Rabbi Arik Ascherman
39
What would you want people to do to support your work?
Well, to the Israelis that will hear this, I just hope people will join our work. We have hundreds of volunteers that come out and harvest olives with us. I have seen declining numbers of volunteers - I think we still have a lot - but I think it's because people are so exhausted and depressed or saying, what good is it going to do? What you do does make a difference and we need you out there. To Palestinians, I would say, avail yourselves of us where we can be of help. Remember that coalition of hope I've spoken about? Only you can empower me so I'll be heard by my fellow Israelis, it is your actions and the things we do together. To people abroad, we need you to come volunteer also, to learn about the realities here so you can go back and explain it, especially from countries where your governments are players here. I also think it is important for people with disparate opinions to come here together. It doesn't mean everyone will agree afterwards, but it will give everyone a common set of experiences to argue about. Last but certainly not least is money. We only do what we do because many people from around the world - and Israelis and Palestinians can help as well - believe and support what we do. If not everyone can be with us the classroom or in the Knesset or in the olive groves, people around the world are with us when they are enabling us to do what we do.