Israeli, Palestinian teens meet on neutral territory- the suburbs

The conflict in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians, may seem a world away. But for two weeks each summer, the seeds of understanding are nurtured, here in the Northwest suburbs.

A grass-roots organization known as Hands of Peace dedicates itself to fostering peace in the Middle East, teen by teen. Julie Kanak, of Tower Lakes, is executive director, working closely with Gretchen Grad of Glenview, one of its founders.

"It's been an amazing experience getting to know teens from the Middle East who are living the conflict," Kanak says. "These are kids who are wanting to devote a part of their lives to making a change."

Now in its seventh summer, students from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been welcomed for a two-week stay with families in Des Plaines, Palatine, Glenview, Northbrook and Skokie.

Twenty-one teens arrived last weekend, including Jewish Israelis, West Bank Palestinians and Arab Israelis. They were met by their host families and the 18 suburban teens who will be walking with them as they explore the conflict that permeates their part of the world.

Their so-called camp experience opened with social gatherings and ice breakers over the weekend, but on Sunday they began the meat of the program: they met for the first of their "dialogue" sessions.

"This is a dialogue-based program, that takes place in closed sessions," Kanak explained. "They are led by adult facilitators, both from this country and from the Middle East."

Kanak is a trained facilitator herself. She wrote her dissertation at Lake Forest College on the interfaith movement, and she sees intense dialogue sessions as allowing the Middle East teens to make powerful connections in ways not possible at home.

Those sessions are taking place this week at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines and Glenview Community Church.

However, plenty of learning takes place outside the classroom.

Maria Baginska, a recent graduate from Palatine High School, is participating for the second year. The Cultural Night, coming up on Sunday, is one of her favorite nights at camp.

The teens break into groups and design skits that depict some of their cultural rituals, as well as prepare some of their traditional foods.

"We learn a lot about the different cultures that night," Baginska says. "It gives you a whole different outlook on life."

Baginska says the prayer service planned for Friday will also make a profound impact. They will attend the Islamic Foundation mosque in Libertyville first, before visiting the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston.

Both visits also involve question and answer sessions for the young participants.

"It's definitely an eye-opener," she says.

Grad says she began to formulate the concepts behind Hands-of-Peace in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, fueled by a personal desire to do something that would build bridges in a world so divided.

"My vision was to get young people in their formative years, out of their home base, in a neutral place," Grad says, "where they could meet the enemy, and have conversation guided with an adult."

In part, she modeled the organization after the Irish Children's Fund, which brings Protestant and Catholic teens from Belfast to stay with American host families, and experience tolerance and understanding during their month long stay.

"It was my hope that by meeting face to face," Grad adds, "they'd realize they're not that different after all, and that they have hopes and dreams very similar to their own."