan Schlesinger, each passionately present their interpretation of the biblical book of Jonah, touching on matters of anger over evil inflicted, revenge, retributive and restorative justice, compassion, forgiveness, empathy and relationship to the Other. Afterward they discuss the material among themselves and then move on their understandings of how the book’s messages may be relevant to the Palestinian Israeli conflict and to the peace building and reconciliation efforts of Roots. Near the end, deep emotions are brought to the fore as the virtual audience shares some of their feelings and insights. Presented on September 13, 2020.
From Black and White to Shades of Grey
Featuring: Noor Awad, a Palestinian Roots activist from Bethlehem, and Shaul Judelman, the Israeli co-director of Roots, described the devastating and ultimately life-expanding experience of meeting the other in the full force of his particular identity.
Palestinians and Israelis live the hubris of exclusivity, a state of mind in which the other side is simply invisible as anything other than the two dimensional, gray mass of the enemy. We deny each other and build our identities upon the nullification of the other’s identity.
Shaul and Noor present the cognitive dissonance, confusion, and disorientation created when they first met the other side, and the psychological process initiated in the wake of deep, continuous dialogue. They explore how their own narratives were fundamentally challenged and ultimately expanded to include the truth of the other’s as well.
Is Mutual Forgiveness Possible?
Yisrael Piekarsh - Founder and Director of the Anahnu Movement During the last hundred years a zero sum game has developed between the Jewish People and the Palestinian People. When one wins the other of necessity loses. How did we get to this situation and why until now have all the efforts to solve it failed? This presentation examines how the major themes of the Palestinian narrative and of the Jewish-Israeli narrative influence one another and thereby prolong the conflict. The second part of the presentation will examine if it is possible to create a conciliatory narrative that would be able to curb the destructive relationship between the two peoples. www.anahnu.org.il/home-en
Roots work on the ground brings us face to face with many facets of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the religious communities to the political parties, from the narratives about the past to the different visions of the future. Our on-line presentations are a chance for us to share some of these different facets with our supporters worldwide, and hopefully foster deeper understanding of the challenges and the opportunities of the path we walk. Here Yisrael Piekarsh presents the roots of the conflict in an effort to sympathetically understand both sides, something that is of course very central to the work of Roots, even as he presents a possible solution that many Roots activists might take issue with. Even so, there is much to learn from him and we value our partnership with him and the Anahnu Movement.
Yom haShoah Presentation
In 2020, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom haShoah), was observed both by the State of Israel and by synagogues and Jews around the world this coming week, from Monday night April 20th at nightfall until nightfall on Tuesday night April 21.
The memory of the Holocaust plays a significant role in the fraught relationship between Israeli Jews and Palestinians and it is undoubtably a factor in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. It is part therefore of the 'painful hope' of Roots/Shorashim/Judur to delve into what the Holocaust means not only for Jews but for Palestinians as well.
Leading up to Holocaust Remembrance Day, Roots conducted a Zoom program in which three Palestinians connected to Roots, two Muslims and one Christian, talked about their perspectives on the Holocaust. They discussed their own relationship to the Holocaust, their community’s relationship to the Holocaust, and the role that they see the Holocaust playing in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The subject and the speakers were introduced by Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger who also moderated the program. Time for Q and A was provided at the end.
Religion Must Be Part of the Solution
If religion is part of the problem, then it will have to be part of the solution. Such was the great insight of Menachem Froman, the late Rabbi of Tekoa, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One of his major students and collaborators, Rabbi Dr. Yacov Nagen, spoke to us about his insights and experiences over the course of 15 year of interfaith dialogue and exploration in a unique quest for brotherhood, understanding and empathy.
Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen is an Orthodox rabbi and teacher and the Director of the Ohr Torah Stone Blickle Institute for Interfaith Dialogue. He is also the founder and leader of the Roots Jewish Muslim dialogue group, which is conducted in cooperation with the Interfaith Encounter Association.
