JITLI DOCUMENTARY PHOTO ESSAY
Safir, Sarah-Jane, and Jay explore downtown San Diego with the rest of the JITLI group. JITLI stands for the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs Teen Leadership Institute. Sarah-Jane is the videographer for JITLI, but she has taken this one opportunity to get in front of the camera, while Barr, the Israeli Jewish counselor from Shaar Negev, documents. Jay and Safir are able to bond quickly, since they both have a religion in common – Judaism. It is early in the trip, so everyone is still sticking to their own groups, where they feel comfortable. While they are walking along, they are searching downtown for the word “peace” in as many languages as they can find it in. They have already encountered some interesting people, and have yet to encounter a few more. 
Smah, a traditional Palestinian Bedouin Arab, and Beth Jacobs, an American Jew, both smile in each other’s company, as they are about to enter Seaworld. This is not only Smah’s first time going to Seaworld, but her first time in the United states. Beth reflects upon the fact that they are all in groups of four or so people, and they each only get fifty dollars to split between them for lunch. Although these two have just recently met, they have started to bond and get along, and have already started to learn to see past one another’s appearances, and have fun with each other. An American flag waves in the background, and their bus starts up to leave, now that everyone has arrived.
The 40 JITLI teens are with their families and each other, setting up camp and having fun on the Jacobs land, a strip of land which the Jacobs family owns, out by the beach. This is their last night in San Diego, before they head off to Spain, so they are celebrating the end to a very fun week. Everyone is singing and dancing, and Alberto, an American Jew, coaxes Adam, an Israeli Muslim, into saying “What up dude!” to the camera. He does it, and everyone laughs, as they have successfully partially Americanized him. After that, they resume with the off key singing and terrible dancing.
In Spain, in the hotel conference room, all forty teens take part in one of many giant group discussions, where they discuss controversial issues. In this particular discussion, they talk about identity, and how they each identify themselves. For most of the Jews, it is relatively straightforward. Most either say “American Jew” or “Israeli Jew.” However, many of the Muslims often identify themselves as Palestinians “living in Israel.” Since they don’t have paved roads, or often times even plumbing or electricity, they probably get the feeling that their country has abandoned them. This is a key issue for them to work out, since before they can talk about everyone getting along and working together, people need to be treated equally and see themselves as equals. Here, Sarah Alsana shares her thoughts on why she is not happy with the Palestinian situation in Israel. Also in this shot are Mai, an Israeli Jew, and Beth and Bryan, American Jews.
From the viewpoint in Israel, all of Jerusalem can be seen, including the Western wall and the Dome of the Rock. The western wall is the holiest site for Jews in the world, and aside from Israel being specified as the holy land in the Torah, the Western wall is one of the main attributes of Israel that the Jews are attracted to. The Dome of the Rock is the third most holy Islamic site in the world, and aside from Israel being specified as the holy land in the Qur’an , the temple mount is one of the main parts of Israel that the Muslims are drawn to. Both of these sites play a key role in this conflict, and upon looking at this sight, many of the participants looked past their own holy site for the first time, and noticed all aspects of the holy land.
All of the participants camp out in the Israeli desert. They are all staying in a Bedouin tent. Just outside of the tent, some camels are within view. There is nothing but sand dunes for miles. Within the tent, they are doing a yarn spinning activity, with Palestinian roots. As a result, the Palestinians are teaching the Jews how to do it. Adam, an Israeli Arab, is seen here teaching Shaked, an Israeli Jew, how to spin the yarn. The American Jews and the Israeli Jews clicked instantly at the beginning of the trip, and after that, the Americans Jews and Israeli Muslims began to get along. However, it was much harder for the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Muslims to get along, since they are at the center of this conflict. However, they were now nearing the end of the trip, and as seen here, Israeli Jews and Muslims were indeed getting along.
After their week in Israel, all of the participants dance together in Jerusalem, celebrating their time together and the friendships they have formed. It is 6:00 in the morning, and they are getting ready to tour Jerusalem. The sun is just rising. They all chant together in a circle on top of the viewpoint in Jerusalem. Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Israelis, and Americans alike all join arm in arm, smiling and dancing, as they celebrate the land which they call consider to be the holy land. The Israeli Jews and Muslims are happy to be showing the Americans their home, and the Americans are glad to be experiencing it with them. The people in view in this shot are Aiat, Smah, Amanie, and Islam, all of which are Arabs, and Jenny and Jay, who are American Jews.
