(Received via email)
Friends of IEAA group of supporters of IEA’s work is forming as an official non-profit organization in the United States. Yehuda Stolov and Najiba Sirhan came to the Chicago area last month and presented on IEA’s important work throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East and specifically, the school-linked project in Karmiel and Majd el-Krum. More than 100 people attended parlor meetings (one of which was a dialogue session), which were also fundraising events, over the course of the weekend and generated some funds and many ideas for moving the fledgling support organization forward, including:
- a collaborative project between one or more of our local Jewish elementary/middle schools and one or more local Muslim schools, to be co-ordinated with Najiba’s Arab/Jewish school project in Israel; perhaps Najiba should also meet with local public school administrators when she next comes, to talk about her project (could Evanston or Skokie become a “sister city” to Majd al-Krum / Karmiel?)
- IFYC (Interfaith Youth Core) organizes interfaith teens and young adult service projects; April Kunze from IFYC plans to meet with IEA during her trip to Israel soon, and we hope that will result in collaborative projects
- other Jewish/Muslim co-operative projects among professionals: a doctors’ group, say, that could engage in dialogue and joint projects here, and connect up with an analogous group in Israel
- getting IEA in general and Najiba’s schools in particular (and perhaps other IEA groups) onto the itinerary of Birthright or other trips or missions to Israel
- bringing the work of IEA to the attention of local Quaker and Unitarian groups
- a musical performance, or other cultural activity, involving Jews and Arabs here in Chicago as a fund-raiser for IEA
One of the meetings was covered by local press. If you or someone you know would like to be involved and help launch Friends of IEA, please contact Kathy Goetz Wolf.