This year marks the 5-year anniversary of CJNV’s first-ever delegation! We are deeply humbled to be marking this moment, and deeply honored to carry this work forward with such an incredible network of heroes and inspirations. Take a journey down memory lane with us as we celebrate, honor, and appreciate these last 5 years!
In the spring of 2014, the Israeli government uprooted hundreds of fruit trees from the Nassar family farm, the Tent of Nations, located south of Bethlehem in the West Bank. In February 2015, at the request of the family, nearly 30 Jewish activists from 4 countries traveled to their farm to help replant fields and sow seeds of creative, nonviolent activism.
In October 2015, the Center for Jewish Nonviolence organized actions, protests, and solidarity campaigns with Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent activists to counter the 2015 World Zionist Congress’ deafening silence on the issue that we believe is most central to Israel’s future, and arguably the most important challenge facing the Jewish people today: ending the occupation.
In July 2016 forty Jewish activists from more than half a dozen countries spent 10 days in solidarity and nonviolent resistance with Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank. We joined with Youth Against Settlements–a Palestinian nonviolent direct action group in Hebron–and members of All That’s Left: Anti-Occupation Collective to reclaim stolen property in Hebron and build the first cinema in the city.
In May 2017, in response to 50 years since the beginning of the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, CJNV brought an unprecedented cohort of 130 Jewish justice seekers to the West Bank and East Jerusalem to participate in a week of shoulder-to-shoulder solidarity work in various Palestinian communities and culminated in a 300-person joint civil disobedience action, Sumud: Freedom Camp.
45 Jewish activists from across North America gathered in Israel-Palestine to stand in coresistance with our Palestinian and Israeli partners. Over nine days, we learned, worked, and connected with partners in the South Hebron Hills, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Givat Amal, and Lyd/Lod. Together, we cleared roads, laid concrete, painted murals, rehabilitated land, planted trees and built relationships rooted in resistance that will carry this work forward.
For the second time in six months, 45 Jewish activists from across North America gathered in Israel-Palestine to stand in coresistance with our Palestinian and Israeli partners. Over nine days, we learned, worked, and connected with partners in the South Hebron Hills, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Givat Amal, Abu Kbir and Lyd/Lod. Together, we laid concrete, painted murals, rehabilitated land, planted trees, reclaimed a freshwater spring and built relationships rooted in resistance that will carry this work forward.
“My experience of the trip was profound. It brought out many of the nuances, ambivalences, and difficulties of doing this work as a Jew. It was important to me that our actions were led and directed by Palestinians, and this was something that CJNV seemed to prioritise. Making justice and solidarity work real is tremendously hard, and impossible to do perfectly, but this trip felt like an attempt to undertake coalitional, and internationalist, action alongside Palestinians in the most ethical way possible. It was exciting and enriching to be a part of it.”
“CJNV delegations are made up of one precious and poignant moment after another. The quality of the action planning and coordination was great so I felt ready to put myself in harm’s way to defend Palestinians’ rights to the land. I have met a lot of amazing people on delegations. CJNV trips definitely add personal and powerful fuel to the fire of my work for justice for Palestine.”
“The kids got the feeling that there are people who come to support them, to give them confidence and security, to say we are with you and we won’t accept that your houses will be taken or your lives will be threatened. We stand with you.”
CJNV's work--building partnerships and networks of solidarity--is what we need to face the challenges ahead. Partnership and coresistance upend the systems of division and oppression of Jews against Palestinians. When those in power choose to ostracize and oppress, we choose to link arms and struggle. Join us in choosing solidarity and coresistance with a donation today.
