February 2000 - שְׁבָט .. אֲדָר א׳ תש״ס Shevat..Adar I 5760

The prophets of the Hebrew Bible did not predict the future, rather they taught what ought to be. So, how dare we predict the future? And if the Prophet Amos said: “I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet”, should I have the chutzpa to say what ought to be in the coming year? Well I am going to go out on a limb and publicly state that the year 2000 will be the year that Israel finally signs a peace treaty with all of her neighbors.

I know that many of you are skeptical and will only believe it when the ink dries on the paper. But I have known for years that peace was a historical inevitability. How did I know? Let me tell you a story.

Many years ago, an Israeli teacher asked her class of second graders, “How many of you are afraid of another war with the Arabs?” All of the children except one raised their hands. “Moshe, aren't you afraid of another war with the Arabs?” asked the teacher. “No ma'am” was the reply. “Well, aren't you afraid of a war with the Palestinians?” she asked. “No ma'am.” “All of the other children are afraid, aren't you just a little afraid?” “Nope!” “Why not?” asked the teacher. “Because” the little boy began, “my mother and father go to meetings with our Palestinian friends every week to stop the wars!”

The East Bay Jewish Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group is one of the largest and most active groups in America working for peace in the Middle East. Combined with the original San Mateo Jewish Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group, the San Francisco based Scientists and Physicians for Middle East Peace, the Jewish Peace Fellowship and American Friends of Peace Now, we have created one of the most extensive cooperative ventures for dialogue and peace. Last year Temple Beth Sholom hosted the Passover Seder for the Children of Sarah and Hagar. Since then the East Bay Dialogue Group has supported Schools-On-Line connecting Israeli and Palestinian schools to the Internet, a Gazan clinic for Bedouins, and a nursing exchange bringing Israeli and Palestinian nurses to train at UCSF. Now I would like to ask you to join me as we host an adult learning opportunity based on the PBS series The Fifty Year War. Beginning on Thursday, February 3rd at 7:30 PM and continuing until we finish, we will view a 45-minute segment of the PBS special and then discuss it with members of the East Bay Jewish Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group and other community members. We will critique the video for accuracy and then we will discuss the historical realities and how they can affect the prospects for peace. This may be the most exciting and most important adult learning opportunity available anywhere. Invite your friends, your neighbors and anyone who is interested. Jews and non-Jews are welcome and encouraged to join in. We shall also invite the local ministers and religious leaders with their congregations. Don't miss this opportunity to be a peace builder.

Shalom wasalaam,

—Rabbi Harry A. Manhoff, Ph.D.

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