Summer Opportunities

Boston Partners for Peace was created to engage the Boston community with Israeli and Palestinian grassroots peacebuilders who are making an impact in their communities. Our feeling is that by uplifting their work, we are helping make progress toward peace. To close the distance between our partners and our community, we provide opportunities for Bostonians to engage and make a difference.

With that in mind, I want to share some upcoming opportunities, both locally and in Israel, for young adults to contribute to the work of Kids4Peace Boston and Hand in Hand Schools.

The Boston chapter of Kids4Peace educates and trains Christian, Jewish, and Muslim youth from diverse backgrounds to become interfaith peace leaders in their communities. They host year-round and summer programs for youth ages 12 to 18. These programs create opportunities for students to form relationships across boundaries and become advocates for coexistence. Some participants also attend conferences to learn about the work of Kids4Peace Jerusalem and meet Israelis and Palestinians working toward peace in their communities. Each summer, Kids4Peace Boston runs a Peace Leader Summer Camp Program. This year, the program will run from July 29- August 4, and will include typical camp activities such as swimming and hiking, while also bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to become peace leaders. They are currently enrolling sixth and seventh graders in the camp program, and are seeking counselors to fill the following roles: Muslim Camp Counselor, Jewish Camp Counselor, Christian Camp Counselor, and Counselor-in-Training Coordinator.

Another one of our partner’s, Hand in Hand Schools is a network of Jewish-Arab public schools whose student body is equal parts Jewish and Arab, and taught through bilingual education. Hand in Hand Schools facilitates a summer day camp called “Project Harmony” that brings over 150 Israeli and Palestinian children together for four weeks in Jerusalem each summer. Through the Hand in Hand educational framework, students engage with each other, creating opportunities for meaningful learning about the other. They are currently seeking volunteers ages over the age of 18 to contribute to creating this meaningful summer experience for the Hand in Hand community. The camp runs from June 23-July 26 and counselors are charged with working with diverse youth and creating an inclusive and integrated camp environment.

In a world that can at times seem fractured, the opportunity to experience coexistence efforts firsthand has the power to restore hope for a brighter future. Being able to influence and teach the next generation the values of tolerance and understanding are crucial to the success of efforts toward peace and justice both in Israel and around the world. I hope you will consider joining this important effort.