About Me
I'm joining Service Space because ...
A good day to me is when ...
My hero in life is ...
My favorite book is ...
One thing I'm grateful for is ...
Toward The Sabbath In Jerusalem
Jun 27, 2019, 5 smiles
There's an old, full-size axe in my garden all the time. That's where I chop wood for our wood-burning stove. Today, three strapping young East-Jerusalem Palestinian men came to begin extensive anti-leaking work on our house. They arrived at the garden where a small sledgehammer and a hoe are also among the tools. Uncontrollably, I found myself asking, "What would I have to do that would cause these guys to hack me to death with my garden tools?"
Am I afraid of Palestinians? I'm not proud of the fact that I have hidden, in my inner conversation, automatic responses of terror, even as I welcome these lovely three guys who have come to do a job. While I, for an instant, imagine a horror, what interests them is handling the challenges of our leaky house efficiently and getting their payment. Nothing else.
As part of the Israeli collective, I have absorbed, through ... Read Full Story
Life Is Like A Cigar.
May 15, 2019, 5 smiles
Life is like a cigar.
When it's fresh, just out of the box, a good cigar exudes a quiet enthusiasm. The whole ritual….smelling along the length of the cigar, biting off the tip, lighting it well, the entire end aglow. The cigar's intervening stages unfold, youth, middle age, as you approach the mighty finale of the butt end of the cigar. The essence of the cigar's youth and maturity is now mixed into the sharp taste of its last minutes, and its imminent demise.
On one of Jerry Benjamin's many visits to Israel, he invited me to his room at Mishkenot Sha'ananim, the by-invitation guest house facing the walls of the Old City. He pulled out two extremely delicious cigars, as he poured some whiskey for us. Talking with Jerry was an adventure, always full of a sense of possibility. What made him so attractive was this combination of deep wisdom and ... Read Full Story
Dear Staff And Volunteers Of Seva ...
Mar 21, 2018, 13 smiles
Dear staff and volunteers of Seva Cafe,
I visited your wonderful space with Gandhi 3.0 about a month ago. I was so struck by what you are doing! I am an organizational psychologist, and what you are doing, in my language, is creating the future, here in the present. Every evening, Seva Cafe demonstrates the future we can all live into.
If you remember, you spoke to us from the stage, and moved us with your authenticity and commitment. Anyway, last week I was making a presentation to the staff of a psychiatric clinic here in Israel. I showed them the picture of all of you, and I told them about my experience there. I shared the profundity of accepting your generosity, the appreciation of what you have created there. I did it because I wanted the clinic staff to glance what it is like when people envision the way life can be, and then they create a way of living that in the present. The group of psychiatrists and psychologists and social workers all allowed themselves to be inspired, as I continue to be. Thank you.
Yoav Peck, Jerusalem
An Inspirational Moment On Valentine's Day, ...
Feb 25, 2018, 9 comments, 22 smiles
An inspirational moment on Valentine's day, as thousands of Jews and Muslims join together to sing "One Day" in perfect harmony! If you look closely, you will see our beloved Galia with a heart on her forehead (at 0:39), singing her soul out ....
All my life I´ve been waiting for
I´ve been praying for
For the people to say
That we don´t wanna fight no more
They´ll be no more wars
And our children will play
One day (one day), One day (one day)
Bringing Gandhi Into Our Lives
Feb 20, 2018, 6 comments, 21 smiles
During the week we spent together at Gandhi 3.0, I became aware of the emphasis I put on the "doing" of life, of activism. And that doing-ness has to be.
The question that arose during the week is: on what basis does the doing rest, from what wellspring does the activism spring forth? In what way is the inner Yoav getting expressed in all the meetings and arrangements and army permits and sound equipment handling??
I am not a praying sort of guy. But I am connected to God in my own way -- in the forest, when sailing a small boat, and in the moments of grace between people at Sulha gatherings. But it does seem like I don't bring my reverence, my gratitude, my vision into my daily work. Not enough. So I'm now looking at possibilities for bringing my experience in India into my daily living/working.
In Ahmedabad, among you ... Read Full Story
Here Is The Statement We At ...
Feb 15, 2018, 3 comments, 10 smiles
Here is the statement we at Sulha will hand out in Arabic and Hebrew and English at tonight's gathering. I was thinking of Ahmedabad and all of you as I wrote it.
Welcome to the Sulha Peace Project! Since 2000, Sulha has brought Israelis and Palestinians together for the purpose of enabling face-to-face connection among us. At this time, when many on both sides are losing hope for substantial change, Sulha offers heart-to-heart engagement between the sides. At Sulha, we go beyond political discussion and direct our attention to the human issues that concern us. We ask questions like, "How is it to live your life in this reality? What do you feel when you face the tasks of your daily life? What are your dreams for the future?"
At Sulha, we believe that we all have the right to live our lives in peace and freedom, without oppression and fear. The ... Read Full Story
