Dear friends in the Achvat Amim community, Yoav, Achvat Amim’s Executive Director here. As we approach Sukkot this year, the community of Achvat Amim faces a grim reality. We confront this year-long war, now escalating: the horrific airstrikes killing and displacing thousands of people in Gaza are ongoing, the hostages remain imprisoned, IDF aggression in Lebanon and in the West Bank continues to surge, and we often experience a collective sense of helplessness under the worst government in Israel’s history. We take pains to renew our solidarity with our Israeli and Palestinian partners, while recognizing the government’s determination to divide us all, to weaken our resolve and turn us against each other. In the midst of all of this, we at Achvat Amim know that the antidote to despair is taking action. Action brings hope, hope brings action, and we are more determined than ever to advance our mission, aware that success does not depend on circumstance. Our outreach director, Elly Oltersdorf, has engaged with countless Achvat candidates and their families, responding to their concerns about security. We were forced to cancel the 2023 Fall session, but in February we opened a full cohort and in the summer we ran an intensive program, with participants traveling to support our partners in Masafer Yatta every week. In September, we opened the 2024 Fall cohort with nine participants. Many peace and human rights organizations have stalled or fallen apart over this turbulent year, but there has also been more resilience and collaboration than ever before. As we support each other through these dark times, we have only strengthened our network. Together with Rabbis for Human Rights, we are planning a 19-day winter intensive for 15 participants from abroad. Achvat participants’ placements are bringing a breath of fresh air to our partners, in the South Hebron hills, at 972 Magazine, in the Storytelling project, at the Hand in Hand school, at Sinsila, a Palestinian women’s collective for raising bees on East Jerusalem rooftops. Two recent Achvat alumni recently accepted positions as directors of the Storytelling project alongside Sameeha Huraini in Tuwani. We are moving together strongly as a team. As Elly connects with potential candidates and movement leaders across the world, Tash Lever moved smoothly into the role of Education Director, and is now leading her third cohort. We hired Meir Gorodskoy as Development Director, and they hit the ground running, eagerly engaging with donors and foundations. Six months into my tenure as Executive Director, I am in love with this unique movement initiative, as I take on the challenges of advancing the Achvat programs, managing our budget, reaching out to present and future partners, and sharing with our team the concerns and decisions that we face as we explore the new vistas that are possible for Achvat Amim. We are the only on the ground movement that both introduces participants to Israeli and Palestinian facilitators, activists, educators, and artists, and also provides a rigorous language, historical and spiritual curriculum, that empowers people to engage in activism sustainably, for the long haul. We are committed to bringing more people into the movement and making it more accessible so we can continue to learn together, cross borders, and bridge movements for justice in the land and abroad. We eagerly anticipate a year of guiding our participants through Achvat’s superb learning/working experience and bringing them into the powerful network of trust with our partners. We celebrate the broad Achvat community and anticipate a vibrant, meaningful year. We will be in regular contact with you all.
Wishing you the best, Yoav Peck
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November 2024
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