Friends,

I am writing to invite you to read about IEA’s activities and impressive growth in our 2009 Annual Report, which is attached to this message. But before doing that I’d like to tell you a brief story, about a man I’ll call Rafi. To me, Rafi’s story illustrates why IEA’s active interfaith approach, which begins not with politics but by re-humanizing the "Other", is so effective. Like so many Israeli Jews, Rafi had never had a serious conversation with a Moslem. After hesitating for some time, Rafi finally agreed to attend one of our monthly dialog groups, with Palestinians from the West Bank. But he did so despite his very strong feelings that there was “no one to talk to” who really wanted peace; in fact, he was confident that the meeting would only confirm what he already felt he knew. Despite having grave doubts which almost caused him to turn back on the way to the meeting, Rafi met the Moslem co-chair, Said, and the other participants in the group, which for that meeting was studying Jewish, Moslem and Christian texts relating to ecology. It was a wonderful, truly eye-opening experience.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that Rafi walked out a changed man – this doesn’t mean that all problems and differences magically disappeared, of course. But he had met real human beings, not nameless enemies, and to his very great surprise found a great deal in common with them, including fervent shared hopes for a better, peaceful future. Rafi is now a regular participant in IEA events, and has already recruited several other new participants. Similar transformations happen countless times every year in our programs.

I am writing to ask you to join with the faith and courage of participants like Rafi and Said, and with their unyielding confidence that together we can and will build a better tomorrow, by once again making a financial commitment to IEA’s work. Indeed, given our growth and successes of the past year, your contribution now can help us more than ever before to build a broad popular movement for peace.

Despite the immense difficulties that recent events have posed to all dialog efforts in the Holy Land, the last two years have been a time of tremendous growth for IEA. Our 4000+ participants, Arabs and Jews, persevered – because they knew what would happen if they did not, and because they recognized that times of great danger can also be moments of opportunity to change the dynamic between our communities and begin to work together for a brighter future.  In the last year we have increased the number of our ongoing dialog groups to 35, and launched two major new projects: The first of these, the Euro-Mediterranean Abrahamic Forum, recently met for the first time in Amman with 60+ participants from 12 countries and is now planning its second meeting, to take place in Poland, and which will include a joint visit by Jews, Christians, and Moslems to the Maidanek Death Camp. The second new project, God’s Holy Mountain (http://www.godsholymountain.org), is a bold attempt to articulate a new vision for the Temple Mount/Haram-es-Sharif, in which it will cease being an object of intractable conflict, and become instead a symbol of prayer, sharing, and reconciliation for all peoples.  We are extremely proud of both of these initiatives as well as the sizable growth in numbers of our regular participants and ongoing encounter groups!

At IEA, we are especially proud of the fact that so many of those who take part in our programs, like Rafi,  have met the "Other" for the first time at our events, and also of the fact that the non-political nature of our work allows us to recruit participants from a very broad spectrum of each population.  Our distinctive method for interfaith encounters, in which study of sacred texts and ideas reveals shared values and the common humanity that is so often masked by conflict, has created bonds which foster deep respect and understanding even when we disagree. Each encounter has a ripple effect, reaching not only participants themselves but family and community members. In this way, IEA, with your partnership, is creating the conditions for peace to finally come. All of our participants – the professor from Maale Adumim, the student leader from Carmiel or East Jerusalem, the grandmother from Beit Jala – know that their chances for a brighter future critically depend on the success of efforts such as ours.

Those who take part in our programs know that they cannot allow themselves to walk away from dialogue, because their lives here in the Holy Land depend on finding a way – creating a way – for all of us to live together.  We, and they, are depending on you to help build a better future for all of us, because what happens in the Holy Land powerfully affects how those of different faiths relate to each other the world over.

If everyone who reads this gives just $30, we will be able to continue with our work for the next year. But our goal is to add at least 7 more dialog groups, each one of which will in turn reach out to many more people, dissolving prejudices and creating new, positive attitudes. So please consider helping us to grow by giving as generously as you can.

Your donation of:

$30 – covers printing and communications costs for one encounter session
$60 – buys food for one encounter session
$100 – pays for transportation for Palestinian youth to come to Israel for an encounter session
$250 – allows us to retain trained coordinators of one encounter session
$500 – covers all the costs for one Palestinian and Israeli Youth Encounter
$1,000 – pays for one conference
$5,000 – can sustain one ongoing dialogue group for one year. 

You may also contribute online thru our web site, http://interfaithencounter.wordpress.com/donate/

In the US, contributions by check may be mailed directly to: Friends of IEA, 832 Lathrop Ave., Forest Park, IL, 60130-2039

All contributions are fully tax-deductible in the US, as well as in the UK and Switzerland.

All contributions are welcome, small and large!

Sincerely,

Dr. Yehuda Stolov, Executive Director

E-mail: yehuda@...

Mr. Salah Alladin, Assistant Director

Board:

   Ms. Evelyne Savir (Chair)

   Dr. Shlomo Alon

   Ms. Nadia Tutanji-Nuseibeh

   Ms. Saheer Siam

   Mr. Rizk Azam

   Ms. Randa Zreik-Sabag

   Ms. Najeeba Sirhan (Audit Committee)

   Rabbi Dr. Dov Maimon (Audit Committee)

International Advisory Council:

Rabbi Saul Berman, Director of Continuing Rabbinic Education, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and Adjunct Professor of Law, Columbia University

Rabbi Dr. Tsvi Blanchard, Director of Organizational Development, Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL), New York

Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill,  Cooperman/Ross Distinguished Professor of Jewish/Christian Studies in Honor of Sister Rose Thering, Seton Hall University

Roshei Bernie Glassman, Founder, Zen Peacemaker Order

Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin, Director of the Center on Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, co-founder, Multifaith Peace Walk and Rabbi, Danforth Jewish Circle

Dr. Iftekhar Hai, United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance

Imam Yahya Hendi, Moslem Chaplain, Georgetown University

Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Rabbi of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation, Chicago, IL

Prof. Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow and Visiting Professor, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University

Dr. Eboo Patel, Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Core

Dr. Charles R. Paul, President, Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy

Father John Pawlikowski, OSM, Professor of Social Ethics at Catholic Theological Union and Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program

Rev. Dr. Donald Shriver, President & Professor of Ethics Emeritus, Union Theological Seminary

Rev. Dr. Krister Stendahl, Mellon Professor of Divinity Emeritus, Harvard Divinity School (deceased)

Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Minister, Lake Street Church, Chicago, IL, and former Chair of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions

Mr. Jonathan Wolf, former Social Policy Director of the Synagogue Council of America

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