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WE'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE

Searching For
Common Ground

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN STAFF WRITER

n the streets of Jerusalem, tionship. When you have a rela-
Jews across the spectrum tionship with somebody, it affects
your behavior."
are talking civilly.
Last year, Common Denomi-
Well, maybe not on the
streets. But certainly in the pri- nator ran 350 seminars involv-
vacy of their own homes and the ing more than 10,000 individuals.
The group does not refer to
offices of Common Denominator,
a grass-roots effort to build members' official titles but rather
bridges between Israelis who for seeks to introduce individuals on
a while had been talking about, the same, anonymous level.
"Common denominators" in-
but not with, each other.
..Common Denominator, Uni- clude "tolerance, respect, love of
fying the Nation, states the prob- parent for child, love of Eretz Yis-
rael, seeing the good in others,"
lem and the solution.
Problem: Disunity is threat- says Ms. Cohen.
A projected budget called for
ening the survival of the State of
$380,000 to run the Jerusalem
Israel.
Solution: To unite the Jews of and Tel Aviv volunteer centers
Israel by identifying and pro- plus $144,000 to open four addi-
moting common values and goals. tional centers. Over three years,
"About two years ago, before the group estimated a need for
[Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin $2.96 million to run existing cen-
was assassinated, David Geffen, ters and $6.444 million to expand
the founding mem-
ber, was just going
around talking to
people about the
problem in Israel,
and he said, 'Some-
thing terrible is go-
ing to happen if we
don't find a way to
heal the rift.' And
no one believed
him. And a few
months later Rabin
was assassinated,"
says Pamela Co-
hen, resource de-
velopment director. Working together, Moshe Peleg and Motti Chabert.
Motti Chabert, a
kibbutznik who co-founded Dor its reach to 70 volunteer centers.
The money comes "primarily
Shalem. Doresh Shalom. (An En-
tire Generation Seeks Peace) af- from private donors," says Ms.
ter Rabin's murder, merged with Cohen.
Since its creation, Common
Mr. Geffen, who is also a rabbi
Denominator has met with about
through Aish HaTorah.
"Once it got to be a political 12,000 people, she says.
"We're working with a group
thing, [Mr. Chabert] thought,
'That's not what we need; we called Takam, the largest kibbutz
don't need another faction. We movement in Israel. Last Octo-
need to heal the rift,' " says Ms. ber, they had us bring over 400
Cohen, who first became involved high school kids to Meah
with Common Denominator as a She'arim.
All Common Denominator
volunteer.
On one of her first days work- events "are pretty well-attended
ing with the group, Ms. Cohen by the ultra-Orthodox," she says.
fielded a phone call from a man And every time, "both sides are
named Moshe Peleg, who offered amazed that they're coming up
some suggestions. "We were to- with the same answers, see is-
tally on the same wavelength," sues the same way.
"By focusing on our common-
she says. When she hung up the
phone, Rabbi Geffen told her that alities, we feel that's far more
Mr. Peleg was a Karlin-Stolin beneficial than focusing on what
Chassid who lives in Meah tears us apart." El
She'arim.
"Only by creating opportuni-
fk For information, contact
ties for exposure can you break
Common Denominator: 36
down stereotypes," says Ms. Co-
Keren HaYessod, Jerusalem,
hen. "And when you come to-
Israel. Phone: 972-2-566-0048;
gether and you meet and you
fax: 972-2-566-0047.
talk, you begin to build a rela-