This week in Jerusalem the girls explored Sisterhood. We began our meeting by reading a beautiful article that appeared in the New York Times last summer. The article tells the story of a group of Jewish Israeli women who sneak Palestinian Arab women out of the West Bank and take them to Tel Aviv to swim in the sea. It is a story of remarkable courage and unlikely friendships. Themes that resonate for the members of Hand in Hand’s first LitClub.
The girls were astonished by the bravery of the women and inspired by their acts of courage. They were also stunned to read an American article about the Middle East that discussed real human issues and not just politics. The girls asked each other poignant questions, such as: How are we, as women, responsible for each other? What do all women have in common? What can we do to help women around the world? Although we didn’t solve any major world conflicts today, they decided together the best thing they can do is to continue having these important conversations and to be brave enough to continue to hope for a brighter future.
As one of the Arab girls was leaving, she turned back and said to me, “You’re an American Jew and I have more in common with you than I do with most of the men in my family. We talk about real things, things that matter. If that’s not sisterhood I don’t know what is.”
Submitted by our Girls LitClub Facilitator in Jerusalem, Leah Joseph