As soon as we stepped foot onto the grounds of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam,
my heart gleamed with excitement and hope. A community where Jews and Arabs live together, Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam represented everything that I hope for
in the transformation of any conflict—the opportunity for shared experience. The people of this
commune live together, side by side, utilizing opportunities to share their
individual narratives.
“The other”
becomes an everyday encounter. In fact, I wondered if there was such thing as
“the other” in a place where one grows up fully exposed to a variety of ideas.
Regarding the live in community at Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam, our speaker said, “We want to maintain as
equals while maintaining one’s own nationality.” The children swim together in
the pool, live side by side, and learn both Arabic and Hebrew in their
classes. While learning and creating their individual identities in the world,
they were also creating space to learn about their friends and neighbors.
Moreover,
the lived mission of the community was not only an internal venture but an
external one too. With a peace school on the grounds for travelers and
learners, Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam is doing educational work for peace and understanding.
They are working to create a culture of peace and nonviolence in every person
that encounters them. Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam was truly an “Oasis of Peace”.
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