I met with my friend for dinner yesterday who is the director of Reiki for Peace, a new non-profit organization. She recently had a session of students – both Jews and Palestinians – in her home. A good deal of her time is spent on the phone with the Israeli army, asking them for permits for her Palestinian students to stay in Jerusalem for two to four days, usually at her home. Part of the session had her asking her students to talk about five things they were grateful for in their lives. She went down the line. One Palestinian woman said she could not think of anything to be grateful for because of the wall that is being built by her backyard to keep the Palestinians out of Israel. She and her sister used to go frequently for picnics in the fields near their house, but now all they can see from their home is an ugly grey wall, many meters high. A holocaust survivor – an elderly German-Jewish woman said – “what do you know from walls? I can tell you about walls in the concentration camps. Electric wire walls, that if you touched them, you’d get electrocuted. There was no way out of those walls – not even through a checkpoint.” The Palestinian woman got upset and cried – “You have no idea how we suffer. You don’t know what we’re going through” and a verbal fight ensued, with the Palestinian woman threatening to leave but in the end staying because of Rahel, my friend, the teacher. Needless to say there was a lot of tension in the air. Rahel read passages from a book about unconditional love. Then she did a Reiki attunement on them while they were all lying face down. Some began weeping. Rahel asked the students to tell her what they experienced. The Palestinian woman said she felt that her body became one big heart and then embraced the German holocaust survivor. These two women, who minutes before were at each other’s throats because of the pain they both went through in their lives - some recent and some not so recent - are now seeing each other socially. That is really Reiki for Peace. Rahel asks if anyone wants to know more about this incredible organization – they can e-mail her at: forward@isdn.net.il
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Reiki for Peace
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7 comments:
Just a point to ponder: why is it that all the peace initiatives/organisations are set up and funded solely by Jews?
It's easy to be dragged into an argument as to the reasons for building the wall Tom, but to do so would detract from what Leah is trying to communicate in her post. The fact that the two women now see each other socially shows how an intimate experience, like the one described, breaks down differences and allows all those involved to be truly compassionate to one another. By loving one another unconditionally they are living a life advocated by Jesus, and other religious figures (like Buddha), thousands of years ago. If only all of Israel and Palestine could dare to love each other, then maybe everyone could picnic in the fields near that lady's house.
You inhabit a world that seems very far from mine. In my confortable universe I find enough things to complain about, but I do very little to resolve them.
People who form organizations or societies that try to provide dialogue or solutions to social dilemmas are admirable. They have boundless amounts of courage and unselfishness, and are truly the only hope modern civilization has for a peaceful tomorrow.
Now that the size of the world has been reduced dramatically by our electronic devising, everybody in every corner of the earth is somehow affected by what happens somewhere else.
Let us hope that younger generations can find more adequate forums in which to speak and negotiate peace with one another.
An amazing post, Leah! As I get older and perhaps more "hawkish", I need to read things like this from time to time. Thank you!
Best regards,
SteveR
Arnold, MD
I am a regular reader of your blog and what is best about it is that it talks of so many people who have made their lives about bringing peace to your home. I love that you write about them...hopefully there shall be so many people living for peace that there will be few left to fight a war.
Hi.. i accidentally stumbled into ur blog.. n i must say it does lay an imprint on me.. Im a 24yr old muslim guy, living in Singapore.. The muslims here although accounts for 25& of the population, we live harmoniously among other races & religion.. N watching the palestinian deaths & struggles on tv sure brings a tear to the eyes.. Frankly, initially, i was angry and biased against the Jewish for the mistreatment of the Palestinian.. But u've proven me that not all Jews are bad.. And yes i noe.. not all Muslims are good either.. It all depends on your heart.. And im so glad that such an organisatn exist and trying their best to gain peace.. And i pray to GOD that PEACE may arrive..
Dear Leah,
Thank you for telling our story. It seems that you have a loyal following of people who are hungry to know more. I did not realize that you had created this BLOG - but was glad to find it accidentally on the way to something else.
We, at Reiki for Peace, are just now expanding our web site. Perhaps your readers will want to read more about us, and even to join us. Check it now - and by the end of March, 2007, there will be lots more to see.
gratefully, and looking forward!
Rahel
Director, Reiki for Peace (Jerusalem)
reikiforpeace@gmail.com
www.reikiforpeace.org
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