.........there are many grass roots movements .........here is another one :
Circles of hope
Op-ed: Following the litany of horrors in Jerusalem's recent past—Shira Banki, the Dawabsheh family, Mohammed Abu Khdeir—the Yerushalmit Movement has called on the public to take back the capital and make it a meeting place for understanding.
Tehila Friedman|Published: 21.07.16 ,
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4831526,00.html
There were teens who passionately explained that Jerusalem needs to be only for Jews, and they suddenly discovered that they were sitting in a circle of immigrant teens who were not Jewish according to Halacha (Jewish law). And for one joyous moment, they were completely confused. There were old Yemenites that joined in singing in Arabic with Arabs from the east of the city. There were so many different vignettes and stories, funny and scary. And always very meaningful.
It's still not completely clear what took place there in the square. A public therapy session? A public mechanism to relieve stress and pressure? It's uncertain. The only thing that is clear is that we made contact there with a large need of people to talk. To get to know each other. To look each other in the eyes.
Shira was stabbed on July 31, 2015, and she died three days later. However, we mark today, at Jerusalem's Pride parade, together with her family, the anniversary of her death and a year to continuing the discussion in the square. We'll mark it the only way we can: Making Jerusalem into a massive meeting place with different circles. Between Jews and Arabs, rabbis and LGBT people, youth from the periphery and normative adults. Between everyone and everyone. We'll be at Zion Square and Maccabi Mutsri Square and in Menorah Park.
Jerusalem has a long history of zealotry and hatred. It also has the ability to become a place of meeting. And hope. This is our choice, and it's only dependent on us.
Tehila Friedman is a fellow at the Shaharit Foundation and a board member of the Yerushalmit Movement.
Our politicians, in general, are more interested in holding onto their power than doing anything
towards peace .
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