Village Presbyterian Church and CJME present

Voices of New Hope --
Peace Prospects in Israel and Palestine

Download event flyer - one-page, letter size (PDF format, 138 kb) | Read report on lecture series

Prairie Village, Kansas - With the passing of Yasir Arafat a new opportunity for peacemaking begins in Palestine and Israel. Beginning in January 2005 Village Presbyterian Church will listen to a variety of voices that will speak about the possibility of what “New Hope” means for Israel and Palestine, and especially for the United States.

The four-part series will examine prospects for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. During the series we will hear from individuals about the impact of the occupation on Palestinians, the threat to security for Israelis and the common ground for peace efforts.

Each talk will include an open discussion on such important questions as: Why is peace in the Middle East important for Americans? What can we do to encourage a resolution to this conflict?

This series is sponsored by Village Presbyterian Church and Citizens for Justice in the Middle East. Each talk is free and open to the public and will be held at Village Presbyterian Church, 67th and Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas.

Village Presbyterian Church
Friendship Hall
6641 Mission Road
Prairie Village, Kansas
open to the public
(enter from south parking lot)

The series will be held on four consecutive Sundays:


Joe Carr		 Sunday, January 23 - Joe Carr will speak about “Christian Peacemaking in the Holy Land” at 11:00 AM - Joe Carr is a 23-year-old peace activist from Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated with a BA from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington in 2004. He spent January to April of 2003 in Rafah, Palestine, and witnessed the death of US peace activist Rachel Corrie and British peace activist Tom Hurndall. He now works with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Al Khalil (Hebron), Palestine.

Paul Silbersher		 Sunday, January 30 - Cantor Paul C. Silbersher, Kol Ami Spiritual Leader will speak at 11:00 AM – Cantor Silbersher completed his Rabbinical studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion and was ordained as a Rabbi in 1972. He teaches at St. Paul School of Theology and Baker University. Cantor Silbersher brings a unique voice to the discussion of what New Hope looks like from an American reform Jewish perspective.

Andrea Whitmore		 Sunday, February 6 - Andrea Whitmore traveled to the Mideast in October and will speak on “The Least of These: Our Obligation in the Holy Land” at 11:00 AM - Andrea Whitmore traveled to Palestine and Israel with an Interfaith Peace Builders delegation in October 2004. The delegation was sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She is a writer and former teacher of English as a Foreign Language at UMKC. Andrea is a member of Citizens for Justice in the Middle East.
  Sunday, February 13 – Rabbi Alan Cohen, a leader in the Kansas City Jewish community, will speak at 11:00 AM. Rabbi Cohen is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom. Beth Shalom is a Conservative congregation with a rich heritage in Kansas City beginning in 1878. Rabbi Cohen comes to Village Church through the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of the American Jewish Committee. Rabbi Cohen will offer a voice of New Hope from the perspective of the Conservative movement in Kansas City Judaism.
> 12:00 Noon - After the talk a peace lunch at Village church will be served, catered by Jerusalem Café, $10.00 lunch ticket. Kosher meals will be made available. For lunch reservations, contact Julie at 913-671-2367 or Julie@villagepres.org.
> Immediately after lunch Rev. Tom Are, Senior Pastor, Village Presbyterian Church will wrap up the series and speak about the Presbyterian effort to divest funds from Israel. 

Rev. Tom Are

The “Voices of New Hope” series is sponsored by Village Presbyterian Church and Citizens for Justice in the Middle East. For more information
- Call Mark Braden at Village Church, 913-671-2330 or write mrbraden@villagepres.org.
- Call CJME - Janet Baker at 913-649-9439 or Matt Quinn at 816-729-9102.
- Visit the CJME web site – http://www.cjme.org/voices.htm

Read Kansas City Star article (1/19/05)  on Joe Carr and Andrea Whitmore

Getting in the Way of the Occupation: A Report on January 23rd Presentation at Village

   Joe Carr spoke to a group of 100 people at the opening talk in the "Voices of New Hope" series at Village Church on Sunday, January 23. He spoke eloquently about the devastating impact of roadblocks, closures, the security wall and harrassment on Palestinian lives. He is on a two-month leave from his three-year engagement working with Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Hebron. His latest work with Palestinians from October to December took him frequently to a small, 500-year old village named At-Tuwani. The illegal Israeli settlement Ma'on was built close to At-Tuwani and cuts off villagers access to regional cities that provide university, medical and other vital social services. He described how the pending path of the Wall will completely disconnect Tuwani from other West Bank cities, leaving it stuck between the Wall and the Green Line. Joe used his creative spirit through songs, poetry, biblical readings and a slide show to highlight the plight of Palestinians and efforts for a just peace in this troubled region. Joe's dedication to CPT's "getting in the way" of the occupation is a true inspiration to many of us in the peace movement. -- Matt Quinn