Presented on November 1, 2020
From a Passover of Alienation to a Passover of Empathy
This presentation connects the work of Roots/Shorashim/Judur to the core message of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It may be meaningful not just to those who celebrate the holiday, but to all, Jews and non Jews alike.
Passover of Alienation to Passover of Empathy Sources Sheet Download
Palestinian Women: Voices of Pain and Empathy
Oftentimes women in conflict zones are the ones to pay the highest price. Violence against them comes from all directions, the pain of losing loved ones engulfs them, they struggle to maintain a humane perspective, they strive for resilience and steadfastness and they fight for equal representation in the political arena.
In this presentation, Huda Abuarquob, a resident of the city of Dura-Hebron and the regional director of ALLMEP, the Alliance for Middle East Peace, gives you a glimpse of women’s voices in Palestine.
Presented on August 23, 2020
The Religious Peace Track as a Game Changer in the Middle East.
Rabbi Melchior serves as the Chief Rabbi of Norway and as rabbi of a vibrant orthodox community in Jerusalem, in addition to being the Av Beit Din of the Scandinavian countries. In 1999 Rabbi Melchior was elected to the Knesset and served for 10 years in roles including: Minister for Social Affairs and World Jewry; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Deputy Minister of Education & Culture. He was also the founding chairman of Birthright Israel.
Rabbi Melchior has also founded a number of initiatives relating to interfaith relations in Israel-Palestine. He is the founder of Meitarim, The Yachad Council, and The Mosaica Center for Religious Conflict Transformation in the Middle East.
Presented on January 31, 2021.
Professionalizing Peacebuilding
Meredith Rothbart, Co-Founder and CEO of Amal-Tikva, an organization that brings together philanthropists, field experts, organizations and activists to support civil society peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians. Meredith will present Amal-Tikva's groundbreaking research project into Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations working in the field of cross-border peacebuilding, and the capacity-building program Amal-Tikva is providing to select NGOs - including Roots - to allow them to better define and achieve their aims.
Presented on December 13, 2020
The Muslim Holiday of Eid al Adha
Khaled Abu Awwad, the Palestinian co-director of Roots, explains the meaning and customs of the Feast of the Sacrifice, the four-day Muslim holiday that honors the willingness of Ibrahim-Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of surrender to God. He also discuss the pilgrimage to Mecca that is associated with the holiday and the Koranic story commemorated by the customs of the pilgrimage according to which God commanded Ibrahim-Abraham to bring Hajar-Hagar his wife and their son to a remote point in the desert and to leave them there on their own.
How the International Community Can Help Bring Long Term Change to the Middle East
John Lyndon is the Executive Director of The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), the region’s largest and fastest-growing network of peacebuilders. One of its goals is to help introduce far greater resources to the peacebuilding field, drawing inspiration from how the international community did the very same thing in Northern Ireland. Hear him speak about how the international community can help create lasting change in israel-Palestine.
How an American Pastor Created the Roots of Roots
Hear the amazing inside story of how a tenacious bridge building American pastor fostered the Israeli Palestinian relationships that slowly blossomed into Roots/Shorashim/Judur. Pastor John describes the inner spiritual and religious transformation that ultimately directed him towards peacemaking work in the Holy Land, and how his Christian faith and his humanity continue to inspire him to push forward. He talks about meeting Israelis and Palestinians and struggling not to take sides but to listen and empathize with both sides and to build bridges between his newfound friends on both sides. He recounts how he managed to open up space for the people that he met to encounter each other and to listen to one another and to find their commonality. www.oakbrookchurch.org/
Interfaith diplomacy from and in the Arabian Peninsula
A fascinating and paradigm-shattering talk by Rabbi David Rosen about his personal experiences in interfaith dialogue with important religious and political leaders from the Gulf States, in particular from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
He documented the tremendous efforts of many of these leaders to open up their countries and the Islamic religion to the winds of moderation, and of mutual understanding, acceptance and cooperation. He explained that from the outset these efforts were meant not only to bring peace between religions but also to bring peace between nations, and that the recent Abraham Accords between Israel and the Gulf States were the natural and intended result of these burgeoning dialogical contacts. It is clear according to Rav Rosen that interreligious relations will continue to play a significant role in the strategic outreach from the Arabian Peninsula.
