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Rally to protest Gaza violence
JVP-Detroit joined Palestinians and other sympathizers to demonstrate
at Dearborn's City Hall on March 5, 2008 against the Occupation and Israel's continuing blockade of food, fuel, water filters, medicines, and other essential supplies destined for Gaza, in violation of international law.
Film Showings with the Detroit Jewish Film Festival
For
the past two years, Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit (JVP-D) has
cosponsored films at the Detroit Jewish Film Festival. In May 2008, we
presented Knowledge is the Beginning and May 2009 we presented Waltz
with Bashir. In 2008, we held a reception with food and Middle Eastern
live music following the movie, and presented the sequel to the movie,
the Ramallah Concert, the following week at another venue.
Why is this film great?
Filled with beautiful music, this powerful, multiple award-winning
documentary is the story of the formation and maturing of the
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, where young Arabs and Jews learn to trust
one another, first as musical partners, and then as fellow people.
Music provides the common ground and universal language that transcends
hate and war. Hear Daniel Barenboim’s riveting speech before the
Knesset.
This orchestra of 80 Arab and Israeli musicians, ages
13 to 26, was a joint project of longtime friends, legendary Jewish
pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinian
philosopher and peace activist Edward Said. It played at Carnegie Hall
in December 2006 and the United Nations in 2007. Its continuing success
to this day stands as a symbol of hope and a model for peaceful and
artful coexistence in the Middle East. See the orchestra’s current
touring schedule at http://west-easterndivan.artists.warner.de/
The
film chronicles five summer workshops in Weimar, Germany, and Seville,
Spain, and takes us to the Knesset with Barenboim and the orchestra’s
powerfully moving concert in Ramallah in August, 2005.
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| “Olive Tree of Jerusalem” tile mural by Marie Balian, Balian Armenian Ceramics of Jerusalem. www.armenianceramics.com |
Tu B’Shvat Seder
JVP-Detroit, along with other JVP chapters around the country and world, held a
Trees of Reconciliation Tu B’Shvat Seder for Healing & Reparation
on Monday, January 21, 2008, in Ferndale, Michigan at AJs Cafe.
It was a deeply appreciated occasion for Detroit Jews to learn about the destruction of Palestinian olive groves by the Jewish National Fund's tree-planting campaign of the 1950s and meet others committed to rectifying these wrongs. We celebrated with singing, eating ritual foods of
nuts, seeds and fruit, and a seder dinner of Middle Eastern
foods.
Tu B’shvat is a Jewish holiday in celebration of fruiting trees and
“Birthday of the Trees.” The Tu B’shvat Seder kicked off the national
JVP campaign to purchase 3,000 olive saplings this year for planting by the Palestine Fair Trade Association in the
Occupied West Bank, for Palestinian farmers trying to
rebuild their economy.
The uprooting of more than 700,000 olive trees by the
Israeli Defense Forces since 2000, to make way for settlements and the Wall, has
wreaked incalculable damage on the main source of livelihood for
thousands of Palestinian families. The "Trees" campaign is JVP's effort to begin healing and repair some of the damage done.
Hanukkah Party & meet Sydney
Latkes, bagels, lox and other brunch delicacies were enjoyed at our Hanukkah gathering on Dec. 9, 2007, when JVP-Detroiters heard JVP's Sydney Levy speak about JVP's coalition work with church groups also trying to end the Occupation.
Fundraiser for ICAHD
In September 2007, JVP-Detroit held a fundraiser for the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). We viewed a compelling film about ICAHD, spoke to cofounder Jeff Halper by telephone from Italy, and enjoyed a potluck.
Since 1967, over 18,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel, leaving more than 108,000 Palestinians homeless. Israel refuses to issue building permits to Palestinians for the rebuilding of their homes, driving them from their land. This is a major obstacles to peace. JVP-Detroit raised money for ICAHD-USA's goal of rebuilding every Palestinian house demolished in 2006 — about 300 homes.
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