“One remaining spoonful of tomato thing;” Bi-Co Atidna organizer Nomi Falk said, as students huddled around a long table in the Haverford VCAM, members of both Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges came together to share a dish of homemade shakshuka while learning more about the new club on campus. Combining both Hebrew and Arabic words to signify a dedication to a joint future, the club seeks to bring Jewish and Palestinian students together.
First started at the University of Texas at Austin, Atidna International and its nine chapters, “view Jews and Palestinians as cousins, not adversaries” and aim to spread this message through community events and closed dialogues. The Bi-Co Chapter was started by Lori Ackerman and Nomi Falk this semester and the first interest meeting was held on September 23. According to the presentation shown at the interest meeting, chapters will consist of 1/3 Israeli Jewish students, 1/3 Palestinian, and 1/3 ‘external’ students who do not fall into the previous categories. These dialogues are intended to start after fall break.
While safety and confidentiality are important aspects of these bimonthly dialogues, Nomi and Lori encourage cohort members to take what is learned from each other to the larger community. By doing so, they intend to “[gain] humanity for one another” stating that “effective change is in building trust and recognition of humanity.” The first discussions are intended to be easier, with dialogue-building activities and the establishment of community guidelines, as cohort members build trust and connection with each other, before getting into more difficult conversations. E-board members will go through training from Parent Circle, a group of grieving parents from either side of the conflict, to best support students “who want to engage in dialogue.”
Additionally, they clarified that while similar events are taking place at Haverford, Bi-Co Atidna seeks to be wholly student-based and is not currently planning any events with either college administration.
In addition to closed application-based dialogues, the club intends to host various events open to students of both colleges such as interfaith vigils, film screenings, teach-ins, and a “Run for Reconciliation”. The charity run is planned for early November, with the Atidna chapter from the University of Pennsylvania. Funds raised by this run, typically held in the West Bank, will be split between Atidna International and Roots, a West Bank based community cooperative for Israelis and Palestinians. Speakers from Roots are expected sometime in the spring semester for an open event to discuss their work in the West Bank.
Before leaving, warm bread was passed around the table as everyone tore off a chunk of the loaf.
