“Saving Beit Ummar" the Center for Freedom and Justice - Colorado
Jan Miller
Folks:
It is easy to feel hopeless and powerless as we look at the plight of the Palestinians. Our best efforts to change national policies have not made any improvements in their lives, so what to do? We can work within the current reality to provide a bit of help to them from outside. I am part of a group that is committed to doing just that: the Center for Freedom and Justice - Colorado: CFJ Colorado - Saving Beit Ummar
We are a group of people based in the Denver-Boulder area who have "adopted" a farming community of about 18,000 people in the West Bank of Palestine. This community lies about mid-way between Bethlehem and Hebron and is heavily impacted by encroachments on its land by ever-increasing numbers of illegal Israeli "settlers" who covet the land. It is a main target of Israeli military raids and radical settler attacks. Israel’s illegal policies are designed to make Beit Ummar unlivable. Our goal is the opposite. We aim to make life more tolerable until the world community demands that Israel complies with international law and ends its brutal occupation.
I first visited Beit Ummar in March-April of 2002 when I was serving as volunteer staff for the Palestine Water Authority and Israeli forces were on a rampage throughout the West Bank. Israeli military were systematically destroying municipal infrastructure, digging up waterlines, shooting out electrical equipment and bulldozing water wells. I was in Beit Ummar to review the most recent damage and had a chance to see the hardships that the community had to endure.
The passage of a few decades has meant that things are ever so much worse. CFJ-Colorado was established about 8 years ago to provide a bit of material assistance and personal support. We emphasize person-to- person connection with community leaders, by including them in our planning meetings (remotely) and with personal visits. While we are powerless to change the oppression against the village, we have been able to assist in some important ways.
To give children a respite from the daily horrors of the occupation, we funded a summer camp that taught computer technology. We also have funded a food-canning project by a women’s agricultural cooperative, purchased backpacks and supplies for school children, and provided emergency aid for families experiencing duress from Israel’s attempt to economically stifle the town.
CFJ Colorado has raised over $140,000 so far to build the first formal kindergarten in Beit Ummar. We also partner with an organization planning to establish a major non-violent center to be located next to the kindergarten.
Should you choose to support this work, there is a “Donate Now” tab in our website.
Sincerely,
Gary Anderson