In his capacity as International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi Rosen has played a central role in these initiatives for over 10 years.
In February before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, he was the first rabbi and the first Israeli to be hosted in Riyadh by King Salman of Saudi Arabia; and two months before that, he met with Prince Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. Rabbi Rosen is the former chief rabbi of Ireland and the former senior rabbi of the largest orthodox Jewish congregation in South Africa.
Presented on October 18, 2020
“AMA” - Ask Me Anything.
Hanan Schlesinger, the Roots director of international relations, introduced and moderated the event. Shaul Judelman, the Roots Israeli co-director and Noor Awad, one of the Roots activists and our English language spokesman on the ground, introduced themselves and then answered questions that were sent in by email and through the Zoom chat box.
47 people participated in the event. Many of the questions were deep, probing and challenging and went both to the heart of the work of Roots and to the most central political issues of the conflict. The answers were nuanced and insightful and well represented the unique message of Roots.
Presented on May 5, 2020
Mourning Jointly, Mourning Separately Presentation
On Monday night, April 27, 2020, the State of Israel began the 24 hour commemoration of Memorial Day, during which the citizens of the country and many Jews around the world mourn the loss of the combatants and civilians who gave their lives for the freedom and security of Israel.
In Israel almost everyone knows someone who was killed by the enemy or knows someone who has lost someone dear to them at the hands of the enemy. The day is somber and serious. Places of entertainment are closed, the siren sounds for two minutes of silence. During normal times, the military cemeteries are filled with grieving families and friends, and memorial ceremonies take place around the country and are broadcast over the airways.
It goes without saying that the Israelis mourn their dead, those who fought to protect them.
And then about 15 years ago was born the idea of a joint Israeli Palestinian Memorial day ceremony which would remember and honor the dead on both sides. It began small and remained in the shadows. Over the years it has grown and become better known, and has even found itself in the headlines.
For many, it is seen as an unpatriotic, fringe event orchestrated and attended by people outside of the mainstream who through their participation dishonor the memory of the fallen. For others, it is a deep expression of the highest values of humanity, pointing the way towards a shared future of peace, empathy and reconciliation.
Last year approximately 10,000 people participated and it was the second largest memorial day ceremony in the country. In the year 2020 it took place remotely and over 170,000 people from aroun the world tuned in.
While Roots takes no official position, many Roots activists are strong supporters of the joint ceremony … and many are not.
The day before Memorial Day, Roots conducted a Zoom panel discussion of this very sensitive subject. There were three speakers:
Shaul Judelman, Roots Israeli co-director
Aliza Shapiro, clinical social worker and Roots activist
Hanan Schlesinger, Roots director of international relations.
Roots Youth Program
On Monday May 18 Roots presented an online program moderated by Raz Kones, the founder and Israeli coordinator of the Roots Youth Program. She talked a bit about herself and how she got to Roots as well as about the program. Khaled Abu Awwad, the Palestinian co-director of Roots and the Palestinian coordinator of the Youth Program also introduced himself and talked about the program. One of the Palestinian counselors spoke briefly and then four of the youth told their stories, which were powerful, inspiring and sometimes emotionally charged.
Healing Hatred, a personal journey
Over the last 8 years Dr. Sarah Bernstein has been working together with Sami Awad of the Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem and with Prof. Ruhama Weiss of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem to develop a unique methodology that reaches beyond the usual platitudes of much interfaith dialogue today.
Sarah will describe her personal journey over the last twenty years, delving deeper and deeper into dialogue, interreligious relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and into how we can heal the trauma that lies at its heart.
