By JANICE ARNOLD Staff Reporter, Canadian Jewish News, November 4, 2004 MONTREAL - They could be teenagers anywhere, mugging for the camera. Perhaps they are classmates or neighbourhood kids hanging out at each other's homes. But the young people in these photos are Israeli Arabs and Jews who would likely never have met each other, let alone become friends, if it were not for a project sponsored by Givat Haviva, which describes itself as Israel's oldest and largest centre for promoting peace through Arab-Jewish dialogue. Although they inhabit the same part of Israel, these teens live separately and go to different schools. The photos are on display in the YM-YWHA's Hall of Honour until Nov. 12 in an exhibition titled "Through Others' Eyes," co-sponsored by the Saidye Bronfman Centre, Quebec-Israel Committee and Canadian Friends of Givat Haviva (CFGH). The 20 high school students who contributed to "Through Others' Eyes" learned photography together at the Givat Haviva Arts Centre in Hadera, about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa. The assignment was for the Jewish teens to photograph the homes of the Arab teens and vice versa. They were not to stop at snapping the exteriors, but to go right into the houses and take pictures of whatever they liked. The camera became a metaphor for looking at "the other" in a new way. Just venturing into each other's villages was a new experience, and actually being a guest in the homes a real eye-opener. The resulting photos include the mundane (a laundry room, stuffed closets, the family pet snoozing on the sofa) and self-portraits of the smiling participants. Nora Gold, a vice-president of CFGH, said that when the exhibition began its international tour last year in Toronto, a number of people complained that they could not tell who was Arab or Jewish, or which home was that of an Arab or Jew, in the photos. That lack of labelling was deliberate, she explained, to underline what the teenagers found out: that there isn't a whole lot of difference between them at the "human" level. Most of the teens expressed surprise at how comfortable they felt in each other's homes. That is the unabashedly hopeful message - in a cynical time - of "Through Others' Eyes," that even when all seems grim in Israel, projects like this are continuing with success. Even the quotes interspersed through the exhibit are anonymous. It is impossible to know whether a Jewish or an Arab youth wrote: "I think there is great importance in the visits to the other side, they provide a more intimate atmosphere and make the group cohesive. The close acquaintance also enriches the knowledge of each other's family and social life very much," or "I think at the end of the project, I will know more about the other side than I will know about photography." Some comments just reflect typical adolescent angst about whether their house is big or nice enough or they will be adequate hosts, rather than worry over cultural or political differences. Two of the participants, Rim Massarwa and Peleg Ben Yehuda, both 17, who spoke at the Montreal vernissage, were clear that they abhor violence and war. "It may seem odd to you that we have to make projects just to meet each other. Although we live in the same area, we live separately," Ben Yehuda said. Massarwa, who spoke fluent English thanks to having lived seven years in Holland, deplored the "hate that is spread through propaganda" and the cycle of revenge. Ben Yehuda and Massarwa are not typical. They go to school together and have always counted Jews and Arabs among their friends. Later in an interview, Ben Yehuda said there are no doubt differences between the two peoples, but the young have much in common, including the same music and movies. Massarwa said, however, that Arab kids tend not to go to clubs like the Jewish kids, because their parents have "different mentalities." Massarwa said it is a little strange to think that next year her Jewish friends will be going into the army and carrying guns that may be pointed at Arabs. The intifadah has deepened the distance between Israeli Arabs and Jews, she said. Yet, she firmly believes that Israeli Arabs and Jews must set an example of coexistence, if there is ever to be peace between Israelis and Palestinians. On a more practical level, she realizes that getting to know how to interact with Jews will only help her when she is at university or working. The Toronto-based CFGH is 13 years old and is beginning to form a Montreal presence. "It's ironic, and even tragic, that Givat Haviva [founded in 1949] is such a secret," said Gold, a former Montrealer. "We always hear, 'There is no one to talk to on the other side.' That may be true at the high political level, but not the human level. The problem is that in times like this, government and funders place less priority on dialogue than security, yet it is crucial for us to invest in dialogue. When it is needed most, it is hardest to raise money for dialogue. Givat Haviva has many Jewish and Arab kids that it cannot accommodate because of lack of money. "The next time you read a paper or watch TV and feel things are so hopeless, think of us. There really is the possibility for dialogue," said Gold. "Through Others' Eyes" will travel to Quebec City in March, where it will be shown at Bibliotheque Gabrielle-Roy, a downtown public library.

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