Generating Peace: Profiling Dor Shalom

There's a new Zionism in Israel. It's called Dor Shalom, Peace Generation, and it's sweeping the country, drawing in volunteers who are committed to mending the social fabric of Israel by translating Jewish values into actions. Although Dor Shalom volunteers cover the age spectrum, for the most part it is a movement conceived and led by Israel's youth.

"I am not ashamed to say that I am a Zionist," said Niv En-Gal, an Israeli in his mid-20s who is an industrial engineer and part-time Dor Shalom volunteer. He ties the birth of Dor Shalom to the assassination of Rabin. "Rabin's death woke people up for their dream."

It was the dream that had turned into a nightmare, group members say. No longer could the growing fractionalization of Israeli society be ignored. The polarization between rich and poor, secular and religious, Arab and Jew, immigrant and Sabra had become divisive and was a serious threat to domestic tranquility. Already it had led to Rabin's murder. Grief was turned into action, and from this came Dor Shalom, a grassroots youth movement.

"We stopped waiting for people in power to do things," Michel Hadas, another 20-something volunteer, told a group from the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco (JCF) during a recent trip to Israel. On one hand, they were frustrated that the powers-that-be weren't doing enough. But on the other, they recognized that Israelis had become insular and weren't doing their part either. "In Tel Aviv people forgot about helping each other. [Dor Shalom] pushed people into volunteering."

In only four years, Dor Shalom has attracted tens of thousands of volunteers and become a household word. It is a movement driven by idealism, energy, enthusiasm and a passion to change the world. Its agenda is an ambitious one: to promote pluralism, democracy, tolerance and social responsibility, and to narrow the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" in Israel. Dor Shalom is a major presence at every demonstration and rally. Throughout the state, youth action teams design and implement social service projects. These projects range from ecological clean-up campaigns to working with the elderly, toy drives to activities for Arab and Israeli children, and discussion groups to fixing up houses. One of the major focuses is closing the educational gap by offering programs for underprivileged and at risk children and teens.

To support their work, Dor Shalom volunteers have fundraisers and rely on private donations and grants.

The Tel Aviv neighborhood where the Dor Shalom volunteers met with members of the JCF is the equivalent of an American slum. In Israel, it's know as a "cardboard box" neighborhood. Only a short drive from the bustling Mediterranean boardwalk and the European-style cafes of Dizengoff Street, it is a side of Israel that most tourists never see. The houses are tiny, dilapidated and crammed together. Laundry is strung across the backyards and dogs root through the garbage. The only bright spot is a corrugated aluminum wall, colorfully painted with children's drawings--a sign of Dor Shalom's presence.

In this neighborhood which is largely inhabited by Russian emigres, Dor Shalom volunteers provide hot lunches, a day care center for the younger children and an after school learning center for the older one where they can get help with their homework.

In this neighborhood as with many others, Dor Shalom volunteers run head on into Shas--the ultra-orthodox political party that has achieved considerable power in part by offering social programs in underprivileged areas, and serving up their own religious and political agenda along with food. This experience has challenged Dor Shalom's own philosophy of tolerance.

"It's easy to hate them because you don't know them," said Dana Yaffe, 18, of Shas party representatives. Initially, there was friction between Shas and Dor Shalom. But, according to Yaffe, once Shas saw that Dor Shalom had no hidden agenda, the tensions dissipated. On many occasions she has worked with religious volunteers. "The purpose is to know we're all human beings."

The enthusiasm with which Dor Shalom has been embraced marks another significant change in Israelis' attitude--volunteerism as a tool to change society.

Although the social problems of Israel are great, Dor Shalom does not see them as overwhelming or insurmountable.

"The differences can be very big, but it's nothing we can't solve," said Yaffe who has deferred her military service for a year in order to be a Dor Shalom volunteer. "If we don't do anything about it, no one will."

[This article is reprinted with permission from the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. For more information on Dor Shalom, go to http://www.dorshalom.org.il/mi_se.html.]