Jewish Coloradans on helping in diverse community in southern Israel
Amid the war in Gaza, a local Jewish organization has sent volunteers to Israel to work in a community where Jews and Arabs live together.
"Nitzana is in our eyes an example of what the Israeli reality could, and perhaps should look like in the future." said Itai Divinsky, who is director of resource development and partnerships at the Nitzana Educational Community.
Nitzana is found in agriculture-heavy southern Israel along the border with Egypt. The population of the area includes a large number of Bedouins. Bedouins mostly identify themselves as Palestinian Arabs. The Bedouin term refers to their nomadic way of life. They are mostly Muslim, and often support themselves through raising animals and agriculture.
A group of Coloradans with Jewish Colorado went to visit and help in the Negev desert region, but also had the opportunity to learn.
"I learned first-hand the resilience and the spirit of the Israeli people," said David Kaufman, one of the volunteers.
At a school where children learn together, they helped paint a bomb shelter with an artistic design.
"Unfortunately, the children in particular, this is regular life for them," Kaufman said. "They recognize on the outside of their school are bomb shelters, and they have oftentimes 10 to 20 seconds when a siren sounds to get to a safe place."
Much of Israeli agriculture in the area utilizes migrant labor. But many left after hostilities started.
"We had the opportunity to go to an organic farm to pick weeds. Something fairly mundane, but the opportunity was such that it was needed," Kaufman explained.
"Having folks from Colorado come was like a boost of energy for us," said Divinsky, who spent four years in Colorado as an emissary for a nonprofit. Volunteers have gone to help pitch in on whatever is needed. "And our teams went to volunteer packing food and toys for displaced Jewish families, and also for displaced Arab families. For anyone in need. They didn't care who the recipients of the help."
Of Nitzana, Divinsky says it is an example of how things could be.
"We walk the same path. We have lunch at the same cafeteria and play soccer on the same field in the afternoon," Divinsky said. "We don't talk about coexistence. We just live together. And that is what's special about this project."
Divinsky has no illusions about how hard finding peace may be, but understands that, where he is, people living there and volunteers can learn from the experience.
"At the end of the day, I think any sensible person on either side -- Palestinian, Israeli or around the world -- knows that Palestinians aren't going anywhere, and the Israelis are not going anywhere," Divinsky said. "We are going to have to find ways to live together side by side."