Singing for Peace in Jerusalem?
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives. Photo by Andrew Shiva, 20014, Wikimedia
Ten years ago, Yaara sang in a very unique youth chorus in Jerusalem, where Israeli and Palestinian teens sing together, openly discuss the conflicted realities of their city, and form lifelong friendships. Now she works full time for the organization, leading dialogue sessions among a new generation of musical teens from east and west Jerusalem.
Could you tell me about your personal journey with the organization? How did you come from singing in the choir as a teen to choosing it as a full time pursuit?
I only sang in the choir for a few years during high school. I had some very memorable experiences and some close friends that I still kept in touch with. I continued to volunteer occasionally with the choir on Fridays, and teach some music lessons whenever I was able to. I did really miss having consistent engagement with the choir though - their activity obviously was restricted and struggled a lot during Covid. After the pandemic, they tried to revive the organization and bring new life into the system: in 2023, a call went out to some of the choir’s alumni to get involved in fundraising tours the choir was leading. I went to re-audition - and was surprised to reencounter a close friend from my days in the choir, who was now working as the choir’s manager. My decision from there was quite easy- the choir was looking for new dialogue mediators, and I had absolutely no experience in such a complicated task, but knew that I wanted to learn.
How does dialogue construction work? How do you decide which topics to discuss - and avoid triggering sensitivities?
When I began working for the organization, we had a new program director of education and dialogue. She really taught us how to write sessions, goals, and plans for mediating communication. Although I was experienced working in education, I had never used this particular medium as a dialogue facilitator before - it inspired me to learn and apply these tools in other contexts and organizations as well.
Our plan in the choir is intended for a three year sequence that the singers undergo. Other dialogue programs I’ve begun to work for since, have a different model: some entail five sessions of short term contact between people who have never met before, where the goal is merely to enable initial connection that doesn’t manufacture trauma.
In our choir the idea is first and foremost to nurture familiarity and trust, a reliable language of communication in the room. During the second year, we try to ground our discussions in the singers’ personal connection to the city. They go on tours together - often in areas in the west or east of the city they had never explored before. They share stories about their own familial heritage and connection in the city. These experiences often challenge historical or political narratives they have been exposed to in the most effective way possible - genuine stories of individuals they care about. The city - and the music - enable focusing on what these teens have in common.
What role does the music play, in combination with dialogue? Does a meaningfully embodied singing session then influence a heartfelt dialogue session? Or not necessarily?
Rehearsals always begin and end with singing, with dialogue sessions taking place in the middle. The initial idea behind this structure was to ensure that no difficult dialogue would ever be the last experience in the rehearsal space. Rather, this sequence emphasizes that no matter what disagreements and conflicts may have been verbally expressed (and these do appear in abundance) - these discrepancies cannot and will not trump the ability to then unite in the act of musical collaboration. This way, no singer ever leaves rehearsals with a taste of hurtful disagreement, but rather the ability to humanly connect despite it.
They also sing in each other's languages - we sing repertoire in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, often exposing them to culturally foundational musical traditions that they wouldn’t have been familiar with otherwise. Singing is also a direct way to speak and feel welcome in each other's languages.
What kind of challenges does the singers’ environment pose?
Particularly during turbulent times, families struggle to accept their children’s participation in the organization - they come to concerts and they don’t know how to digest what they hear. That can be really hard for the kids. When we prepare for tours abroad, we are often unsure until the very last minute if singers from East Jerusalem will be granted visas and be able to participate - this is always an anxiety inducing process.
As for language barriers: East Jerusalem teens, particularly young men, often go out to work in the Jewish parts of the city at an extremely young age - and learn some Hebrew on the job. English education is inevitably better in West Jerusalem schools. Israeli teens rarely speak any Arabic at all. The choir therefore makes use of translators - every single sentence said in dialogue sessions is translated into Hebrew or Arabic as needed. The focus of Arabic and Hebrew within the choir’s activity enables the teens to more freely express themselves in dialogue without being hindered by language, and furthermore - it motivates them to invest in learning the other dominant language of their city.
Did the choir change your understanding of the city, and your identity in it? Do you think that still happens for the teens you work with, despite the increasing challenges reality has posed in recent years?
As a fourteen-year-old - as do most fourteen-year-olds - I thought I knew everything. Again and again I was surprised. When I first joined - around 2014, times were also quite turbulent. I honestly think there is probably as much objection from the environment as there was back then. The hardest process is often experienced by those who already think they understand the conflict in all its complexity - and are soon shocked to discover unknown realities of their own city. This process is often easier to grapple with for those who arrive at dialogue sessions with the expectations of being challenged.
Just like I first did, I see teens who didn’t necessarily feel strongly Israeli, or Jewish, suddenly defending and representing these identities in ways they never perceived that existed in them. It’s not easy. Jerusalem is a very complicated city - many people leave it, if they have the ability to do so. I know that I now visit areas of my city I never would have known about, and so do teens in the choir who make friends, and familiarize themselves with previously unknown realities of their city. If a choir like ours is possible in Jerusalem - at the heart of the conflict - perhaps it is possible in any city, fostering coexistence.
How has your activity been affected since October 7th? Have there been further threats and challenges posed to your activity? Have singers and families struggled more than usual to reconcile with the choir’s causes and mission?
The truth is - we doubled the extent of our activity both in hours and days of the week - lots of singers joined. Almost no one left - there was a very strong core group before, and it was really remarkable to see how the singers wanted to keep conversing and strengthen their friendships, especially throughout these times. We did not miss a single rehearsal, even when concerns for the singers’ safety forced us to meet on zoom. As an organization, we deem it necessary to preserve stability and continue the conversation, particularly during difficult times.
Our current reality bears unexpected challenges: all of the hostages have been returned now, and many Israelis feel as if the war is over. However, in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the situation keeps escalating. The fear, the violence - everything is becoming more difficult. Now more than ever, dialogue sessions are becoming more challenging to facilitate. However, the close friendships that our singers foster and share somehow continue to form the foundation on which our organization remains stable and standing - which is really the point.
TWoA was asked not to mention the name of the chorus to ensure the safety of both Israeli and Palestinian participants.