Throughout Israel, Muslim members of Dror Israel’s youth movement Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed are celebrating the month of Ramadan – a month of fasting, reflection and celebration of community.
As part of Dror Israel’s mission to bring together Jews and Arabs in Israel and promote shared society, branches of the youth movement in Muslim areas throughout the country are inviting their Jewish peers to share an Iftar (break fast) evening meal, to learn a bit more about Ramadan and to solidify friendships and partnerships.
Pictured is one such meal in Wadi Salame – a Bedouin town in Israel’s north, located near Carmiel and Kibbutz Eshbal (one of Dror Israel’s flagship educators’ kibbutzim) – where senior members invited Jewish friends from nearby youth movement branches for a traditional Iftar (break fast) meal.
Like most Jewish Israelis, the guests unfortunately have little knowledge of Muslim and Arab religion, culture, traditions and language, despite living in close proximity.
Dror Israel’s youth movement brings Israelis of all sectors together under one roof (and one blue movement uniform shirt) for fun and values-based activities promoting leadership, personal and group responsibility, shared society, democracy and more. In fact, about 20% of the youth movement’s 100,000 participants are Arab, Druze or Bedouin – similar to the overall makeup of Israeli society. These members come from throughout Israel and live in small villages like Segev Shalom, large Arab towns like Sakhnin, or “mixed” cities like Jaffa, Jerusalem, Ramle and Haifa.
Ramadan Kareem to all our Muslim members, friends and partners in Israel and throughout the world!