The Good Neighbors – Abu Tor/Al-Thuri - FCT Jerusalem

Introduction
‘The Good Neighbors Abu Tor/Al-Thuri Project’ was established to reduce tension between Palestinians and Israelis along the seam of East and West Jerusalem, and create a model for positive Israeli-Palestinian relations, based on shared interests and a mixed community. The project specifically targets the 5000 Jewish and Palestinian residents living adjacent to each other on the seam between East and West Jerusalem. The different languages, cultures, religion and ideological divides severely limited social interactions led to misunderstandings. The actions of the Good Neighbors Project over the past several years has led to a dramatic improvement in the situation.
FCT Network fund’s objectives for this crowdfunding campaign are:
1. To provide 4 off-the-field events for 70 boys of 3 mixed soccer teams together with their parents and siblings – about 200 people.
2. To fund 6 classes of conversational Hebrew/Arabic for 50 Palestinian and Jewish residents, for our twice weekly Language Exchange Café for 150 participants including teachers, educational materials and venue rental.
3. To furnish the Tri-lingual Street Library for Jewish and Palestinian families and enable 4 cross cultural events in the public park next to the library.
4. To provide a coordinator, phone application developer, educational materials, room rental and publicity for “Abu Job”, which addresses the recent economic crisis by creating a local platform for promoting local services and by establishing a women’s entrepreneurship small business incubator.
5. To provide tours and materials about the project to visiting groups of Israelis and Palestinians, journalists and tourists, politicians and decision makers in order to disseminate this model of shared community.

Introduction

Several years ago, in an unprecedented achievement, Jewish and Palestinian residents living on the East-West seam in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tor, joined to create the Good Neighbors – Abu Tor/A-Thuri Project. This initiative, aimed at improving the quality of life in the neighborhood, is based on common needs and interests and serves to build a sense of shared community. It is a sane counterbalance to the acts of violence and counter-violence which have erupted in Jerusalem.
The award-winning Project offers Arabic/Hebrew study and a Language Exchange Café for hundreds of residents each year; 3 joint Youth Soccer Teams for 70 boys ages 6-16; a tri-lingual Street Library with Hebrew, Arabic and English books for children and adults including related community events; Community Cultural Events and Community Help Campaigns and online activities related to living with COVID 19. In addition, our latest initiative “Abu Job” addresses the recent severe economic crisis by creating a phone application which will match local service providers and small businesses with customers as well as facilitating a women’s entrepreneurship through a training and mentoring incubator program.
Good Neighbors continues to serve as a model for other Jerusalem neighborhoods and organizations and was invited to present the Project at the Israeli parliament. As part of our mission to disseminate our model, we offer tours to groups of students, tourists, organizations and agencies.

Goals

  1. Bring together Palestinian and Israeli residents of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu tor to create a model of shared civil society, mutual understanding and good neighborly relations.
  2. Improve the overall atmosphere, resident involvement and empowerment and neighborhood safety by fostering joint meaningful activities for families, women and youth.
  3. To disseminate this and other elements of the Good Neighbors Project as a model for replication in other Jerusalem neighborhoods and in Israeli’s cities with mixed Jewish Arab populations.

Objectives

  1. To provide teachers, teaching materials and room rental for 6 classes of conversational Hebrew/Arabic for 50 Palestinian and Jewish residents, and for our weekly Language Exchange Café for 100 students yearly.
  2. To provide 4 off the field events for 70 boys of our 3 football teams together with their parents and siblings – about 200 people.
  3. To provide 4 cultural events at our new Tri-lingual Street Library for Jewish and Palestinian families.
  4. To provide a coordinator, phone application developer, educational materials, room rental and publicity for “Abu Job”, which addresses the recent economic crisis by creating a local platform for offering services/products from 200 local providers and a women’s entrepreneurship incubator for 20 Jewish and 20 Palestinian women.
  5. To provide tours and materials about the project to various agencies, groups and organizations in order to disseminate this model of shared community.