A View of Mideast History: A Report on January 30th Presentation at Village

   Cantor Paul Silbersher presented an alternate view to the Israel-Palestine conflict to 140 people at Village Church, reflecting on his lifelong Zionist activism and his first visit to Israel in 1969. His survey of history covered biblical through modern day events, punctuated with rhetorical questions -- "Who decides who's land this is?" and "What gives some the right to say they can take this land?"
   He reported an oft-repeated line that Palestinians have rejected peace several times, the latest during the 2000 Camp David talks. While noting a Palestinian identity starting in the 1800's he chastised Arab countries for not granting citizenship to Palestinians. Silbersher mentioned that history is full of occupation and conquest, asking at one point "Who do you think lived here before settlers?," referring to Indians inhabiting Kansas. Reflection on Indian land theft was a common theme presented in both Cantor Silbersher and Joe Carr's talk last week. Joe Carr stated the ongoing theft of Palestinian territory was a crime according to international law; Paul Silbersher's position on this key issue in the conflict was less clear. -- Matt Quinn

"The Least of These: Our Obligation in the Holy Land": A Report on February 6th Presentation at Village Church
 
     Combining the photos of innocent children with reports of uprooted olive orchards, checkpoints and demolished homes, Andrea Whitmore shared her experience as a member of an Interfaith Peace Builders group that traveled to Israel/Palestine in October 2004. When she gave the dollar amount ($10 to $15 million) that the U.S. gives to Israel and asked the audience, "...and how often do we send them this money?", a woman responded correctly, "Every day."  Andrea noted that Palestinians already have given up 78% of their homeland and now face travel restrictions that prevent access to other villages, schools and hospitals.  What can we do for the people of Israel and Palestine?  According to Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (http://www.icahd.org), we can become better educated about the issue, speak up, make phone calls, and write letters to the media and our legislators.  Halper, an Israeli, says that the hope for peace lies with "international civil society," those of us who become involved and call for peace with justice. Andrea urges us to, "Go to the land that we call Holy to meet the people, Jews, Muslims, and Christian Arabs, and to pick ripe olives from bountiful trees, and watch the sun set over the hills."  She applauded the Presbyterians taking a stand against the occupation, noting the Stated Clerk Kirkpatrick's letter of response to protesting legislators as an example of how deeply thoughtful the position of the church is.  A lasting image was the photo of a little girl from Al-Walajeh, whose village faces a second destruction, unless people of good will intervene.  Andrea keeps the photo on her desk. --Janet Baker
Rabbi Cohen and Reverend Are Bring Their "Voices of New Hope" -- A Report on February 13th Presentation at Village Church

Rabbi Alan Cohen spoke to over 100 participants in the last lecture in the four-part "Voices of New Hope" series held at Village Church and co-sponsored by CJME. He spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of the Conservative movement in Kansas City Judaism. He spoke about the need for respect between individuals supporting both sides of the conflict.

 
Reverend Tom Are, Senior Pastor of Village Presbyterian Church, began his presentation at the Feb. 13th Peace Luncheon by saying, "I was at the General Assembly. I didn't have a vote, but if I had, I think I would have voted in favor of the Divestment Resolution."

The luncheon was attended by 140 people, many who attended all four lectures in the "Voices of New Hope" series held at Village.

He said the church affirms that Israel has the right to exist within safe, secure and internationally recognized borders, and the Palestinians have a right to self-determination and to live free from oppression. He also confirmed that the Presbyterian church's mission has maintained relationships with countries in the Middle East for the last 200 years.

He explained the General Assembly process of divestiture as selective and phased. He then focused on the reasons he favors it. While Israel needs to be safe, Reverend Are emphasized that Palestine deserves self-determination -- out from under the yoke of occupation. He went on to say that he condemns terrorism anywhere. Presbyterians are against violence perpetuated by either side. "The Christians in that territory are pleading with us to do something! No one in Israel or Palestine has not been touched by the violence. Life is humiliating in the Occupied Territories and this humiliation is what is motivating the church to act. Injustice is not a place where peace can survive."

He went on to say that our scripture calls us to pay attention to those on the bottom. Citing the lack of balance of power, he urges us to give voice to those who have no voice....to bless all the children of the earth. During the discussion that followed his comments, Reverend Are answered a question about the divestment effort with a question, "Is it faithful for us to profit from others' suffering?"

In closing he added that other churches are talking about this also. Everyone is concerned about the children. Lives are at stake and that's important. "We need to listen to those who are offended. Part of our ethic is to listen."

-- Janet Baker