Rabbi David Mivasair Male Vancouver, BC Canada: Like

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One State Solution

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Peace Café 4 קפה שלום 4 …

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Rabbi David Mivasair's Discussions

See photos of my very brief visit to Deheishah last month -- on Facebook

Started this discussion. Last reply by Hiba Jun 7, 2009. 2 Replies 0 Likes

Plan to visit RamAllah on Monday -- would you like to meet there?

Started this discussion. Last reply by Moad Apr 26, 2009. 1 Reply 0 Likes

I plan to visit BetLehem and Dheisheh Sunday afternoon, إن شاء الله -- would love to meet you

Started this discussion. Last reply by Mazin Qumsiyeh Apr 26, 2009. 1 Reply 0 Likes

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בקש שלום ורדפהו -- Seek Peace and Pursue It

Rabbi David Mivasair's Photos

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My personal story:: I am blessed to be the rabbi of a wonderful progressive, activist-oriented synagogue in Vancouver. To learn more, see www.ahavat-olam.ca.

I've lived in Israel for four different years of my life scattered from 1971 through 2001, three years in Jerusalem - Al Kuds and one year in Tiberias. Every time, war, conflict, violence, suffering have shaped my experience there. It is a beautiful place with so many wonderful people -- but a tragic blindness among so many of the people. I have been active in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in one way or another before and since then.

I am on this site to connect with dedicated, courageous people around these issues and so that anyone interested in contacting me specifically -- as a rabbi, as a Canadian Jew, whatever -- can find me.

More on me: I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in the USA. Both my parents were born there too.
My mother's father came to the USA from Kosmin in Russia about 1904. As a Jew, his life was very hard. The Czarist army captured Jewish boys and forced them into life-long military service. He escaped at a very young age and fled to the USA.
My mother's mother was born in New Jersey in a small Jewish immigrant colony. All the people were Jews from Russia. They were terribly poor. They tried to raise chickens to make a living. When she was a young child, her parents abandoned her and her sister and two brothers. My grandmother and her sister were raised by their aunt in that same Jewish immigrant colony. Her two brothers lived in an orphanage and never married all their lives and never left that very small, isolated town in southern New Jersey. It was a hard life for immigrants.
My father's parents were born in Baltimore. His father was a proud American Jew. Even my grandfather's grandfather was born in America -- very unusual. I know the house of my great-grandparents in the city where I was born and grew up -- also very unusual for Jews in America.
My grandmother's parents were immigrants from Drohovitz near Lvov in southeast Poland. They escaped poverty and anti-Jewish violence and made a new life in America. My grandmother's first language was Yiddish, but she went to school, learned English and forgot it. She also was a very proud American Jew.
I will write more later, إن شاء الله

Why I want peace:: Everyone should live in peace. We hurt each other and hurt ourselves terribly and completely unnecessarily.

Every one of us is a creature of God.

Interests and activities:: I am really into religion, politics, "seeking peace and pursuing it" as well as my family, the beautiful earth and water, hiking, biking, walking, canoeing, food, music . . . life . . .

Something you didn't know about me:: I lived in Nagoya, Japan, for two years and speak Japanese. גרתי ביפן משך יותר משנתיים ואני מדבר יפנית (וגם עברית ומעט מעט ערבית.

How I found mepeace.org:: through Lemuel

What I want to achieve here:: Finding and connecting with people whose hearts, minds and souls move their bodies to truly seek peace and pursue it -- בקש שלום ורדפהו -- as the Psalms say.

Do you promise to respect others and our guidelines and not spam?: Yes

Rabbi David Mivasair's Blog

Friends, if you are in Israel, please see http://bustan.org/2007/09/bustan_opens_our_green_center.html. David הצטרפו אלינו לחגיגת אוכל ומוסיקה במרכז הירוק החדש בבאר שבע. הצטרפו אלינו לחגיגית פתיחת המ…

Posted on September 5, 2007 at 9:01am 1 Comment 0 Likes

Friends, if you are in Israel, please see http://bustan.org/2007/09/bustan_opens_our_green_center.html.

David

הצטרפו אלינו לחגיגת אוכל ומוסיקה במרכז הירוק החדש בבאר שבע. הצטרפו אלינו לחגיגית פתיחת המרכז הירוק שלנו. מה בתוכנית?…

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At 1:14am on July 21, 2010, ahmed w. said…: hello mister long time no see away from here
what up we stopped seeing you here man ..

At 11:30am on January 10, 2010, ahmad .r said…: Many beautiful photos you wish us peace reign

At 10:55am on January 10, 2010, Rabbi David Mivasair said…: Linda, I completely agree with you. This is truly the only way. إن شاء الله -- בעזרת השם!

