Kahal B'raira - Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
PURCHASE OLIVE OIL TO SUPPORT THE
MIDDLE
EAST
Olive oil can be purchased for $17 for a 750ml bottle. To
purchase, please send email to
Linda Brion-Meisels: lbrionme@mail.lesley.edu or
Steven Brion-Meisels: steven@peacegames.org
WHY IS BUYING THIS OLIVE OIL IMPORTANT?
The olive branch is a universally recognized
symbol of peace, and,
since ancient times, the olive tree has held deep significance in the
culture and economy of the Holy Land. Today olive oil represents more
than one third of agricultural production in the West Bank. Olive oil
has become an increasingly significant source of nutrition and income
for Palestinian families.
Due to increased restrictions on the mobility of people, goods and
services over the past four years, Palestinians are facing severe
losses in production, employment and income. Many have lost jobs in
Israel, while others can no longer access workplaces in neighboring
villages and cities within the West Bank as a result of checkpoints,
road closures and curfews. With unemployment currently standing at 55%,
olive oil has become the only annual source of income for many
families. Your purchase of this delicious, flavorful, and distinctive
olive oil helps Palestinian farmers whose livelihoods have been
disrupted.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
Olive oil in the West Bank is produced by thousands of family farmers
and dozens of local cooperatives. Farmers benefit greatly from the
support and expertise of the Palestinian
Agricultural Relief Committees
(P.A.R.C), a nonprofit,
non-governmental organization that works to promote Palestinian olive
oil as a viable industry. PARC assists at every stage of the olive oil
production process, from helping farmers to reclaim rocky land,
conserve water and implement sensible environmental practices (such as
re-cropping, dry-land farming and recycling of waste materials) to
setting up regional laboratories where they can test their oil. As
neither Israel nor Jordan (the two natural markets) currently accept
Palestinian olive oil, PARC has developed relationships with European
customers, such as OXFAM Belgium, establishing an overseas market that
otherwise would be inaccessible to small-scale farmers.
The olive oil is produced in the traditional manner, without the use of
pesticides or chemicals. PARC is currently working with international
agricultural organizations to obtain organic certification for the
olive oil, a process that is expected to take approximately one year.
By definition, "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" is a virgin olive oil of
absolutely perfect flavor, color and aroma that has a maximum acidity,
in terms of free oleic acid content, of less than 1% (1 gram per 100
grams). Because both light and heat are known enemies of olive oil,
Holy Land Olive Oil comes in a dark green glass bottle that is optimal
for storage.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Holy Land Olive Oil was the first company to import Palestinian olive
oil to the United States. The goal is to develop into a sustainable
commercial enterprise that can make a tangible difference in the lives
of the producers and the cooperatives. A minimum of 10% percent of the
proceeds of our sales, above and beyond the purchase price of the oil,
shipping and other expenses, is donated back to the cooperatives for
local projects of their choosing.
In addition, the KBMEWG will donate $5 from the sale of each bottle to
the groups we are supporting: Open House in Israel and Anin
Kindergarten in the West Bank.
1. Open House - Open
House in Ramle, Israel was chosen by the MEWG for its efforts
to build relationships and
reconciliation between Israeli Jews and Arabs on a daily basis.
Established in 1991, Open House seeks to foster strengthened
relationships between the 50,000 Jewish and 15,000 Arab citizens of
this mixed city (located outside of Tel Aviv), whose demographics
reflect the population of Israel as a whole. Open House has developed,
through its "Center for Jewish Arab Co-existence," mixed Jewish-Arab
youth activities, including ongoing dialogue groups, summer peace
camps, and leadership training in inter-ethnic relations and
reconciliation. Open House has also sponsored groups for Jewish and
Arab parents as well as seminars for educators and social service
professionals. "The Center for the Development of the Arab Child" at
Open House operates an Arabic-speaking nursery school, the first such
center in Ramle, where working parents can send their young children to
receive top quality "Head Start" education. Open House also serves as a
community voice, advocating for equality in the public services
provided to the Jewish and Arab sectors of Ramle. Over the years, the
social interaction made possible by Open House among Jewish, Arab
Muslim, and Arab Christian families has fostered a deeper understanding
of how reconciliation can be achieved and a profound practical
knowledge of how co-existence can work. This unique "community-based"
co-existence project, which originally brought together one Jewish, and
one Muslim and Christian family around one symbolic household, now
holds the promise of making a positive impact on Arab-Jewish relations
far beyond Ramle. Friends
of Open House
is a new organization, founded in January, 2001, to forge links among
and expand contacts with North American supporters of Open House.
2. Anin Kindergarten (Baraem Al Awda Kindergarten) - The Anin
Kindergarten has no website. It was established in 2003 with financial
support from Grassroots
International.
Establishing a kindergarten was a priority decided upon by the
Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee's Anin Women's Club.
The completion of the northern portion of the Separation Wall in Anin
has made it impossible for many parents in Anin to get to places of
employment in Israel or immediately to the south, or has made it
impossible for them to get to their farmland immediately to the south.
The families have not been able to pay the meager tuition that the
kindergarten has to charge. Grassroots International had never intended
to provide ongoing high level operating support, nor can it. The two
teachers at the Anin Kindergarten, both with bachelor's degrees, were
initially paid $100 a month, but those salaries were soon significantly
reduced. The Kindergarten is seeking financial support 1) for a bus to
ensure safe movement of students and to keep attendance up in the
winter; 2) rent and teachers' salaries; 3) a computer, TV, and video
player; 4) toys and educational activity resources; 5) additional
interior rehabilitation, a bathroom, an exterior wall around the yard,
an exterior umbrella above the entrance, and playground equipment. In
addition to the struggle just to keep a good kindergarten functioning,
the kindergarten hopes to advance in the coming year with 1) an opening
reception program at the beginning of the year, 2) establishment of a
parents' board, 3) establishment of a program to improve parent
involvement in their children's education 4) expansion of summer camps,
5) special activities linking the kindergarten to other special
community events, 6) field trips, and 7) bringing medical information
and tests to the kindergarten.
