To the Editor:
We were excited and pleased to read Sue Fishkoff’s article "On Israel, can U.S. Jews disagree nicely?," which reported on the San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council’s new yearlong initiative to foster constructive dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are writing to let JTA readers know about a free guidebook that Jews from the United States and Canada (as well as from other countries) are using to facilitate structured conversations within synagogues, schools and communities about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Constructive Conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" provides background information, step-by-step instructions and other resources that empower people to lead respectful conversations focused on mutual understanding and learning across political differences. Dialogue programs that use this method help people to build and heal relationships, clarify areas of agreement and difference, and deepen their own thinking.
The Jewish Dialogue Group and the Public Conversations Project make the guidebook available for anyone to download free of charge through our websites, www.jewishdialogue.org and www.publicconversations.org.
Mitch Chanin
Director, Jewish Dialogue Group
Philadelphia, Pa.
Dave Joseph
Vice President for Program, Public Conversations Project
Watertown, Mass.
