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Important Dates to Remember:
2018 Summer Program Dates
July 11, 2018 - July 30, 2018
Farewell Celebration
July 29, 2018
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Executive Director Update
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In less than two weeks, our newest cohort of 90+ young leaders will be arriving to begin their remarkable Hands of Peace journey! They will have boarded flights in Tel Aviv and Amman (and Washington, New York, Pittsburgh and Dallas) for 19-days of intensive teambuilding and dialogue work in suburban Chicago and San Diego. Along the way, there will be a great deal of challenging work, and a lot of fun too. Though they will be walking this path together, each will have their own unique experience. It is not possible to predict exactly how each young person will be impacted but, for most, the summer experience will touch them deeply. As many of our older alumni have said, they define their lives as "before Hands of Peace" and "after Hands of Peace." Indeed, for many, Hands of Peace is the beginning of a life-long journey. Follow-up seminars and activities in the Middle East and the United States help keep the flame burning as each alumni finds their voice and learns how to use that voice as a leader of change.
For those in the Hands of Peace community who will be host families or participant families this summer, we thank you in advance for your support. Speaking as a two-time former host father, this journey also may impact you in surprising and delightful ways. For those still interested in volunteering to help this summer, we always need assistance with lunches, the Farewell Celebration, and other activities during the summer. Please reach out to Site Directors
Rhonda McCarty in Chicago and
Sarah Heirendt in San Diego for more information.
Also, please watch our
website for updates on the Summer Program between July 11 and 30. The Hands of Peace News Bureau - which will be linked to our home page -- will feature articles written by alumni throughout the Summer Program.
Finally, please see the information below on attending our Farewell Celebrations in
Chicago and
San Diego on July 29. Please invite friends and neighbors to join us as we celebrate and congratulate our young leaders. It will mean a great deal to them to have all of our support!
Peace, Shalom, Salaam,
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Hands of Peace News and Updates
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Summer Program Volunteer Opportunities
As our 2018 Summer Program gets underway, it takes a small village to run the Hands of Peace program, and we can use your help. This is a great opportunity to meet the participants and participate in our summer events. Please review the attached SignUp Genius Link and volunteer wherever you can.
There a variety of ways to volunteer for our upcoming summer programs, including airport pickups, dropping off supplies, helping at events and so much more. All help is appreciated!
Sponsor a Summer Program Participant
Do you wish there was something you could do about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? There is! Sponsor an Israeli or Palestinian Summer Program participant with a $3500 gift to Hands of Peace. You'll be empowering the next generation of leaders to contribute to peace and justice in the region.
Want to make a difference but can't sponsor at this time? You can make a small monthly gift that really adds up over time. You'll be joining supporters of diverse backgrounds from all over the country who have seen the transformational change these courageous young people experience in dialogue with each other. Go to
handsofpeace.org/donate-now or contact
Diana Kutlow at (760) 492-1623 if you have questions about sponsorship.
Get T
ickets Now for Farewell Celebrations
Join us on July 29 in Chicago or San Diego at the culmination of the summer program, as we bring together our local community and supporters and gather to honor the 2018 participants. Hear moving reflections, view powerful two-minute films, and learn first hand from the Israeli, Palestinian and American participants what Hands of Peace means to them.
For tickets to our Chicago Farewell Celebration, click here.
For tickets to our San Diego Farewell Celebration, click here.
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Middle East Updates
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In late May, approximately 30 younger alumni from the summers of 2015-2017 attended our third and final seminar of the 2017-18 Hands of Peace program year. For the second straight season, we held a seminar in Beit Jala in the West Bank. For many of our Israeli attendees, it was their first time crossing the green line into Palestine. Together, our participants toured Beit Jala and had lunch at Tent of Nations -- an educational family farm that is dedicated to building bridges between people of different cultures. The two-day seminar also featured multiple dialogues, a presentation by an Israeli lecturer on Jewish ties to the land, and a workshop exploring solutions to the generations-old conflict. As always, the seminars present a variety of opinions that stretch and challenge our alumni. The seminars are never easy, and we applaud all of our you
ng leaders for their enthusiasm and dedication.
Coming in September, we begin a seven-month joint project with EcoPeace Middle East. EcoPeace focuses on environmental diplomacy working to bring attention to natural resources that are shared by Israeli and Palestinian villages. Thanks to a generous "collective impact" grant, a cohort of older alumni from Hands of Peace will have an opportunity to receive training from EcoPeace on environmental diplomacy and to implement a project of their choosing with Israeli and Palestinian communities. Both organizations are excited to have this opportunity to partner to benefit both societies.
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Chicago Updates and
Upcoming Events
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Concert for Peace: Together for Peace
Sunday, July 22, 2018, 11:30 a.m.
Glenview Community Church
1000 Elm Street, Glenview
Glenview Community Church, hosts their 6th
annual concert exploring the theme of peace, "Concert for Peace: Together for Peace", on Sunday, July 22nd, at 11:30 a.m
. Violinist Katherine Hughes, saxophonist Kevin Kizer, the HAWK String Quartet, jazz vocalist Jade Maze, and the rhythm section of Kent Wehman, Ken Haebich, and Neal Wehman perform songs about peace in a variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary. Collaborating with these musicians will be representatives of different faith communities including participants from the Turkish American Society in Mount Prospect, members of the Glenview Community Church Chancel Choir, and Elliot Dvorin of the Key Tov Orchestra. Enjoy an accompanying art show, curated by Pat Albano from Aaron Galleries in Glenview. Reception to follow. A free-will offering benefits Hands of Peace. For more information call the church office at 847-724-2210 or visit
www.gccmusic.org
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To volunteer with Hands of Peace, please
click here!
For more information, go to
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