Building Trust and Understanding
Interreligious Exchange
We organize and host small learning groups, lectures, and events that provide a setting for dialogue between religious communities. These groups include a Jewish-Christian group, a Jewish-Muslim group, and a women's group for Israelis and Palestinians, all of which meet on a regular basis. Monthly lectures are also held at our center between Fall and Spring.
Partnership Lectures
We host monthly lectures, given in Hebrew and Arabic, about aspects of each other's societies, religions, politics and culture. Our lectures increase awareness of how our two peoples are living and how to form stronger partnerships.
Cafe Judur
Our ongoing meetings for people interested in the project to come and meet with activists.
Joint Iftar (break-fast meal)
A meal held during the month of Ramadan that brings over 60 people from all sides of the conflict together.
Youth Group
Meeting every other week, our youth group is composed of 20 local Israeli and Palestinian high school students and is organized and facilitated by Israeli and Palestinian university students and an advisor. Our meetings involve discussion groups, recreational activities, and day trips to heritage sites that are integral parts of the identities of our participants in order to explore the different narratives of the group's members.
After-School Program
We host photography workshops which bring Palestinian and Israeli youth together in ongoing meetings throughout the year. These meetings are unique opportunities for Palestinian and Israeli young people to connect over a shared activity they enjoy and mitigate against the fear and distance otherwise between them.
Summer Camp
Download our NEW 2019 Summer Camp Brochure
Roots runs an annual summer camp for children ages 5-12. Since starting two summers ago, 160 local children have attended. The camp is week-long experience of photography, crafts, cooking, playing with animals, and dance, providing a fun and carefree setting for positive interaction between Israeli and Palestinian children.
Solidarity and Support
Incident Response Team
Members of the both communities make visits to the site or family attacked to show solidarity and condemn the violence. We have also organized large-scale rallies against violence to send a loud message of support.
Points of Calm
As a way of preventing escalation and lowering tensions, we facilitate communication channels between neighboring Israeli and Palestinian leaders and citizens to be an immediate source of calm and understanding between local communities in times of increased tensions. Through these meetings, we work to reduce the chance of volatile escalations and violent outbreaks between neighbors.
Spreading our Message
Salon meetings (Chugei Bayit)
One of our main forms of outreach is sending our speakers to visit groups in the home of a host in order to engage new communities in Roots' work and message.
Speaking Groups
Nearly every day, and often multiple times a day, groups visit our center to hear about our work. We have been visited by Israeli think tanks; youth movements including Bnei Akiva, Hashomer Hachadash, Shaharit, and Kochvei Hamidbar; education networks; and staff of Yeshivot.
Pre-Army Academies
Roots hosts pre-army academies, exposing them to both the Palestinian and settlers narratives in order to build up their understanding of the people they were interact with during their service. Over 3,000 students have visited our center.
Visiting Schools
Members of our leadership team visit different schools all over the land in order to present our message. We have spoken at schools in East and West Jerusalem, Herzliya, Ashdod, and Sderot.