Artsbridge Throws a Fundraiser

Dedicated to developing dialogue between young Israeli Jews and Palestinians, Artsbridge held its first formal fundraiser at Brookline High on January 31. Founder Debbie Nathan of Swampscott reported that equal numbers from the Arab and Jewish communities attended.

“Many members of my board of directors are from Brookline,” Nathan said. “We’re trying to reach a wider area.”

The 15- to 17-year olds who come from Israel and the West Bank for three weeks each summer to engage in dialogue and art projects together have found a home at Boston College. The Christian-Jewish Learning Center at BC has welcomed Artsbridge, where Nathan hopes it will become their permanent summer home. In the first year of Artsbridge, 2008, summer camp was held at Endicott College in Beverly.

Attendees at the fundraiser viewed artwork hanging on the walls and watched two short film clips created by Artsbridge students. Nathan said the event, which cost $35 per person, brought in about $8,000.

“I think it drew a whole new crowd, which is great. In the spring, I’m hoping for a larger, fancier fundraiser,” Nathan said.

She has yet to take a salary and instead is spending money to continue to develop the program.

“I was hoping to have more funding by now, but when you start during an economic downturn it’s not the easiest task,” she said.

Other than the slow pace of funding, the program is showing much progress. Israeli and Palestinian Artsbridge teens want to keep getting together to continue the relationships they began for the last two summers. And each new crop of 26 teens adds to the numbers of earlier groups who are learning to be curious about one another and to listen to each other. These communication skills, believes Nathan, are at the heart of bringing peace
to the Middle East.

Nathan was packing for Israel this week. She will visit the village of Neve Shalom for reunions with all the student alumni and program volunteers. She will visit organizations that partner with Artsbridge as well.

Although some of the teens stay in touch, it is limited. Palestinians need special permits to go into Israel and the Israeli teens are prohibited from going into the West Bank, Nathan said.

Her next goal is to bring her program to Gazan teens. She would like to establish Artsbridge in Sderot, on the border of the Gaza Strip. That is the town best known as the location where rocket fire from Gaza had kept up for the past several years. Nathan said the rocket fire has subsided.