BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The University of Vermont’s Hillel chapter hosted a West Bank Palestinian man and Israeli peace activist Tuesday night.
Their main message was to listen to each other’s stories. Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Noor A’Wad started their presentations with how they got to the West Bank, both of them citing their return as a continuation of their ancestors’ history and finishing with the lesson that by taking the time to sit down with the other side, they came to a place of understanding.
The two are part of a group called Roots, which arranges dialogues between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank.
“For the first time, I feel I am able to think about what those guys are saying on the other side about who they are and why they are here because I think some of them are listening to me, and I should be able to do the same,” said Noor A’Wad from Roots.