“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for”

Last night, a group of teens, Palestinian and Israeli, from Jerusalem, allowed us to hear the harmony of possibility.The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus, an ensemble of high school students from East and West Jerusalem, on their first trip to the U.S., sang beautifully evocative songs that fused cultures and languages and traditions – from Sufi chants (“I believe in the religion of love”), to Jewish hymns (“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together”), to African American spirituals (“Keep your hand on the plow”). After a day of fasting, the music fed our souls and gave song to our deepest desires.Micah Hendler, founder and director of the chorus, is an alum of Sidwell Friends school, where the concert took place. He studied music and international relations at Yale. He's also a ‘seed’ – a graduate of the Seeds of Peace International Camp for Coexistence, a three-week program in Maine that brings Palestinian and Israeli kids together, as well as those from other conflict regions, to learn conflict resolution, leadership, and community building skills. Micah told me after the concert that the germ of this idea took root from his experiences at Seeds of Peace. Three years ago, he left for Jerusalem to form this choir, believing that singing together could create powerful bonds. He’s been amazed at the results. Watching the kids last night, it was clear they were having a great time; at the end, they all broke out in dance to celebrate. The audience got a chance to sing too -- eight simple words that called us to action: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for”.It was the final song, performed together with the Sidwell Friends Chamber Chorus and the Children’s Chorus of Washington, that brought us all to our feet and many of us to tears. Sing with me -- Hold on to me as we go. As we roll down this unfamiliar road. And although this wave is stringing us along. Just know you're not alone. 'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home. The words to "Home", originally performed by Phillip Phillips, are not only poignant for the region but for the singers, who often brave violence and intimidation to be a part of this chorus, and who strive to transcend their differences to create a space that feels like home. Their 3 ½ hour rehearsals include facilitated dialogues to delve deeper into each other’s life experiences, identities, and religious traditions. I must have watched their video of “Home” several dozen times in the past couple of months; each time to the same effect – goosebumps.The evening reminded me of another stirring encounter I saw recently, at the Women in the World Summit in April in New York. Two mothers, Robi Damelin, an Israeli, and Bushra Awad, a Palestinian, divided by religion and war, but united in their grief of loosing a child in the conflict. They met through The Parents Circle Families Forum, an organization of Palestinian and Israeli families who have lost loved ones in the conflict. A moving ad for the organization shows distraught mothers, fathers and children begging for no new members: “We don’t want you here,” they say in Hebrew and Arabic, shaking their heads in grief. Robi and Bushra shared their stories of losing their sons in the conflict; they pulled their chairs closer together so they could hold each other’s hands. But this is not how it was at first. “What did you think of Robi when you first met her?” Tina Brown asked Bushra. “I didn’t like her,” Bushra said. Then added, “I loved Robi very much after I knew her pain was my pain.” Robi said, "the tears that fall on the pillow are the same color - wherever, for all mothers." Now Robi and Bushra give talks, run seminars, and participate in peace vigils. Bushra says some are opposed to what she’s doing: “Some of the people say to me that I’m selling my son’s blood. But I’m not. I’m buying the blood of my other kids.” Before the session ended, the two embraced. Two mothers, sharing the same pain, waging peace.You could almost imagine them singing, “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus is performing again tonight at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center; see them if you can. To watch their video of ‘Home’, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMkqMTK1_O0. To learn more about them and support their efforts, please go to: http://jerusalemyouthchorus.orgTo watch Robi and Bushra’s moving remarks at Women in the World, please visit: http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/04/22/israeli-robi-damelin-and-palestinian-bushra-awad-talk-about-finding-humanity-in-the-enemy/.  To learn more about the Parents Circle and support their efforts, please go to: http://www.theparentscircle.com