Bring hope to Israel and Palestine

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

New Israel Fund (Nif)
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$333

raised by 8 people

$1,000 goal

Growing up in the northern hills of Misgav, Israel, my childhood notions of equality were limited to interactions with a community of 70 Jewish families and the occasional Druze or Arab neighbor that my mother encouraged us to play with. I did not have time to understand the larger political context because my family soon returned to the U.S., where celebrating Shabbat was suddenly a minority ritual. I hardly faced adversity in my life, until the summer of 2017 in Charlottesville, VA when I showed up as an ally of the black community to protest the KKK’s arrival in our town, but suddenly found my own identity attacked. As the white hooded Klansmen chanted, “Jews will not replace us”, my defensive rage decomposed into fear and numbness. 

While this moment challenged me to look hate in the eye, living in Israel/Palestine over the last two years is what radically defogged my sense of justice and autonomy. As an NIF Shatil Social Justice Fellow I am given the opportunity to confront the history of oppression over Palestinian people, and negotiate my role as an American Jew in defending their human rights. I work at Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement to support Gaza residents in their struggle to attain access to healthcare, education, extended family, and economic opportunities. Creating Gisha’s podcast Gaza Up Close is a humbling but painful process of sifting through the wounds of a people cut off from the world. While the history and political ramifications that surround the separation policy in Gaza are undeniably complex, the moments I shared with these individuals during the interviews were a reminder of the two million civilians in Gaza desperately trying to build their lives and pursue their dreams. Even as their resilience and innovation shine through their daily struggles, the current reality is a population deplete of clean water and medical resources, with the lack of jobs leaving young people yearning for their shot at a normal life.

As anti-Semitism in the U.S. and in the world is on the rise, I have found that my greatest lens to persevere and be proud of my Jewishness is knowing I stand on the right side of history—to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and demand the government respect international laws of human dignity and freedom. To support this vision, please donate to the New Israel Fund’s initiative for Human Rights and Democracy, which primarily focuses on programs that promote human rights for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. With your support, we can build a resilient community that does not cripple under fear but rises to defend the independence of all human beings.

All my gratitude,

Lital Firestone 



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New Israel Fund (Nif)

Organized By Lital Firestone

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