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increase awareness of political and social justice issues in our congregation.
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create Tikkun Olam opportunities for exploration and action.
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gather information about possible tzedakah partners and conduct elections for the congregation to select each year’s partners.
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collaborate with other organizations whose goals we support.
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support each other in this often difficult work.
Tzedakah Partners
2022 to 2023
HOUSE OF HOPE uses a Waldorf school curriculum to provide nonviolence training and trauma-informed education to Palestinian Muslim and Christian children. Waldorf education teaches the whole child: hands, hearts, heads and souls. Students and staff make a daily pledge of commitment to nonviolence. The hope is that this will have a generational ripple effect for the community at large.
The school’s vision is of a prosperous Palestine that upholds the dignity of every human through nonviolence, educational equity and civil society engagement. Their mission is to strengthen Palestinian civil society with holistic early and elementary education, accessible vocational training and dynamic social support for marginalized children, youth and women in four West Bank villages.
This past year they trained 134 teachers in their technique of using music, art and “learning by playing” to reduce student trauma. They also developed Palestine Beats, teaching digital beat-making, songwriting and nonviolent communication to local Palestinians ages 16-35. Our member Deanna Cohen is on the Board of Directors, has visited the school with her daughters and is dedicated to helping the school thrive.