Dispatch from Israel: December 23, 2024
For the next three weeks, the Ben-Shoshan family is traveling in Israel in order to achieve our second-eldest, Aidan’s, goal of becoming a b’mitzvah at a place with “Roman ruins and an epic hike”. Specifically, Masada. While our family looks forward to celebrating with you when we return (see below for when we are hosting Shabbat!), this trip has also given Rabbi Lauren a chance to catch up with a few friends around the country.
Alon, Rabbi Lauren’s husband, has known Leatt Segal since they were 15; Rabbi Lauren met Leatt only a few years later, at age 23. This year, Leatt’s 11 year old son chose to switch schools, specifically, to Hand in Hand, the Bilingual School in Jerusalem. While the overarching organization of Hand in Hand runs grassroots peace projects throughout Israel, the Bilingual School is one of the country’s premier educational institutions that teaches both Arab and Jewish students, together, as a unified student body, throughout the school year. Since many Israelis make their lifelong friendship connections through their schooling and educational experiences, this Pre-K through 12th grade school is an important experiment in peace-making.
Two weeks ago, the school hosted a hackathon for its middle school students. Over three days, the sixth and seventh graders prepared and presented projects. The students chose their projects based on shared interests, ranging from food issues to 3D engineering challenges. By working together, across cultures and languages, to think through the larger difficulties that face humanity, the students created something greater than solutions to our collective problems: their work together cultivates hope. Hand In Hand fosters hope for true co-existence, for a lasting and loving peace in the land of Israel. As Leatt says, “This amazing school not only produces a reality in which Jews and Arabs truly share the same heart, but also produces high quality learning experiences.”
You can find more about Hand In Hand, their projects beyond the school where Leatt’s family is proud to attend, and how to share the school’s story and grassroots-led peace work in Israel, click here.
