Having been shown how to do it, it was now the turn of everyone in the audience to pair-up with someone else they didn't know, and, for 15 minutes, to tell their own stories to each other. Members of the faculty and administration paired up with students and other faculty members in an unusual display of parity, especially between generations. Jews and Muslims paired off with each other in a way not seen before on this campus, where, in recent times, tempers have often flared between Arabs and Jews. What a sight it was to behold.

This was truly a "storied" weekend for those of us who told our personal stories and practiced hearing the stories of others. It was an experience in dialoguing, as Jews, Muslims and Christians came together on Saturday evening at the San Luis Obispo Public Library, and then again on Sunday afternoon at Cal Poly, to learn how to tell and listen to "the other side of the story." Being heard is what it's all about.

The dialoguing process was demonstrated to us by an American Jew, Robbie Franco, who had lived in Israel for 15 years, and Elias Botto, a Palestinian American who was born and raised in Jerusalem before coming to America in 1986. With this demonstration under its belt, people in the audience were then asked to pair off and try it out for themselves. This they did, with infectious enthusiasm.

Founded 12 years ago by Len and Libby Traubman, the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo has spawned Dialogue groups in homes and on college campuses around the country to promote a way of getting past the finger-pointing and blaming that have kept the world embroiled and embattled over the Middle East conflict. The Group's mission: "We are 30 Jews, Palestinians and supportive others dedicated to meeting monthly in each other's living rooms, hearing one another's stories, practicing compassionate listening, and envisioning our shared future. In Dialogue, we seek to promote a model for healing, creativity, and cooperation for Palestinians and Jews in Israel and Palestine, and for other peoples worldwide."

At the invitation of our friends, Phyllis and Bill Davies, the Traubmans came to town this weekend with Robbie and Elias, and we had the privilege of hosting the Traubmans in our home while they were here.

These few photos capture some of the memorable moments and people of our weekend dialoguing. [Double-click on each photo to enlarge it.}

Gallery pages: 1 2 >

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Nick Alter > Len Traubman, a retired pediatric dentist and descendant of Russian Jews, co-founded the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo in 1992 with his wife, Libby. Their vision and that of the Group: "Palestinians and Israelis live side by side, in cooperation and friendship, in an ever-improving Middle East and at the heart of a growing partnership between Jews and Palestinians worldwide."

Underlying this vision are these beliefs and understandings:

1. All of our stories and experiences are valid and valued.
2. An enemy is someone whose story we have not heard.
3. The vast majority of Palestinians and Jews want a peaceful resolution of the conflict between them.
4. Jews and Palestinians are cousins, sharing ancestry, values, and a common future.
5. We continue to work for healing and collaboration among our peoples by conducting Dialogue and building relationships with each other. Dialogue is neither discussion nor debate. It begins with hearing each other's stories in an atmosphere of respect and compassion.
6. Palestinians and Israelis have a right to equal dignity, self-determination, peace, and security. Two side-by-side, safe, autonomous, cooperating states are a key to this goal.
7. Blame, hatred and violence perpetuate themselves and do not lead to peace.
8. Relationship-building leads to lasting peace.
9. The methods our political leaders have undertaken to address our conflict are, by themselves, faiing to lead us to peace.
10. Agreements between nations, made without the support of citizens, have never been successful. Therefore, citizens must be included in the creation of any such agreement, and the agreement must reflect and respect the will of each nation's citizens as well as that of each nation's political leaders.
11. We look to the U.N, U.S, and other nations to put forth their full efforts to encourage, compel, and assist in a successful public peace process that engages ordinary citizens in constructive Dialogue and leads to ihe fulfillment of our vision.
12. We look to our fellow Jews, Palestinians and supportive others to become peacemakers, engage in compassionate, constructive Dialogue, and work toward the fulfillment of our vision."

Nick Alter > Libby Traubman, a retired clinical social worker who was raised a Presbyterian, has a long history of involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian public peace effort, pre-dating her co-founding of the San Mateo Dialogue Group with Len. In May 1991, she helped bring a small team of Palestinian and Israeli citizen-leaders from the Middle East to a week-long conference in the California redwoods, where the participants forged and signed an historic document, "Framework for a Public Peace Process," calling for concerned citizens of both communities to join in Dialogue. It prescribed an invigorated peace process that would succeed where governments alone had failed, by including and empowering those who would benefit the most: ordinary citizens.

Nick Alter > Monday morning, Phyllis and Bill Davies had a farewell breakfast in their home for the San Mateo foursome and local hosts. Here, we're sharing observations and insights on the experiences of the past two days. Phyllis and Bill are seen on on the right.

Having been shown how to do it, it was now the turn of everyone in the audience to pair-up with someone else they didn't know, and, for 15 minutes, to tell their own stories to each other. Members of the faculty and administration paired up with students and other faculty members in an unusual display of parity, especially between generations. Jews and Muslims paired off with each other in a way not seen before on this campus, where, in recent times, tempers have often flared between Arabs and Jews. What a sight it was to behold.