Peace in Our Lifetime
Dear Friends,
 
In late November and December 2019, you and 152 others generously donated in excess of $110,000 to Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB). You led us to exceed our goal and to secure the $25,000 matching gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The board, our staff, and I are deeply touched by your response.
 
But current events leave us no time for self-congratulations. The Presidential "Deal of the Century", together with the ensuing Israeli and Palestinian responses, shifted the political and peacebuilding axis in the Holy Lands. Ultimatums rarely reduce conflict, and the expected annexations, tensions and fragmentation can only further erode engagement and trust.
Rather than curse the darkness, Jerusalem Peacebuilders chooses to light a candle.  To see peace in our lifetime, to empower Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze alike for positive participation in a shared society, to advance interfaith understanding and leadership education, JPB will renew its cross-border work. Our vision is to launch a network of teacher-training programs across the West Bank.
 
We cannot do this without you. Your generosity, loyalty and prayers undergird our partnerships with teachers and schools across the Holy Lands as well as honor the difficult work of our small staff. Thank you for giving us the strength and confidence to light the candle of leadership.
 
Peace, Shalom, Salaam,
   
(The Rev. Canon) Nicholas and Dorothy Porter
Co-Founders, Jerusalem Peacebuilders
MOMENTS FROM OUR RECENT WORK 
Key meetings, Delegations, Retreats, and More!

On January 17-19, St. George's College in Jerusalem celebrated its centenary (1920-2020). A former College staff member and Chaplain to the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem in the 1990s, Fr. Nicholas attended. He is pictured above (left) with other former chaplains including Bishop John Organ (center left), Canon Bob Edmunds (top), Canon Don Bender (right) and Archbishop Suhail Dawani (center right). He also met with the Rev. Dr. Stephanie Burette, the Porter Fellow at the College. Deacon Stephanie volunteers one day a week teaching leadership at a local East Jerusalem school.
On January 24, JPB Treasurer Bruce Barrett met with JPB alums and other Israeli Arab and Jewish teens participating in an international Model United Nations event being held at Yale University in New Haven, CT. They were part of the Debate for Peace delegation led by founder Steven Aiello (pictured). Steven and Debate for Peace are active partners with JPB in Jerusalem and Israel.

The pilot JPB-Retorika EXCEL teacher-training program concluded with 17 of the initial 20 Arab and Jewish educators participating in a two-day, overnight workshop that focused on impact, interconnecting classrooms and future learning. The workshop took place in Nazareth and included visiting the city and enjoying its renowned cuisine. Dr. Paula Green, Dr. Elias Farah, Noura El-Zokim and Fr. Nicholas led the weekend which capped ten days together in England and four two-hour follow-up sessions. Since joining EXCEL, three of the educators have received the Israeli Ministry of Education's Exceptional English Teacher Award.
We met the match for our 2019 holiday appeal! Our thanks and appreciation go to charter-donor Gabrielle Dennison whose good offices and generosity made possible the $25,000 matching gift for Jerusalem Peacebuilders
A HAT TRICK!
JPB awarded three grants from the Episcopal Church 
In recognition of our effective work, JPB recently won three prestigious grants for 2020 from the Episcopal Church, totaling $47,500!
  • Sponsored by Province I (the Dioceses of New England), JPB successfully applied to the National Episcopal Church's Constable Fund for a $20,000 grant to fund interfaith religious education at each of its four residential youth programs in 2020.
  • The World Mission Board of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas awarded $17,500 for JPB's peace and leadership education programs in 35 schools across Jerusalem and Israel.  These programs are operated in cooperation with Palmer Memorial Church in Houston.
  • The Episcopal parish of St. Michael and All Angels on Sanibel Island, Florida granted $10,000 to JPB's EXCEL teacher-training program.  Cambridge University and Retorika are partners in this program for Arab and Jewish educators in peacebuilding and English language pedagogy.
REFLECTION FROM ALUM NICHOLAS LEVY 
Numerous tools, many new friends, and tons of memories 
My name is Nicholas Levy and I am an 18 year old senior, from Netanya, Israel, originally from Brazil.  I joined JPB because I wanted to gain knowledge about my neighbors  from different backgrounds, learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict according to different narratives, and of course, because I wanted to make new friends! Over the last two years, I  have attended two JPB Summer Institutes: Interfaith Citizenship (TX) and Leadership (VT).


"I believe JPB is extremely important because it provides teens 
from Israel and Palestine a unique opportunity to truly connect 
and to really learn how to love one another... JPB helps us 
create  true peace."

JPB provided me with numerous tools, such as storytelling, empathy, how to challenge my own narrative, and so many more it would take me pages to explain. JPB gifted me with many new friends who I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet if it wasn't for the program. Moreover, JPB has obviously given me tons of memories, experiences and challenges that made me grow and have many laughs and tears.  Today, I'm in the 12th grade, and I'm organizing a Model United Nations conference at my school, which will discuss various urgent topics from the Tension in the Strait of Hormuz to the Amazon fires.

I believe JPB is extremely important because it provides teens from Israel and Palestine a unique opportunity to truly connect and to really learn how to love one another. It helps us build this new generation which is far more aware of the different narratives there are regarding the conflict and its repercussions. JPB helps us create true peace.
PHOTO EXHIBIT BRINGS TOGETHER 1,500 YOUTH IN ISRAEL 
JPB Educator leads workshops and trains teen tour leaders
For the third year in a row, JPB Educator Sarah Benazera led workshops at the World Press Photography Exhibition for 10th graders from across Israel in January. This project, in cooperation with the Diplomacy and Communication in English major of the Israeli Ministry of Education, brought together over 1,500 high school students from 65 Arab and Jewish schools. Students experienced a number of exciting activities that helped them understand the exhibition as well as getting to know one another. In addition, Sarah trained 70 12th graders who guided the younger students through the exhibition.  The project was a big success!
2020 BUDGET APPROVED! 
New financial resources will help expand our programs in the Holy Lands
On January 30, the JPB Board met to review fourth quarter activity of 2019 and to approve a budget for 2020.  Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters and vigorous efforts to economize, JPB ended 2019 in a strong cash position.  Along with hearing various reports, the board unanimously approved the $508,000 budget prepared by Bruce Barrett and Bonnie Rodriguez, JPB's Treasurer and Bookkeeper.  2019 was a year of tragedy and triumph for JPB which included the death of the Kensingers and operations break-throughs both domestically and internationally. We are excited to leverage our strong financial position in 2020 to advance peace and reconciliation!
 
"Jerusalem Peacebuilders has forever changed my life and  the 
way I view it. JPB taught me how to first reach inner peace, 
then peace with others. It is indeed a wonderful program that prepares the next generation to become leaders for a better future. "
.
                                                    - Malak, Summer Participant 

Please donate securely online or make your donation check payable to 
"Jerusalem Peacebuilders" and send it to the following address:

Jerusalem Peacebuilders, Inc. 
3300 Chimney Rock, Suite 301
Houston, TX 77056 USA 

Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) is a tax-exempt organization per section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is further classified as a public charity. Donations may be made directly to JPB and deducted under Section 170 of the Code. JPB's federal tax identification number (EIN) is 45-2233148.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING  YOUTH PEACEBUILDERS!
     
Because the future of Jerusalem is the future of the world