When most of us thin k of the Garden of Eden, images of snakes, naked people and forbidden fruit come to mind. Others among us think of utopia and a society free of problems.
Well, if you were to use the term at the Jerusalem YMCA, you might have people share smiles and tell you stories about a YMCA preschool with more than 135 students that speak Hebrew, Arabic, and English play together. Children share a patience in understanding eachotheer's language, eachother's holidays and observances, and an understanding of EACHOTHER. Family involvement is also an expectation of this "interfaith" preschool.
A goal of this intergrated YMCA preschool is to expose children to different cultures, languages, and religions while preserving the uniqueness of each child and his or her community.
Coexistence certainly is not unique to the Jerusalem YMCA and its programs. My YMCA in Columbus, OH could be a national model for diversity and inclusion in many ways. However, the Jerusalem YMCA has many outside pressures that make this coexistence seem an ephemeral state. There is much the world can learn from Jerusalem, the YMCA there and how much more society can gain from raising children in a diverse and tolerant atmosphere.
Well, if you were to use the term at the Jerusalem YMCA, you might have people share smiles and tell you stories about a YMCA preschool with more than 135 students that speak Hebrew, Arabic, and English play together. Children share a patience in understanding eachotheer's language, eachother's holidays and observances, and an understanding of EACHOTHER. Family involvement is also an expectation of this "interfaith" preschool.
A goal of this intergrated YMCA preschool is to expose children to different cultures, languages, and religions while preserving the uniqueness of each child and his or her community.
Coexistence certainly is not unique to the Jerusalem YMCA and its programs. My YMCA in Columbus, OH could be a national model for diversity and inclusion in many ways. However, the Jerusalem YMCA has many outside pressures that make this coexistence seem an ephemeral state. There is much the world can learn from Jerusalem, the YMCA there and how much more society can gain from raising children in a diverse and tolerant atmosphere.
Glad to be a part of your voyage, Malik.. Thanks for the words of wisdom today. That simple gesture kept me there to finish my workout.. great spirit, homie..
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B. You are a good dude!!!!
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