Testimonial by Elise Goldin
Student at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN
Israel has always been a difficult topic to discuss within my family and among my Jewish friends. The air becomes tense, and all involved often end up feeling attacked and on the defensive. Last summer, I conducted a research project to look at Jews who are critical of Israel, and how to create a more open dialogue on Israel/Palestine within the American Jewish community. I began to understand the ways this issue taking place across the world is able to affect families and relationships at home in the United States. Because U.S. policy has such a large affect on Israel, I felt like the only way to change the current situation is to begin talking about it more openly and honestly and have a better understanding of the ways American Jews feel connected to the issue.
With the help of Jews in the community, as well as the guidebook for facilitators, Constructive Conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, developed by the Jewish Dialogue Group and the Public Conversations Project, I held a small dialogue at my college. About 10 people were present, all Jewish, and a mix between students and members of the community. It was an interesting mix of people because they were coming from totally different places with huge differences in experiences around this issue. We started by introducing each other, going over rules, etc. Then, in a circle, the participants went around and talked about their connection with Israel and why this issue is important for them. Next, we did a popcorn style response in which people reflected on what resonated with them from what others said, what they felt uncomfortable with, and other personal reactions. The last thing we did was talk about personal future steps. Most people agreed they wanted to learn more about the issue.
What stuck me the
most about the dialogue was how open people were and how quickly a
safe space was established. People took it seriously and I feel
like it ended on a hopeful note. One aspect of the dialogue
that was particularly significant was that its structure forced all
parties to listen to those with different politics and world views.
This dialogue was exciting to me because it helped all involved
realize that a calm, meaningful conversation about Israel/ Palestine
could take place.
As a Jewish college student, I was often troubled by the ways that conversations about Israel/Palestine took place. I became interested in dialogues, and worked to hold one at my college. Jewish Dialogue Group’s materials were a large help to me--they gave me ideas about how to structure the dialogue, what types of questions to ask, as well as how to gear the event towards Jews.