Our International Day of Peace gathering yesterday in Old City of Jerusalem was a success. We opened with a circle at Jaffa Gate: 40 Israelis, internationals and Palestinians from the West Bank- that we managed to get permits for- from Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. Police patrolling the area were concerned our unusual constellation might be a provocation, then seeing us come together for peace, gave us their support. A film crew from Al-Hurra Arabic TV joined, filming for a feature on their network. We walked in a single file line through the market, weaving through the alleyways to the St. Marks monastery, where Syrian Orthodox priest Abuna Moshe welcomed us, sharing his Aramaic speaking communitys history and prayers in the Aramaic language. We then walked into the Jewish quarter where we got a guided tour of the Cardo and the Hurva synagogue. Rebbetzin Emunah Witt spoke about the special experience of praying in the re-built Hurva synagogue. Being next to a big group of Israeli soldiers, the Palestinian youth with us were nervous. Our photographer made the introduction... one of the soldiers came over for a meaningful chat with them- a chance for each to have a human encounter with the other. Emunah spoke of her son, a soldier in the army and her deepest wish, for her son and all of us, that there be no more war, to applause from the Palestinians. We chanted - Jews, Christians and Muslims- Shalom, Salaam, in the main square...as many ultra-Orthodox girls walked by, listening. We continued to the rooftops above the shuk/market at the meeting point of the Jewish, Christian and Muslims quarters, next to the Holy Sepulchre, where more Israelis and Palestinians joined us. In our chanting circle for peace, we added the Aramaic for peace: Shalom...Salaam...Shelomo with Father Abuna Moshe invoking G-ds name in a prayer for harmony of Abrahams children. Dvora P. spoke, this day is the equinox-- the balance of day and night, masculine and feminine. Then, Saleem Shtaye from Nablus expressed his hope that we gather more like on this day. We continued to the lookout above the Western Wall, where I shared the history of the Peace Vigil we held there for 4 years during the 2nd intifada. We listened with compassion as a local Palestinian shared his anger and frustrations with the current situation. Embracing and including him in our circle calmed him down. We closed with a prayer and teaching circle in the Muslim quarter on the rooftop of the Austrian Hospice. I shared, Jews say selichot now, in the nights up to Rosh Hashana. Slichot is close to the word sulha the ritual of reconciliation in Arabic. Perhps now is the time to seek slicha/sulha- forgiveness with each other in the wake of this recent war- beyond just Jews with Jews or Arab with Arabs. Two Palestinians cried tears of joy at seeing the Dome of the Rock, and the amazing Old City landscape- for the first time in their lives...with me, and Daniel, our Christian coordinator from Bethlehem saying for them the effort was worth it. Even though we have a long way to go in this conflicted City and Land, we helped create an island of harmony on this, the International Day of Peace.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:09:39 +0000
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