They are only teenagers, but a pair of New Jersey high school students — one Jewish and one Muslim — are tackling an issue much bigger than themselves, bridging divides in their suburb shaken by the Israel-Hamas war.
The effort originated soon after the October 7 attacks by Hamas and Israel’s invasion of Gaza, when Rawda Elbatrawish, 17, took to Instagram to pitch an educational event.
“I was originally going to do a protest, but I decided to do a dialogue instead,” recalled Elbatrawish, who is Muslim.
Liora Pelavin, 15, a fellow student at Teaneck High School, and a Jew, quickly responded and helped to pull together an initial session for the end of October.
The unexpected success of that first meeting led to a second, larger one, and the girls since have enjoyed support — but also faced some derision — from their traditionally tolerant town.
– Suddenly ‘divided’ –
