January 24, 2025
Dear JYC Global Family,
It is a time of great uncertainty. So many of our eyes are glued to the news, to see how the coming days, weeks, and months will unfold—between the fragile ceasefire, the return of hostages and prisoners, the violence flaring in the West Bank, and the yet-unknown impact that the new American administration will have on our communities in Jerusalem and beyond.
Through it all, the Jerusalem Youth Chorus stands as a testament to the transformative power of music and dialogue in the face of division, conflict, and ongoing trauma. As an ensemble of young Israelis and Palestinians, we have continued to meet—our singers spending nearly ten hours a week processing what is happening around them and developing the skill and understandings to build a different reality. We have learned firsthand that the journey toward peace requires both courage and compassion, even in the most challenging times.
shared a story from this week that speaks to the power of this work:
“At our last rehearsal on Monday one of the girls came up to me. We had just had our first session of the Jerusalem unit of our dialogue program this year. We had split into two groups and looked at a map of Jerusalem that includes the Green Line and the Jerusalem municipality line, and she said, ‘My best friend lives in Beth Lechem, and I live in Kiryat Yuvel, which means that technically she lives closer than me to our rehearsal meeting place, but she leaves her house two hours before rehearsal starts because she never knows how long it will take to go through the barrier. It feels so wrong that I wouldn’t have known that about her if I hadn’t come here to JYC’.
And it reminded me how their friendship is such a strong way for them to learn from each other, and together about this reality and how it affects all of us. I saw them sitting down afterwards and talking about the hostages’ return and the joy around the feeling of the end of war, but also the fear of what is yet to come.
At times it feels as if each dialogue session we have in JYC is more difficult then the last. For many Israelis and Palestinians living in this land, even the ones who have been in peacebuilding programs in the past, these conversations—even the simplest of them—are very emotional. It is easy to walk through life as an Israeli and end 12 years of education without even one conversation with a Palestinian; therefore the sense of giving up your security by merely participating in these conversations is very present. To ease that feeling and to create a sense of safety, we spend many sessions leading up to this part speaking as individuals, and working as facilitators to give participants the tools to speak in ‘I’ statements, and share personal stories, feelings, and experiences rather then creating a clashing of two narratives. We also make it a point to incorporate NVC (nonviolent communication) methods and mirroring to allow our participants to have tools of listening, reflection and naming how they feel.”
Current events continue to be a call to action. We know that true peace is more than the absence of violence; it is the presence of justice, understanding, and mutual respect. Through our music and dialogue, we have seen how honest conversations and shared creativity can break down walls of fear and build bridges of connection. We hold onto this hope even as we grieve the tremendous loss and suffering experienced by so many.
This moment demands that we not only pause to reflect but also commit to building a shared future. At JYC, our members from East and West Jerusalem continue to meet, sing, and share stories, even in times of war. These moments of unity remind us that harmony—both in music and in life—is possible when we listen deeply and work together.
We urge leaders, communities, and individuals to join us in amplifying the voices of young people who are dreaming of and working toward a different reality—one where Israelis and Palestinians can live with dignity, equality, and peace. Let this ceasefire hold and be more than a temporary reprieve; let it be a stepping stone toward a lasting resolution that honors the humanity of all.
Thank you for joining us each day in choosing a different way.
Micah, Amer, Jackie, and the Jerusalem Youth Chorus