Dr. Sarah Bernstein has served as the Executive Director of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue since 2013.
Presented on January 10 2021
Yossi Klein Halevi and Roots Activists
On December 12th, five synagogues in Seattle co-sponsored an event that brought Yossi Klein Halevi and Roots activists together for a thought-provoking discussion. Halevi presented his acclaimed book, "Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor", in which he expresses his views on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to a Palestinian neighbor. The book ends with real responses he received from Palestinian readers. The session also includes presentations by Rav Hanan Schlesinger, Co-Founder of Roots and Director of International Relations, and Noor Awad, one of Roots' leading Palestinian activists, and Coordinator of the Youth Alumni Program.
Through the Lens of Humanity
For the last four summers, Swiss American photographer, Saskia Keeley has traveled from New York City to conduct photography workshops for Palestinian and Israeli women of Roots. In Saskia’s workshops, the cameras create a human bridge. Her workshops break down barriers and foster contact as women take portraits of each other first in exploratory, and then often intimate ways.
Bringing out the humanity of others is the essence of the workshops. Photography is a great tool to open doors. By looking through the eyes of those we might feel separated from, participants discover both interconnectivity and empathy. The workshops are about supporting the engagement of each in the process of recognizing parallel lives and narratives. The acknowledgment that comes from those shared moments can help create a new feeling of shared belonging.
Saskia’s powerful and evocative presentation brings us into the world of the Israeli and Palestinian women who have participated over the years and into the unique joint space that their interaction has created. She illustrates her lecture with a PowerPoint that includes poignant perspectives on the conflict from both Palestinian and Israeli points of view. In addition, she describes the methodology of the photo workshops with a display of striking photos taken by the participants.
https://www.saskiakeeley.com
The video of her presentation shows the faces of Palestinian men and women who are not interested in having their faces shown publicly on the web or on social media of any type. To receive the link for the purpose of one-time viewing, please write to: info@friendsofroots.net
The ‘Dual Loyalty’ Revealed by Rosh haShana
Many people know that the Jewish holiday of Rosh haShana is the ‘Jewish New Year’. Not too many people however, know that there are actually two Jewish New Years, one universal/natural and the other particular/Jewish, and Rosh Hashana is not the Jewish one but rather the universal one. Listen to Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger as he fleshes out the dual loyalty inherent in this double system and its wide-ranging implications and applications, which extend as unique approach of Roots to the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Near the end of the recording you will hear an in-depth discussion between Rav Hanan and the participants about the depths of Jewish identity and its relation to the conflict in the Middle East.
Presented on September 6, 2020
Nakba Day - What Does it Mean to Palestinians Today?
Three Palestinians, Tamar Hassassian, Noor Awad and Khaled Abu Awwad, talked about what the Nakba means to their people and to themselves and their families, and how their connection to Roots and / or their encounter with Israelis has effected their understanding of this seminal event in Palestinian identity. About 90 people joined us for this very emotional and very powerful event.
Presented on May 11, 2020
Religious Passion, Zealotry, Tolerance and Pluralism
One of the important issues that many of us grapple with is how do we maintain passionate fidelity to the values, beliefs, and lifestyle choices that we hold dear, and at the same time remain tolerant and accepting towards those who’s values and behavior are very different from our own. Homosexuality, abortion, health care, church and state, and foreign policy, are just a few examples of debates in American life that are driving wedges between us at the same time that we struggle to find ways to get along together. In the Holy Land, Palestinians and Israeli Jews must find ways to listen to and to respect each other.
July 9 this year is the fast day on which Jews begin a period of semi mourning for the loss of the homeland 2000 years ago. According to Jewish tradition, these tragedies befell the Jewish People because of religious hatred and strife among them themselves, that is, because of the inability of Jews to co-exist with other Jews of differing religious and political perspectives. During this time it is particularly appropriate to focus on those approaches that Jewish tradition has developed that can help us learn how to co-exist with those we do not agree with.
