The Houston
Palestinian-Jewish Dialogue
Group
The Houston Palestinian-Jewish
Dialogue Group is a group of people who are
committed to listening to each other with
open, caring hearts to form relationships and
begin to understand each other's
experiences. The group's first meeting was on
September 11, 2005. The group has met monthly or
bi-monthly since September 2005 in the homes of
members and is unaffiliated with any other
organization. It is a grass-roots effort
facilitated by Sharon Joy, based upon the model of
Libby and Len Traubman and the Jewish Palestinian
Dialogue Group of San Mateo, CA.
Why Dialogue?
There are some things only
governments can do, such as negotiating
binding agreements. But there are some
things that only citizens outside government
can do, such as changing human
relationships.
Dr. Harold Saunders, former U.S. Secretary of
State, and negotiator of the Camp David
Accords
Perhaps through this group we can begin to listen
to each other, to share our stories, to form
relationships. The foundation for peace is built by
people who know each other.
For additional information about the Houston
Palestinian-Jewish Dialogue Group and its current
meeting schedule, please contact Sharon
Joy.
For information about this type of dialogue please
go to: http://traubman.igc.org/faq.htm.
Outreach
Events
November 2008
A Call to Dialogue, Houston
Texas
September 2009 Presentation at Kol HaLev's Rosh Hashanah Day Two
Sharon Joy and other Dialogue group members presented information about the group to the congregation of Kol Halev, a Houston Jewish Reconstructionist Havurah, at their second day Rosh Hashanah service.
.....Jelaluddin Rumi (1207-1273)
During a trip to Israel/Palestine in July 2009, Sharon Joy participated in three formal Intercultural Dialogue experiences in association with the Interfaith Encounter Association. These were the Jerusalem Women's Group and Reut Sadaqa, also in Jerusalem. She attended a retreat at the Austrian Hospice in the Old City of Jerusalem that was sponsored by the Interfaith Encounter Association and the Palestine Peace Society of Hebron. The attendees from the retreat have continued to meet as a group, sustaining the action of dialogue and relationship-building.
Sharon Joy also attended a meeting of the intercultural council in Maghar village in the Galilee. She visited the Jerusalem Hand-In-Hand School and the Arava Institute for Environmental Sciences, both dedicated to bringing people together.
April 2009 Dialogue Facilitators Conference
Sharon Joy and Hanan Patel participated in a conference at Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. Representatives from 14 dialogue groups in the United States, Canada, and Israel/Palestine came together to share about their groups and exchange ideas.
Click here for links to additional
programs and organizations that are actively
supporting
communication and understanding in
Israel-Palestine.