In Montclair: 2 Bereaved Moms Try To Understand ‘The Other Side’

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When children die in an armed conflict, nobody wins. This poignant and heart-wracking truth will be the topic of an upcoming Zoom event hosted by Bnai Keshet in Montclair.

According to a statement from the synagogue, it will host a virtual event on Saturday, Feb. 27 featuring a pair of Jewish and Palestinian mothers who lost children in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Both are members of the Parents Circle Families Forum, a bereaved parents group which builds relationships and mutual understanding to promote a “future of reconciliation” instead of revenge.

Bnai Keshet organizers wrote:

• Layla Alsheikh of Bethlehem in the West Bank lost her 6-month-old son, Qussay, after he became ill and Israeli soldiers prevented her from taking him to the hospital for more than five hours and he died from the lack of timely treatment.
• Robi Domelin is the spokesperson of the Parents Circle. Her son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper in 2002 while guarding a checkpoint near a settlement during his army reserve service.

Damelin and Alsheikh will Zoom live to Montclair for the event, which takes place online at 11 a.m. (Learn more here)

According to Bnai Keshet, the conversation will include a discussion of the human side of the conflict and why relationship building, mutual understanding of the “other side” and a reconciliation framework is necessary for any sustainable peace agreement.

“Bnai Keshet members visited the two women in Beit Jala in Palestine during a trip to Israel in 2019, and learned they are used to sharing their stories with hundreds, if not thousands, of people around the world,” the synagogue stated.

Lisa Hoffman, a Bnai Keshet member, arranged for the pair to share their message with the greater Jewish and interfaith community in Essex County.

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