The Jerusalem Foundation, together with the municipal Young Peoples Authority, organized a citywide Meeting of the Minds to Advance Tolerance, which took place at the Zippori Center in the Jerusalem Forest. More than 35 leaders from over 20 organizations met to advance values of shared living in education, learning from the challenges and accomplishments of existing activities, while exploring potential connections with community-based organizations to expand impact. The group split into three smaller groups, each group focusing on different projects.
Organizations included those that work specifically in the education system, such as the Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace, Yesodot, Hand in Hand, Kerem Institute, Learning Together in Jerusalem (Northern Ireland), Ya Sala’am, and more. A diverse group of coalition leaders, from the Jerusalem Model, Tag Meir, and Rashut Harabim participated, as did community-based organizations such as: Teacher’s Lounge (Shira Banky), the Jerusalem Intercultural Center, the Jerusalem Open House, Kulna Jerusalem (organizers of Jerusalem Double and Simply Sing), and Women Speaking Hebrew. Two of Jerusalem’s cultural icons with diverse audiences and visitors, the Bloomfield Science Museum and the Museum for Islamic Art, also took part in discussions.
Participants represented the mosaic of Jerusalem – Arab, secular, religious, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish – and were thirsty for future encounters, with practical suggestions for future directions.