Breaking Down Borders: Youth Self Discovery

In August, “Breaking Down Borders” meant welcoming The Earth Caravan, a Japanese Buddhist group commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. From Hiroshima, they carried with them a message of hope: “Our goal is to light a flame of peace in everyone’s heart” and, carrying with them a lantern that had been lit in Hiroshima, they lit candles at the Spiritual Center Peace Museum.

Young and old, members of the village and invited guests, all gathered at the Peace Museum- decorated with garlands of a thousand origami cranes, reflecting the tradition of a Japanese legend and the famous story of radiation victim Sadako Sasaki, symbolizing peace, love and compassion. Buddhist chants for universal well-being, translated into Arabic, Hebrew and English and the song “Share” (composed by the group’s founder, Ryokyo Endo and translated into 16 languages) became one more way to bridge barriers of distance and language.

  “The Caravan shares the mission of the Peace Museum: presenting ways of life, thinking and ideas that promote our common humanity and presenting a more hopeful path, lighting the way to the future for all of us.” Dyana Shaloufi Rizek,  Peace Museum director 

Here was what the Japanese pilgrims saw: Jewish and Palestinian Israelis together offering the vision of borders already broken down, of peace being built day by day and of a joyful inclusion of yet another language, another way of seeing, a living vision of “a flame of peace, lit in the heart.” We look forward to the next Breaking the Barriers worshop later this Fall.