Children of Abraham Discovery Program

25 Washington Street
4th Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11201

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the World"
Nelson Mandela

The Discovery Program is an intensive four-month online seminar that is designed to act as an educational gateway in bringing together Muslim and Jewish youth to examine their current, as well as prospective relations. Youth from all over the world are encouraged to engage in thought-provoking discussions that tackle themes related to religion, political debates, and the Arab-Israeli conflict and its effect on Muslim-Jewish relations. The program also provides an open forum to critically analyze the different forms of media and their impact on these two communities. The Discovery Program creates new opportunities and possibilities to learn about the 'other' by providing young Muslims and Jews with a platform to understand one another, to appreciate their respective culture and tradition, as well as to explore the similarities in beliefs and practices.

Along the lines of the notion that "a picture is worth a thousand words", the participants also discover their shared spiritual values through photography and thought provoking discussions. Each group of the discovery program consists of eighteen students, 9 Muslims and 9 Jews, who are selected from Jewish and Muslim communities from all over the world to take pictures of Muslim and Jewish religious themes, symbols, rituals and events. These photos serve as powerful and spiritual visual tools that both challenge and prompt the students to explore and reflect on many issues that are considered 'taboo'. At the end of this educational journey, the students work together to publish a photo essay that serves as an educational tool for use in Muslim and Jewish schools and communities around the world. This photo essay is a combination of photos and essays compiled by the participants in order for them to share their discoveries, insights and realizations with other Jews and Muslims locally and globally.

The main goals of this four month long seminar are to:

1. Become leaders in Jewish and Muslim youth dialogue
2. Discover common theological and cultural beliefs and practices
3. Foster interaction between Muslim and Jewish teenagers around the world, with the aim of restoring a culture of respect based on knowledge and understanding
4. Become pioneers in the exploration of Jewish and Muslim traditions and breaking down the walls of mistrust, hate, and rivalry
5. Build creative and practical skills for peace-building and open dialogue between the two communities.

 

APPLICATION FORM

Please email your completed application to houda@children-of-abraham.org OR fax it to (+1) 718-237-8765 no later than Jan. 20.

***The Actual Discovery Program starts on February 6th 2006. ***

Please include a photograph of yourself as an email attachment along with the following information:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

 

Full Name: __________________________________________

 

Date and Place of Birth: _________________________________

 

Gender: ____________________________________________

 

Email Address: _______________________________________

 

Mailing Address_______________________________________

 

__________________________________________________

 

Phone Number: ______________________________________

 

SHORT ANSWERS

 

Most students applying to be part of the Discovery Program do not speak English as their first language. However, since we are an international group in need of a common language, we will primarily communicate with one another in English. Do not worry about writing your answers in high quality English. Most of you are in the same situation. Selections will be made based your ideas and enthusiasm, and not according to grammar?

 

1) Do you have daily access to the Internet??

 

 

2) What is your Instant Messenger username?

 

 

3) How exactly did you first hear about Children of Abraham?

 

 

4) Please list briefly your hobbies and interests?

 

 

5) What encounters, if any, have you had with people whose religious beliefs differ from your own? Have you participated in interfaith or intercultural programs?

 

 

6) There will be around nine students from your religion selected from the entire world, tell us why you believe one of them should be from your community?

 

 

7) If you are a Muslim, how do you identify yourself? Please circle the one that is the most appropriate.

 

Very Liberal   Liberal   Moderate    Conservative   Very Conservative   Traditional

 

 

If you are a Jew, how do you identify yourself? Please circle the one that is most appropriate.

 

Conservative   Modern Orthodox   Reform   Reconstructionist   Charedi   Atheist Chasidic

 

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

 

Please answer any two of the following questions in 300-400 words.

 

You are encouraged to be honest and creative. There are no right or wrong answers, so it is important to be yourself.

 

1. Please read carefully the following:

" Do not say I follow the one true path of the Spirit, but rather I have found the spirit walking on my path. For the spirit walks on all paths" Khalil Gibran

 

Please explain your reaction to this statement?

 

 

 

2. What are your fears and challenges in participating in a Jewish and Muslim Interfaith Educational Seminar? How would you respond to these fears?

 

 

 

3. Why do you want to be a Children of Abraham Intern? Why is important to you to be part of this project and why is the mission of Children of Abraham important in the modern world?