Want to wrestle with issues of faith, gender, diversity, and social transformation?  Interested in developing the skills to engage in productive conversation to address conflict, and to build positive partnership?  Want to explore what it means to be Muslim and Jewish in the Bay Area today?

Become a NewGround Fellow and join a new cadre of leaders who inspire hope and change in a troubled world.

NewGround is informative, reflective, and ultimately transformative.  Through this intensive process, fellows emerge with the skills and commitment to engage in authentic conversation, to build positive partnership, and to establish a new code of conduct for our two communities.  Together, NewGround’s participants are creating a brighter future for Los Angeles, for today’s movements for social change, and for the world in which we live.

The NewGround Fellowship* provides Muslim and Jewish young professionals with:

• structured dialogue and  tools for constructive conversation about issues/positions  in conflict
• in-depth education sessions with local community leaders
• expertly-facilitated skills-building workshops
• collaborative civic engagement opportunities

Listen to NewGround, as featured on National Public Media’s Speaking of Faith and StoryCorp at www.newgroundproject.org and http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/newground/

Applications are also available at www.newgroundproject.org

We are looking for:

• Muslim and Jewish individuals in their 20s and 30s in the Bay Area
• Who are willing to share their experiences, listen to others, and learn together
• Can commit to a calendar of 5 weeknight meetings, 2 half-day Sunday meetings and 2 weekend retreats (in February and April) over the course of 6 months January- June 2010.

Testimonies from Alumni:

“What so many of our discussions have revealed is that the dominant political tendencies of our respective faiths impact us, but do not define us.  The religious and historical sources of inspiration are so expansive and diverse for both Muslims and Jews, that it seems almost absurd to understand one's position on a single political issue as the representation of his or her entire set of spiritual and intellectual beliefs.”  NewGround Jewish Alumni 2007   

“As a member of this group- this circle of friends- I would like to point out the relationships that have been built within this project.   The process has engaged all of us in unique learning experiences that have allowed us to un-guard our fortresses with the other- the supposed boogey man on the other side. [Through] The process of garnering intentional relationships I have become more attached to, more comfortable with this particular group of people...” NewGround Muslim Alumni 2007

For more information, contact NewGround staff Malka Fenyvesi at MFenyvesi@pjalliance.org and (323) 761-8350 and Farah El Abed at felabed@arabculturalcenter.org