Ora and Ihab Balha: A Jewish and Muslim Story of Love and Peace - Part 2

After so much conflict, how will it be possible to have peace in the Middle East? With so much separation, how can people remember their hearts and come together? Today Lisa continues the conversation with Ora and Ihab Balha, a Jewish and Muslim couple living in Isreal who exemplify love, despite the extreme conflicts in the area in which they are living. Together they co-founded “The Orchard of Abraham’s Children'' nonprofit organization, a holistic educational and communal organization dedicated to transforming Jewish-Arab relations for a shared future, as well as the “Human First Community Center” in Jaffa, Israel. Today Ora and Ihab talk about the idea of peace, and how it exists; you just need to tap in. Peace is the future. The education system in Isreal is all about division based on religion and culture. This can be changed. By separating Jewish and Arab people, it creates ignorance. By coming together, and going to school together, we can learn about one another. We can enrich each other with our differences and find similarities to connect. Ignorance creates fear and that fear creates violence. An education system can address this by bringing students together. Ora and Ihab talk about how they start with teaching the children, and then the kids bring home information to their parents. They have also started a community center for adults. It’s not just early childhood education. It’s for the entire family. This can create change. Slowly it becomes impactful. They have an open prayer room and everyone is welcome. People come to visit from all over the world to pray and meditate. The local community branches out to the neighborhood and around Isreal. They have various locations in which they work with Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the global community. People have lost hope, but when they see that it’s possible to learn the tools and create peace, they can feel inspired. Ora and Ihab also discuss how the education they’ve developed helps not only people, but the Earth as well. It’s about sustainability. They talk about how we are just stewards of the land; no one actually owns it. We belong to the land. They also talk about their interfaith gatherings and the similarities between the various religions. When they started out, people made fun of what they were doing. Now people take note and are very interested. They want to get involved. It is difficult to shift people’s minds in the beginning, but when they see what’s possible, they become inspired and want to invest in peace and education. It is possible to change the paradigm and Ora and Ihab are leading the way through their work together. They are working to stop the war and bring peace. They remind us that we are all part of the human family, and it is possible to live in abundance, love, and peace. We just need to open our hearts and come together. If interested in donating and learning more, pls visit: www.orchardofabrahamschildren.org