CBST, the Middle East & Me

CBST, the Middle East, & Me creates space in our community for discussion and reflection on our engagement with the people of Israel and Palestine, and with the conflict that remains between them. We build community by exploring our differing opinions and taking pride in the multiplicity of perspectives our community contains. As with all of our Social Justice teams, we are committed to advancing human rights locally, nationally, and around the world, including in the state of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The “ME & Me” team has organized field trips, conversations, panel discussions, and classes. We have hosted a broad range of guest voices to deepen our understanding and engagement, including members of the Israeli Knesset, LGBTQ Israeli and Palestinian activists, and leaders of Israeli and Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations.

Our team partners with the New Israel Fund to host several Lunch & Learn sessions throughout the year, currently via Zoom. We regularly bring delegations—in person and online—to the J Street conference. We maintain a long-standing relationship with the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance. And the team maintains a WhatsApp discussion group for CBST members who are interested in ongoing discussion with a committed and thoughtful group.

For more information about upcoming programs, or to inquire about joining the team or the WhatsApp discussion group, contact team chair Judy Hollander at middleeast@cbst.org.