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Welcome to the second Newsletter of New Jewish Thought.
We would like to invite you to take part in an exciting and pioneering Jewish communal initiative.
New Jewish Thought is planning to run a series of Jewish-Jewish dialogues in 2008. We are convening this group as members of the UK Jewish community who care about the situation in Israel and who have found that, all to often, when talking with our Jewish friends, family members and other people in the community, we get swept into a polemical debate or choose to be silent. In this dialogue series, we hope to offer a third alternative: an opportunity to speak candidly about our personal views and the experiences that have shaped them, as will aim to listen open-heartedly to others whose views and experiences are different from our own.
We are reaching out to people who might share our wish for a safe space to:
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Share their own perspective and come to a better understanding of the perspectives of others.
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Learn alongside people with different viewpoints.
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Reflect on their own views in fresh ways.
The group will not be a debating forum but a chance for people with different views to understand and engage with each other.
If you participate we will ask you to commit to six sessions, held monthly in a venue to be agreed in North London. If the group wishes to meet further after or to develop into something broader, we can discuss this. There will be no pressure to continue.
The sessions will be facilitated by an experienced facilitator and will be modelled on the practices of the US-based Jewish Dialogue Group (www.jewishdialogue.org) who have produced a guide for dialogue among Jews about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
We aim to convene a diverse group of eight individuals and for that reason we need to carefully screen all applicants. If you are interested, we would ask you in the first instance to e-mail info@newjewishthought.org with the following information:
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Your name and contact details
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Where you would be able to meet and at what times
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Where you position yourself with regard to debates about Israel.
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Your reasons for wishing to engaging in Jewish-Jewish dialogue about Israel.
If you have any questions please e-mail info@newjewishthought.org
We have also added further content to our website, including The Problem With Dialogue - an exchange between Ruth Rosenfelder and Keith Kahn-Harris.
We will be adding more content, including a blog, within the next few weeks so please check the site regularly.
We're looking for writers, editors and volunteers to contribute to our project. If you would like to get involved, or if you know someone who may be interested, please contact us at info@newjewishthought.org
Yours
Keith Kahn-Harris
Convenor - New Jewish Thought
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