At 10:47am on January 10, 2010, linda abed said…: shalooom Mr David
We as Palestinians, Muslims do not deny Jews their right to live in peace and security, we also want to live in dignity and peace and security ...

Why not live in one country governed by the law of one and one Government composed of all Palestinian and Israeli parties Muslims and Christians and Jews include everyone to live in peace and security and dignity

At 8:24am on December 27, 2009, fesalk411 said…: A True Story By Faisal Al-kateep
I am a Palestinian Arab from Hizmeh, a village between Jerusalem and Ramallah. When I was 15 years old I fought against the Israeli Occupation in search of freedom. At that time I thought every Jewish person, whether soldier or citizen, man or woman, young or old, should be killed. I rejected the right for any Jew to live and every Jew was a target. I was just a kid, believe me, and I didn’t understand anything about politics or the Arab-Israeli conflict. I was arrested and sat in jail for 12 years. This was during the first intifada from 1987. At that time nobody talked about peace but only of violence. I matured during my time in jail. I started studying and reading books on politics, literature, poetry, and about the Madrid Conference.

It gave me hope to live in peace and dignity. I learned that violence only breeds violence and that peace is the only solution for the two nations, the only way for both to have a respectful and beautiful future. We live on the same land. We are neighbors. We drink the same water and both pray to a monotheistic God. We must live in peace on the basis of religion for God and land for everyone.

At 1:19pm on August 30, 2009, Ariella Barzel said…: Hi Rabbi David, so sorry for being late in my reply. I thank you for greeting me to mepeace. Read your profile, watched the photos and was very impressed and touched by your acts and statements. Hope to meet you and collaborate with you. I'm involved in peace activities more in the last year and a half, since I met Fred Johnson (www.frejon.org) and asked him to come to Israel to sing and help in connecting hearts of Arabs and Jews, and bring more love to the area with his voice: through voh'armic healing workshops and performences. We are connected with Rabbis and Sheikhs,
mostly Suffis, but not only. Fred works also for "Intersections International" in NY - a collegiate church that is involved with Interfaith work throughout the world. I think I would be happy to learn more from you and connect our efforts.
Myself - I'm a psychodramatist, group analyst - a psychotherapist and created 2 programs of training for group leadership with the arts. I realize I should invest some time in creating my profile in mepeace.
Thanks for being what you are and doing what you do, good luck - personally and globally, Ariella

At 8:17am on June 3, 2009, sss said…: I'm Jaber from Gaza , I hope to be friends , it's nice to find alot of people like you who think and try to achive something for peace.
I like your profile because all words is very tolerant . and it's nice to write انشاء الله (God willing) I like this .

At 5:31am on May 28, 2009, Kelly Williams said…: Hi,Love
My Name Is miss kelly
Really Like Your Profile And Like To Know About You, And See What We Can Build Together In Terms Of Friendship And Relationship. But Before I Share Any Conversation With You, I Want You To Read And Understand From This Message And Get Back To Me If You Really Believe In It.

Do You Believe, As Food Is Needed For The Body, The Same Way Love Is Needed For The Soul. Food Strengthens The Body While Love Strengths The Soul. A Person Is Incomplete Without Love.

Love Is Not About Finding The Right Person, But Creating A Right Relationship. It’s Not About How Much Love You Have In The Beginning But How Much Love You Build Till The End.

Love Is A Noble Act Of Self-giving, Offering Trust, Faith, And Loyalty. The More You Love, The More You Lose A Part Of Yourself, Yet You Don’t Become Less Of Who You Are; You End Up Being Complete With Your Loved Ones.
If You Believe In This Word, Then Feel Free To Contact Me And Let Me Get To Know You Better.

Here Is My Email Address To Reach Me On If You Are Interested And If You Believe In Love kellywilliams504@yahoo.com . Hope To Hear You There Soon And Tell Me More Bout Yourself.

God Bless You.
kelly,

At 12:09pm on May 21, 2009, Msambya Bakari E. tambwe said…: Hello Mr david, i am very interested with your profile, my name is msambya bakari . E. Tambwe,i become a member of this network in this week, and i am very happy to meet with differents persons and to share more about building peace in this world,so i would like to know more about canada,plzi,fell free to contact me by email (tahew26@yahoo.com) also i want to be in friendship with you.

At 9:02pm on April 25, 2009, Yara يارا said…: سلام&שלום
I have seen ur website and I see u do many peace activities for Jews and Muslims, its really cool. If u visit Egypt, we can meet.