IRD Activities

• Summer Program

  Each summer Hands of Peace brings a group of Jewish-Israeli, Palestinian Citizens of Israel, and Palestinian teenagers to Chicago and San Diego for a 19-day, dialogue-based experience with one another, as well as with a comparable number of American teens from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other faith backgrounds. Our program teaches team-building and leadership skills, helps the participants learn about different cultures and religions, guides them in learning about the conflict from different points of view, and encourages them to take action to incorporate peace-building into their personal lives

• Excel Program

  HOP's Excel program brings back carefully selected youth to the HOP summer experience for a second time, in a new and enhanced role. They are chosen for their commitment to the program and understanding of its principles, as well as their capacity and potential to model positive change. Through their commitment to excel, XLs work as a team to set a positive example. They provide peer support, inspiration, and kinship to the Hands (new participants), while organizing daily activities and facilitating discussion groups

• Follow-Up Program (Alumni Club)

  A critical component of the HOP experience is the Alumni Club, and the ongoing activities it provides for Middle East and American participants. The Middle East Alumni Club keeps participants connected in a variety of ways: quarterly retreats for all participants from all years of HOP, uni-national meetings for each delegation, and service activities. The US Alumni have monthly meetings, attend local lectures and events related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and are involved in recruiting new participants, outreach efforts, and arranging and conducting presentations to various organizations and congregations. The US Alumni also continue expanding their knowledge of the Middle East, and continue to dialogue about current events and the complex and difficult issues they learned about during the Summer Program

• HOPEducation Program

  Throughout the year, Hands of Peace holds educational events for our American parents and adults supporters. We also hold occasional gatherings for our Israeli and Palestinian parents. Events include guest lectures, film dialogue nights, holiday parties and fundraisers, and community service projects. As a dialogue organization, Hands of Peace intentionally exposes our supporters to speakers and films that offer diverse perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following each film or presentation, adult supporters share their feelings and viewpoints with one another in small group discussions facilitated by HOP staff and volunteers—thus simulating the intensive dialogue experience that our teenage participants undergo

• American Alumni Trip

  Hands of Peace piloted its first ever alumni trip to the region in March, 2017 and it was a huge success. This will now be a core part of its alumni programming, offering yearly trips to Israel/Palestine for its American Alumni. The program includes cultural touring, with a heavy emphasis on multi-narrative exposure. Participants stay two to three nights in Palestine/the West Bank and the rest of the time in homestays and hotels throughout Israel. During their travels, participants will spend multiple nights with host families whose children have participated in Hands of Peace. The most exciting part of this experience is the opportunity for organisation’s participant families in the region to host its American alumni in their homes, and to experience firsthand the Dual Narrative that they hear about in dialogue during our Summer Program. It is also amazing for the Americans to reconnect with their Jewish Israeli, Palestinian Citizen of Israel, and Palestinian counterparts from the summer. The goal of this trip is to enhance the Americans’ understanding of the struggles that their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts live with on a daily basis.

Main Focus Countries of Activities

San Diego, CA, USA - Chicago, IL, USA - San Diego, CA, USA - Chicago, IL, USA - USA - Israel - State of Palestine - San Diego, CA, USA - Chicago, IL, USA - Israel