Letter From Rachel
The Courage to Pause: Quiet Leadership and the Spirit of
Galilee Dreamers
Dear Friends,
These days and nights in Israel, and particularly in the Galilee, are tensed and confusing. Alongside moments of quiet, the sounds of wind and birds are interrupted by fighter jets and, at times, distant explosions that disturb our sense of calm. We all know how fragile the situation is, and how quickly war can return to full force. Over these realities, we have very little control.
Standing outside my office at Oranim one day I chose to take control in the only way I could at that moment: by sharpening my senses and turning my attention to the beauty and strength of nature around me. Then I noticed a student walking slowly toward the art classrooms. She was older than the other students around her, carrying bags filled with drawings, while holding tightly to a cup of coffee and a pastry. It was clear that she had special needs. She seemed confused and was speaking to herself, unsure which path to take.
A younger student stopped beside her and gently asked whether she was alright and whether she needed help. “We are going to the same class,” she said quietly. “I know you from the course.” The older student smiled hesitantly and replied, “But I am not sure which way to go. The younger student leaned toward her, listened carefully, and said calmly, “It’s okay. We study together. I think it would be better for you to go up this path because of your cart.”
“But I am still not sure,” the older student answered.
The younger student did not rush her. She simply asked, “Can I help you carry something?”
It was difficult for the older student to give up control over her belongings, especially her coffee cup. Watching them, a thought crossed my mind: how difficult it is for all of us to let go of control, even when help is offered with kindness.
Slowly, a process of building trust began. The older student finally said, “You wanted to help me. I am letting you help.” And then, quietly and slowly, the two of them walked up the path together.
The younger student’s hesitation was beautiful. What do we do when we see a person in distress who also wants to preserve their independence? How do we offer help without taking over? How do we stand close enough to support, but far enough to respect the other person’s boundaries?
The young student chose to stop, listen, and wait. With great patience, she did not invade the other woman’s space. She allowed her to lead, to decide, and to accept help in her own time.
For me, it was a magical moment. It is connected deeply to the educational spirit of Galilee Dreamers: the education of pausing, slowing down, observing, and listening. It reminded me that true encounters do not begin by entering forcefully into another person’s world. It begins by waiting for the moment when the other person is ready to open a door and express their own agency.
A few moments later, another small scene unfolded beside me. I heard a boy of about ten, from Oranim’s excellence and giftedness program, invite another child to join him. He did not shout. He simply asked from a distance, “Would you like to join me?”
The other child ran toward him with joy, embracing the invitation with his whole body.
Again, I thought to myself: this, too, is the spirit of Galilee Dreamers — a brave and gentle invitation to encounter, and the joy that comes when a meaningful connection is formed.
This connected directly to an experience I had the previous week. Fatma Diab, from the town of Tamra, an Arab- Palestinian Oranim graduate and an impressive educator, joined me in leading an intra-community meeting with a new group of students from Hashalom School in Sheikh Danun, a Arab village near the Lebanese border.
Fatma, who is part of the educational leadership team of Galilee Dreamers, met for an hour with a group of approximately twenty- 10th -grade students who are interested in joining the program, together with their teacher, Ms. Muzna Sanunu. The meeting was conducted entirely in Arabic. It was moving to see how strongly the students’ active participation was encouraged by being guided by Arabic-speaking educators who understand their language, culture, and social reality. The conversation focused on issues that deeply concern adolescents in Arab society: violence and internal community killings, racism, poverty, human rights, and the longing for peace and shared life.
Later, Fatma and Muzna reflected together on each student’s potential fit for the Galilee Dreamers program. Their discussion focused not only on academic or verbal abilities, but on patterns of leadership. They paid attention to both visible leadership and quiet leadership.
Visible leadership was expressed in students’ ability to help the facilitator, support the formation of the group, work collaboratively, and take the assigned task seriously.
Quiet leadership, however, revealed itself differently: through offering ideas gently, initiating shared thinking, listening deeply to the group, and influencing others without giving orders.
Both forms of leadership reflected the ability to express a position and guide a group in a way that is deeply connected to the values of Galilee Dreamers.
In our educational model, Galilee Dreamers combines intra-community and inter-community meetings. This structure is intentional. The intra-community meetings allow participants to deepen their sense of belonging, strengthen their personal and collective identities, and explore their own narratives within a familiar cultural and linguistic space. The inter-community meetings then create the opportunity to bring these identities and narratives into meaningful encounters with others, through dialogue, listening, shared responsibility, and the gradual building of trust.
For me, it is a great privilege to be present in a space where I do not have full control, particularly because my knowledge of Arabic is limited. In such moments, I am reminded once again of the beginning of this reflection: the importance of hesitation, trust, and the willingness to let go of control in educational processes that seek to empower others.
I am proud to see an Oranim graduate such as Fatma step into this role with courage, sensitivity, and deep commitment — to each individual student, to the group, and to the values of Galilee Dreamers. In a time when the world around us often feels fragile and uncertain, these small moments of listening, invitation, and quiet leadership remind us why this work matters: because shared society is built not only through declarations, but through the patient, human practice of noticing one another, making room, and walking up the path together.
With deep appreciation for your support!
Rachel