THE
STORY:
Hi Everyone,
In honor of my 25th birthday on June 21st, I believe that even 
better than presents and Facebook love would be if all my 
friends and family donated to a non-profit organization 
that I believe is doing amazing and necessary work in Israel.
Hand in Hand, the Center for Jewish-Arab Education in 
Israel, "brings
together thousands of Jews and Arabs in five 
schools and communities throughout
Israel:  In Jerusalem. 
In the Galilee. In Wadi Ara. In Jaffa. In Haifa. [They]
are 
proving on a daily basis the viability of inclusion and equality 
for citizens of Israel."
I first learned about
Hand in Hand this winter when the CEO 
came to visit Ann Arbor, MI and I was
fortunate enough to 
hear him speak. These schools bring together Israeli Jews, 
Arab Muslims, and Arab Christians to learn together from 
kindergarten until
12th grade. I believe that the best way for 
Israel to have peace in the future
is through educating the 
youth to love and understand each other. These schools
do 
just that and demonstrate that when you grow up and truly 
know someone
different than yourself it is harder to see 
them as the enemy. This is not to say that the communities 
do not struggle and disagree on issues, rather, that
they 
are willing to have peaceful dialogue and recognize that 
friendship and
community can trump the hate and violence.
I encourage everyone to
check out more about Hand in Hand 
questions, or would like to hear more about this cause, I
would be happy to
tell you more about it in my own words.
I personally want to donate $25
for my 25th birthday and 
an additional 25 cents for every individual who
donates to 
this cause! Please help me do something meaningful as I 
reach a
quarter of a century years old! Thank you for all the 
love and for being a part
of my life in the past 25 years.
Lots of Love,
Judy
Note: The organization
says Project Harmony, which is a 
part of Hand in Hand but crowdrise assured me
that Hand 
in Hand would be able to use the money however they 
wished.