Barbara: Thursday
The work week ends on Thursday and there’s a lot to finish up. I go to a Torah study class, then spend the night listening to favorite music and cooking. As usual, we expect a dozen guests for Shabbat. Tonight, my son-in-law Daniel Zamir and his jazz quartet are playing a benefit concert for the [...]
Rivka Grabovski
Director of Daycare Center in Sderot
I hear the noise of the Qassam rocket, and the loudspeaker and the red alert, and my heart’s beating quickly, and I can’t catch my breath, and what do I do now? It can happen anywhere. You can be at home, at the center, in the street. I live in fear. I feel I have a sixth sense with which I can hear better, concentrate better. I’m so frightened and tense—but courage is key. Don’t give up, despite everything. I continue to walk for exercise, do my shopping, take classes, visit my girlfriends, and come to work despite the fears, anxiety, and trembling. I tell myself not to give up, but to get up and do the impossible. [...]
Badia Khalaf
Chair of Annahda Women’s Association
The best thing in life is love. Without love we cannot live. As Christians, we want only peace. This is our Christianity. We can love each other, we can live with each other. It’s not hard for us to live with Jewish people, Israeli people. [...]
Barbara — Monday
Monday morning. In America, colleagues and friends are finding their way back to work after a long weekend. We do a briefer Thanksgiving here—turning it into a Friday night dinner with a proper turkey, cranberry-apple sauce and non-dairy pumpkin pie.
This morning began with a brit milah, called a bris in the US, the 8th [...]
Anya Antopolski
Director of Meeting Point in Nokdim
I’ll tell you a story. About a year ago I was going through the checkpoint on my way home when I saw a very pretty Palestinian girl with a beautiful scarf covering her hair. She was standing next to the checkpoint holding a Palestinian flag and demonstrating against the security fence. I wanted to stand next to her holding an Israeli flag, because I’m also against the fence. If she’s against the fence, and I’m against the fence, then who is for it, really? That’s what I want to say. [...]
Muna Salim Saleh Mansour
Member of Palestinian Legislative Council (Hamas party), Nablus
My husband joked, “What would you do if I were killed?” I said, “I would cry.” He said, “It is okay to cry.” I said, “The house is too small to accommodate mourners.” Mourners arrived in busloads. The march on the day of his death was the largest ever in Palestine. People from surrounding towns and villages joined the funeral even though the Israeli occupation placed roadblocks. [...]
Episode 9: Peace and Religion
What is the relationship between peace and religion? Hear what Palestinian and Israeli women have to say.
Chana Pasternak
Director of Kolech–Religious Women’s Forum
The men always express themselves, and they are heard, but the voices, especially of religious women, aren’t heard. And all religious responsibility has been for men, very little for women. It’s time women should be heard. [...]
Tirza Moussaieff
Psychologist, writer, and imagery worker
The Torah says Redemption will come from women this time. Women give birth to children and are more open and sensitive. They see reality. Men are little boys. But there is hope because women have a lot of power over men. If they guide men with respect and knowledge, I think men will be happy to receive it because they are more lost than women. They are little boys with toys. When they are impotent, they love to use a gun. If you look at the profile of major generals, I wouldn’t be surprised if you find a background of impotency.
Tamar Borer
Therapist and artist of multidisciplinary stage creations
The courage to live is the greatest courage we can have. The courage to accept death as part of our daily life is probably the major gate through which we can realize freedom.
