Cooking Peace: Environmental-Culinary Summer Camp Brings Together Jewish and Arab Teens

Amid tensions between Jews and Arabs in Israel, the 'Green Network' organization held a unique summer camp this week at the Ben Shemen Youth Village called 'Cooking Peace'. The camp brought together 20 Arab and 20 Jewish teenagers aged 15-17, selected after a recruitment and interview process. Most participants had never met peers from other religions. They engaged in activities on the climate crisis, cooking, and nutrition, and held dialogues about their shared future.

Against the backdrop of tensions between Jews and Arabs in Israel, the environmental education organization 'Green Network' held the 'Cooking Peace' summer camp this week at the Ben Shemen Youth Village. The camp included 20 Arab and 20 Jewish teenagers aged 15-17, who live in different parts of Israel and represent a wide range of perspectives and cultures. The participants, most of whom had never met teenagers from different religions, were selected after an extensive recruitment and interview process. They took part in cultural and experiential activities on the climate crisis, cooking, and nutrition, including outings to places like the 'Food Rescuers' house in Jerusalem and the 'Cooking Studio' in Tel Aviv. At the core of the camp was the shared responsibility for an optimal future for all Israeli society, as participants engaged in deep dialogues about what matters to them, their fears for the future, and their hopes. The organization has been operating for nearly 30 years to develop awareness and drive environmental and social action in Israel across all sectors.