Letter From Rachel
Dear Friends,
We are living through a very complex period in Israel, with our central concern focused on the hostages in Gaza and the unbearable suffering of their families. Alongside this concern, at Galilee Dreamers we emphasize the human suffering that lies on the other side. We grieve the killing of innocent civilians in both Israel and Gaza, and we are deeply concerned for the hunger and the lack of conditions for a dignified life among the population in Gaza. We also mourn the harm done to Arab society as a result of severe violence. It is clear to us all that a reality in which citizens live under constant fear for their lives cannot be accepted.
With this great and shared pain, we at Galilee Dreamers see it as our duty to design educational and social events that generate a positive consciousness of hope—hope that flows from the teens participating in our programs to their parents, families, and communities.
This past weekend, 30 Jewish, Druze, and Muslim students spent time together again at a weekend retreat. Much of the time was dedicated to deepening mutual understanding and identifying shared values as a foundation for building a shared society. These values were brought from their homes and parents, and the conversations centered on identifying a common moral framework. Once again, so much love, openness, and intimacy were expressed in these encounters. Personally, I felt how hope inspired me and our entire educational team to continue.
The Shabbaton retreat was co-led by Fatma Diab, an Oranim alumna; Erez Hamo, the Galilee Dreamers’ administrative director; and myself as program director. Three Druze teachers and one Muslim teacher also joined our work.
Following the retreat, we continued preparations for the delegation to the United States, scheduled for October following the high holidays. The preparations are not only logistical but also deeply educational. One unique aspect of this delegation is that the responsibility for planning has been shared with the participating students—both in Israel and in Baltimore. While preparing the delegation has brought with it many challenges, it has also revealed something profound: that friendship, a shared belief in goodness, and mutual recognition of pain are the real sources of strength in human connections. I will share more about this in the future.
The previous months have been equally moving and productive. In July, a delegation of teachers from the Galilee Dreamers’ educational team traveled on a study tour to South Africa. The tour included inspiring encounters with students and educators from schools of different backgrounds and faiths. In addition, social leaders accompanied us to sites marking the history of the anti-apartheid struggle in the Cape Town area. We met courageous leaders who chose social responsibility as their personal journey. Alongside breathtaking landscapes, we forged meaningful connections with people who from afar might be seen as adversaries, but up close became soul friends—people striving to fight pain, hardship, and social injustices through educational and constructive initiatives. We are grateful to the organizing team in Cape Town, and especially to advisory board member Raymond Schkolne.
Immediately upon the team’s return from South Africa, the educational team led the William and Irene Weinberg Family Foundation summer camp for high school students at Oranim College. The camp lasted seven full days and included social activities, volunteering with youth with special needs in Kiryat Tivon, agricultural work, and community farming in the village of Tzippori—an educational farm that produces food for those in need, using surplus food otherwise discarded by various industries.
The camp included several workshops focusing on personal identity and dialogue between identities, as well as on shared living in practice: the students slept, cooked, prepared meals, and cleaned their surroundings together. The week was filled with joy, laughter, music, movement, and immense social energy. During the camp, we met with central figures at Oranim College as well as with community members who shared their narratives of shared living. Most of the participants were Jewish and Druze teens, and the evening discussions explored religious and cultural traditions unfamiliar to each other’s communities. By the end of the camp, remarkable friendships had blossomed among the youth.
We now stand at the threshold of a new Hebrew year. What can I wish for all of us? I hope that we can open ourselves as people who care for the well-being of others, and that we can dedicate ourselves to non-violent social activism rooted in a positive worldview. May we never let go of hope and faith in the human spirit. May we know health and the joy of life’s simple blessings. And above all, I pray for the return of the hostages and for an end to the terrible suffering in Gaza.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Dr. Rachel Ravsin-Ravid
Director, Galilee Dreamers