Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
Join us for a stimulating evening with visiting representatives Avner Goren, renowned Israeli archeologist and cultural desert expert, and Rana Khalaf, school founder and conflict resolution teacher, on Wednesday, April 2, at the Boulder JCC from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Goren and Khalaf will provide an update on the Kidron Valley/Wadi El Nar Basin Project (see August 2013 story on visit of Liora Meron to Boulder) and introduce the Abraham Path Initiative.
Goren, cultural lead on the Kidron Valley Project as well as Israeli director of the Abraham Path, and Khalaf, educational administrator and director of a Jewish-Arab school principals’ working group, will conduct a program jointly sponsored by the Boulder Israeli-Palestinian Environmental Work Group and the Abraham Path, Boulder support group. They will discuss their work with these two unique initiatives, both of which have cultural and historical significance and are important to building relationships and trust between Israeli and Palestinian communities.
The Kidron Valley-Wadi El Nar Basin Master Plan is a cross-boundary, cooperative effort designed to restore and enrich one of the most important — and most polluted — river valleys in the Middle East. The 28-kilometer Kidron/Nar Valley runs from the center of Jerusalem, out to the east through Palestinian villages, and eventually into the Dead Sea.
The Abraham Path (www.abrahampath.org) is a long-distance walking trail across the Middle East. The path retraces the journey of Abraham, the legendary ancestor of over half of humanity, who is known for his hospitality and kindness toward strangers. The Abraham Path Initiative is an international organization cultivating the development of the path along with local and international partner groups.
Goren and Khalaf will talk about the challenges and needs for environmental and social cooperation in a much-disputed part of the world, giving people in Boulder the opportunity to learn about ways they can cooperate with and participate in these vital projects. Both initiatives are non-profit, non-religious, and non-political.
Refreshments will be served.