Safir, Sarah-Jane, and Jay explore downtown San Diego with the rest of the JITLI group. JITLI stands for the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs Teen Leadership Institute. Sarah-Jane is the videographer for JITLI, but she has taken this one opportunity to get in front of the camera, while Barr, the Israeli Jewish counselor from Shaar Negev, documents. Jay and Safir are able to bond quickly, since they both have a religion in common – Judaism. It is early in the trip, so everyone is still sticking to their own groups, where they feel comfortable. While they are walking along, they are searching downtown for the word “peace” in as many languages as they can find it in. They have already encountered some interesting people, and have yet to encounter a few more. 
Smah, a traditional Palestinian Bedouin Arab, and Beth Jacobs, an American Jew, both smile in each other’s company, as they are about to enter Seaworld. This is not only Smah’s first time going to Seaworld, but her first time in the United states. Beth reflects upon the fact that they are all in groups of four or so people, and they each only get fifty dollars to split between them for lunch. Although these two have just recently met, they have started to bond and get along, and have already started to learn to see past one another’s appearances, and have fun with each other. An American flag waves in the background, and their bus starts up to leave, now that everyone has arrived. 
The 40 JITLI teens are with their families and each other, setting up camp and having fun on the Jacobs land, a strip of land which the Jacobs family owns, out by the beach. This is their last night in San Diego, before they head off to Spain, so they are celebrating the end to a very fun week. Everyone is singing and dancing, and Alberto, an American Jew, coaxes Adam, an Israeli Muslim, into saying “What up dude!” to the camera. He does it, and everyone laughs, as they have successfully partially Americanized him. After that, they resume with the off key singing and terrible dancing.
In Spain, in the hotel conference room, all forty teens take part in one of many giant group discussions, where they discuss controversial issues. In this particular discussion, they talk about identity, and how they each identify themselves. For most of the Jews, it is relatively straightforward. Most either say “American Jew” or “Israeli Jew.” However, many of the Muslims often identify themselves as Palestinians “living in Israel.” Since they don’t have paved roads, or often times even plumbing or electricity, they probably get the feeling that their country has abandoned them. This is a key issue for them to work out, since before they can talk about everyone getting along and working together, people need to be treated equally and see themselves as equals. Here, Sarah Alsana shares her thoughts on why she is not happy with the Palestinian situation in Israel. Also in this shot are Mai, an Israeli Jew, and Beth and Bryan, American Jews.
From the viewpoint in Israel, all of Jerusalem can be seen, including the Western wall and the Dome of the Rock. The western wall is the holiest site for Jews in the world, and aside from Israel being specified as the holy land in the Torah, the Western wall is one of the main attributes of Israel that the Jews are attracted to. The Dome of the Rock is the third most holy Islamic site in the world, and aside from Israel being specified as the holy land in the Qur’an , the temple mount is one of the main parts of Israel that the Muslims are drawn to. Both of these sites play a key role in this conflict, and upon looking at this sight, many of the participants looked past their own holy site for the first time, and noticed all aspects of the holy land.
All of the participants camp out in the Israeli desert. They are all staying in a Bedouin tent. Just outside of the tent, some camels are within view. There is nothing but sand dunes for miles. Within the tent, they are doing a yarn spinning activity, with Palestinian roots. As a result, the Palestinians are teaching the Jews how to do it. Adam, an Israeli Arab, is seen here teaching Shaked, an Israeli Jew, how to spin the yarn. The American Jews and the Israeli Jews clicked instantly at the beginning of the trip, and after that, the Americans Jews and Israeli Muslims began to get along. However, it was much harder for the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Muslims to get along, since they are at the center of this conflict. However, they were now nearing the end of the trip, and as seen here, Israeli Jews and Muslims were indeed getting along.
After their week in Israel, all of the participants dance together in Jerusalem, celebrating their time together and the friendships they have formed. It is 6:00 in the morning, and they are getting ready to tour Jerusalem. The sun is just rising. They all chant together in a circle on top of the viewpoint in Jerusalem. Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Israelis, and Americans alike all join arm in arm, smiling and dancing, as they celebrate the land which they call consider to be the holy land. The Israeli Jews and Muslims are happy to be showing the Americans their home, and the Americans are glad to be experiencing it with them. The people in view in this shot are Aiat, Smah, Amanie, and Islam, all of which are Arabs, and Jenny and Jay, who are American Jews.
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