26 | APRIL 4 • 2024 
J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

T

he Common Bond 
Institute and Michigan 
State University Dept. 
of Psychiatry will present “The 
3rd Side,” a two-day nonpartisan 
conference April 13-14 at MSU 
that aims to raise public aware-
ness and support for the many 
grassroots Palestinian/Israeli 
peace-building partnerships 
actively working on the ground 
in the region. 
 The free conference is a 
hybrid in-person/virtual event 
that has been endorsed by the 
Serling Institute for Jewish 
Studies and Modern Israel.

“Since Oct. 7, we’ve heard 
from many who are deeply dis-
tressed by the crisis and looking 
for some way to support a ces-
sation of violence and advance 
healing, reconciliation and 
peace,” said Steve 
Olweean, director 
of the nonprofit 
Common Bond 
Institute. “
At the 
same time, we find 
most in the public 
are only limitedly 
aware or not aware at all of the 
many long-standing and grow-
ing grassroots organizations 

collectively striving toward 
this end, some operating for 
decades. This initiative is one 
way we’ve chosen to respond.”
During the conference, 
participants will be invited to 
strategize ways to support these 
efforts, and the organizers will 
assist in developing mechanisms 
for enacting these strategies. 
“There are well over 200 
grassroots organizations work-
ing daily on peace efforts for 
the conflict, and dozens of joint 
partnerships involve people 
with their feet in both commu-
nities working closely together 
and demonstrating every day 
what’s possible,” Olweean said.
The nonpartisan conference, 
open to the public, is endorsed 

by a growing list of organiza-
tions representative of both 
Arab/Muslim-American and 
Jewish-American communi-
ties. Organizers hope to attract 
as many people as possible to 
encourage support of a third 
side in the conflict made up of 
peacebuilding partners, which 
has consistently fallen under the 
radar of media who often pres-
ent a narrower picture of two 
sides in perpetual hostility and 
zero-sum conflict. 
Information about the confer-
ence program and registration 
are available online at https://
cbiworld.org/conferences/t3s/, 
and by email at Solweean@aol.
com or phone/WhatsApp at 
(269) 501-5453. 

MSU to host two-day event highlighting 
organizations working together.

Conference on Palestinian-Israeli 
Peacebuilding Partnerships 

JN STAFF

Steve 
Olweean

T

emple Emanu-El is 
hosting a K.I.S.S Dance 
(Kids Invite Someone 
Special) at 6 p.m. on April 13. 
It is an inclusive alternative to 
a Daddy/Daughter or Mother/
Son dance and a great excuse 
to have dinner and show off 
your dance moves.
Kids can grab a parent, a 
grandparent, an aunt or uncle, 
or any loved one as their date 
to join them on the dance 
floor. The K.I.S.S Dance is 
open to the community.
Temple Emanu-El recently 
restructured and elevated its 
programming, collaboration 
and outreach, thanks to the 
Hermelin Davidson Grant for 

Congregational Excellence. 
By diving headfirst into the 
Woodward Corridor resur-
gence as a community hub, 
Temple Emanu-El is support-
ing the Jewish population 
thriving along Woodward. 
This commitment to the 
Woodward Corridor will trick-
le down to local businesses 
and community organizations 
that the temple can support 
through events. 
With the resurgence of peo-
ple coming to the Woodward 
Corridor, the goal is for the 
local community to feel wel-
come to participate and engage 
with the multi-generational 
congregation. 

“It’s wonderful to be able to 
bring even more energy and 
excitement to Temple Emanu-
El while also reminding the 
community that we are a 
phenomenal place to cele-
brate, make connections and 
build lasting friendships,” said 
Lorelei Berg, Temple Emanu-
El’s executive 
director. 
As the home 
of the Jewish Gay 
Network, Temple 
Emanu-El has 
the additional 
purpose of pro-
viding support, 
programming 
and a communi-
ty for LGTBQ+ 
individuals. 
Proceeds from K.I.S.S Dance 
ticket sales will go to support 
the Ruth Ellis Center, whose 
mission is to create opportu-
nities with LGBTQ+ young 
people to build their vision for 
a positive future. 
Temple Emanu-El’s focus 

on social action and social 
justice go hand-in-hand 
with the purpose of the 
Hermelin Davidson Center for 
Congregation Excellence. 
Rabbi Matt Zerwekh 
shared, “Since its founding, 
Temple Emanu-El has strived 
to support and engage with 
our community 
through acts of 
tikkun olam and 
through creative 
and enriching 
programs, con-
certs, classes, 
spiritual oppor-
tunities and 
through engaging 
with our friends 
and neighbors 
around us. With 
the help of the Hermelin 
Davidson Grant, we are able 
to grow our reach and provide 
even more creative and rele-
vant programming.” 
Register for the K.I.S.S 
Dance at https://jlive.app/
events/7535. 

Kids can invite someone special 
to the April 13 event.

K.I.S.S. Dance at 
Temple Emanu-El

ELIZABETH HAUSER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS