Reflections from May 20, 2024

Today the 4th module of our Radical Aliveness peace leadership program begins.

Yesterday I went to the Old City of Jerusalem. There I walked among people of every ethnicity and religion and language, Jews, Palestinians, walking these ancient narrow stone streets together. If you didn’t know there was a war going on you could imagine you were in paradise. A paradise where peoples of such difference lived and walked together in peace.

We wandered the labyrinth of the city, meeting soldiers who stopped us from going into Al Aqsa Mosque because it was only for Muslims on this day. We wandered more, to the wailing wall where I went with the other women praying there. I laid my hands and my head on that ancient wall- a wall that has heard so many prayers, and I found myself beseeching the spirit of this holy land, all the humans who had come here for centuries and sought answers, and all those who had passed into spirit – beseeching anything that might understand that we are all one. I asked-please support us this week.

We have not met in person for one year. After October 7th and the war in Gaza it became impossible to meet in person. So many groups that have been together fell apart. Our mighty and courageous group of humans has felt the hope of what Radical Aliveness is offering them and they have stayed. We had zoom meetings simply as a way to be in contact. In January we met separately first in Israel with the Jews, then in the West Bank with the Palestinians where we prepared for this moment of coming back together.

And as others have heard of us and what we are doing we have been able to add four more Palestinians to our group. We are 10 Palestinians and 11 Israeli Jews from many perspectives and beliefs, coming together.

I have been told we are almost the only group in Israel that is actually meeting together, people from Israel and people from the West Bank together in person. People from the West Bank can’t get out and Jewish people from Israel are frightened to go in. It took creativity - and also the profound trust, faith and desire our group feels to make this happen.

The Israeli Jews are staying in East Jerusalem in sight of the wall- right over which we can see Beit Jala where the Palestinians will be staying. We will meet in a meeting space right inside the West Bank. Each night our groups will return to their separate hotels.

It is not lost on me that we have to cross the border wall to do this work. As I write this, I feel I might cry. The courage of this group. Again, they are saying to me- this is the only place I find hope right now. Not because it is sweet and lovely. On the contrary, people are so afraid. Afraid to speak what is in their hearts. Afraid, and also so full of trust even when some of them feel hopeless.

They know that together we are doing something that they are not finding anyplace else. They are bringing their strong voices, their different perspectives, their deepest feelings. And learning that all that leads to war outside can be brought into this sacred space and held.

We do not just feel, we learn, we study, we read. And then we bring our awareness to this process in ways that are expanding us all.

Oh, if you could see them, the hope of these people. That together they are growing and developing in ways that will make a difference here, in their families, in their communities, in this world that is needing people who can hold this kind of space.

We have elders and we have the shining faces of the young. I look at them and I imagine, oh my darlings, long after I am dead, may you live a long life and may you bring your influence to this world and make it a more beautiful place. May you change this world. May you hope and dream and create something I can’t even imagine.

I and my partners, Sylvia Margiah and Dror Zohar will give you our best. We will teach you as you teach us. Together we stand in this fire without guns and bombs, and we will forge a new path.

I will end with a proverb I read this week that feels so connected to our group:

“The people who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it”

- Chinese Proverb

Love, Ann