We Held Silent to Listen : A Summary of a Dialogue
Gail Ferraioli
Joyce Herman

In the spirit of dialogue inspired by restorative justice peace circles, the National Coalition Building Institute and the Public Conversation Project, 16 members of Temple Sinai in Brighton, NY gathered to share personal thoughts, spoken in their own voice, about Israel. This small group of people, who were randomly invited and deliberately attended, dared to talk about things rarely articulated to themselves or others specifically within the Jewish community.

From internal longings and conflicts, to direct and implicit experiences to fears and to hopes, thoughts were expressed openly, honestly in a safe and confidential space and received with respectful attention over a two-hour period. The initial response of the experience was positive with several people having expressed a yearning for more opportunities to both learn and share more about historical, contemporary, internal and external issues related to Israel and Palestine.