In this presentation we will examine a number of Jewish texts that provide the foundations for a life that upholds both deep commitment to values as well as abiding pluralism and respect for all human beings. Presented by Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger – Cofounder of Roots and Director of International Relations
“The Roots of Roots” Hassidic Texts of Passionate Pluralism
This presentation reads and explores Hasidic texts about pluralism and what may be called ‘the humility of the journey’ that give us a wonderful theoretical framework for how to hold the stick from both ends at the same time - to be passionately dedicated to what you believe in and at the same time to listen to, respect, learn from and even accept opposing truths. These are texts that provide some of the Jewish theological foundations for the work of Roots that tries to find room in our hearts for both the Jewish and the Palestinian narratives and experiences. Presented by Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger – Cofounder and Director of International Relations, Roots.
Jewish-Christian Dialogue in Israel: Old Problems, New Challenges
What is the role of Jewish-Christian dialogue in Israel and what are its implications for Jewish-Muslim relations, as well as for Jewish-Christian relations outside of the Holy Land?
Hana Bendcowsky brings nearly two decades of practical experience in interfaith activities in Israel to a discussion of these questions. Hana is the Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations (a department of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue). She also works as a freelance tour educator, for which she frequently takes Israeli Jews on study tours in the Christian Quarter.
A New Vision for Israel and Palestine
Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism are mutually exclusive and contradictory. Yet neither has been able to eliminate the other. The two state solution attempted to resolve their differences through partition and separation, yet it failed, largely because – according to the Palestinian narrative - settlements spread in the area that was intended for a Palestinian state under that scenario.
Its failure forces us to look to a new paradigm, which requires each movement to adjust and morph into a new ideology that does not negate the Other, but rather embraces it in a new reality that covers all of Palestine/Israel. This new reality must meet the basic needs of each group without denying the needs or identity of the Other.
Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian human rights lawyer and activist, who was head of the Palestinian Legal Committee during the Israel-PLO negotiations for the Cairo Agreement which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, lays out what such a new vision might look like and how it could work.
Roots and Ruth Shavuot Text Study
In advance of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot during which synagogues traditionally read the Book of Ruth, Rabbi Schlesinger gave an online presentation entitled “From the Depths of Exclusion to the Heights of Embrace: The Book of Ruth - A Lesson in Paradigm Shift”.
The presentation interpreted the Book of Ruth as showing how the exemplary behavior of one member of a despised and marginalized group, and the openness of someone from the dominant group to perceive and appreciate that behavior, can serve as a catalyst for the re-examination of long standing taboos and prejudices and the eventual realignment of community norms to become more tolerant and inclusive. This vector is understood to be a positive historical process of tikun olam that will eventually ‘bring the messiah’.
Presented on May 24 2020
“A Land for All – The Confederation Model as a Solution to the Israeli Palestinian Conflict”
A Land for All is an Israeli-Palestinian movement, active for more than seven years. Its goal is to move from the paradigm of separation as a solution to the conflict, to a paradigm of sharing, equality and mutual respect between the two peoples. The movement has organized meeting and discussions, has met with tens of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, engaged with community leaders, politicians, diplomats, journalists and academics, run workshops, and drafted documents which elaborate the movement’s vision: Two independent states within which each people would enjoy its right for self determination, bound together in a confederation creating one shared homeland with full equal rights for all. www.alandforall.org
Dr. Thabet Abu Raas is the co-executive director of the Abraham Initiatives. He has authored many publications and served with a variety of shared society organizations with Israel. He is on the executive board of A Land for All.
Meron Rapoport is a veteran Israeli journalist, who has written for Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and various Israeli and international news outlets. He presently serves as a writer and an editor in Local Call/972 Magazine. He is one of the founders of A Land for All which was formerly called Two States One Homeland.
Overcoming Difference: A Remarkable Pathway to Healing the Israeli-Palestinian Divide
Presented in March 2022