Our hearts go out to all the victims of the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza, be they Israeli or Palestinian, as well as to those in our community who have personal connections to people in those places. We are also deeply distressed to see that the conflation of the actions of the Israeli government with the views of the Jewish diaspora has caused a sharp rise in anti-Semitism. Similarly, we decry the all-too-common tendency to equate organizations like Hamas with Islam that has endangered Muslims around the world.

 

We firmly believe that there can be no peace or justice without empathy, and that education is a path toward all three. In that spirit, here are five resources that will hopefully broaden understanding and compassion for both Palestinians and Israelis, as well as Muslims and Jews the world over. See the Diversify Your Bookshelf section below for related books for kids.

 

What Is the Gaza Strip? Here’s What to Know by Fatima Al-Kassad for npr.org

A Brief History of Anti-Semitism published by the Anti-Defamation League

Why the history of the densely populated Gaza Strip is key to understanding the conflict by Maha Nasar for ohiocapitaljournal.com

 

Unsettled Tareq Baconi: There’s No Going Back: interview with Tareq Baconi, expert on Hamas

The Ezra Klein Show: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do? Interview of Zack Beauchamp, senior correpondent at Vox
 

Our fundraising goal this year is 50k starting today November 1st through December 31st! Who will be the first to jumpstart our Giving Season? Your Support Makes a Difference! Spread the Word: Tell your friends, family, and colleagues about our mission.

 

Text “Donate”: 855 966-3243

Mail Check: PO Box 27411, Oakland, CA 94602

Online: Network for Good

 

Save the Date: GivingTuesday is November 28, 2023! Mark your calendars and follow us on Instagram or Facebook for upcoming details about how to participate and support Cinnamongirl!

 

We will share an update each week with our progress. Together, we can amplify our impact! Thank you 🧡

We have a few spots left for Travelgirl 2024 trip to Brazil 🇧🇷 Join our Virtual Information Meeting on Thursday, November at 6:30pm PT for more information. 

 

If you know any girls of color who would be interested in our amazing program please share this newsletter with them.

Both Passport Book Club cohorts met in person in October and had a wonderful time! The  8-12-year-old cohort discussed Rajani LaRocca’s Red, White, and Whole. For November, they will read The Only Black Girls In Town by Brandy Colbert, about two Black girls who discover a long-lost journal that holds painful secrets about the past. Meanwhile, the 13-18-year-old cohort talked about Maya Angelou’s classic, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and will read the electrifying With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo for November.

 

Write Your Story had two very productive master classes in October with critically acclaimed fantasy author Rena Barron (“The Art of Worldbuilding”) and our very own R.C. Barnes (“Create Compelling Characters”). In November, philanthropist, author, and social activist Deborah Santana will lead her always inspiring class, “Memoir: Who Will Tell Your Story?” Additionally, Writergirls have been paired with their Writing Coaches to receive feedback and writing support from their coaches and the other girls in their coaching pod.

 

While Travelgirl's trip to Brazil is eight months away, there is plenty to do before the cohort departs in June. Travelgirls are currently preparing for the trip by planning their fundraising activities and educating themselves about Brazil. The fifth largest country in the world and home to 214 million people, there is much to learn about this vast and diverse country full of rich history and culture.

Some of these books are explicitly about being Palestinian, Israeli, Jewish, or Muslim, and some are about living daily life as a member of one or more of those groups. All of them are stories about the joy and the pain of being human in the world.

 

These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh. Set in 1967. Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Her mother tells her how those trees connect their family to the land. But war has come, and the family must leave; Oraib promises the trees that she will honor their legacy. 

(Ages 3-8)

 

Halal Hot Dogs by Susanna Aziz. After Jummah prayer on Friday, it’s Musa’s turn to choose a treat for his family to eat, and he chooses his favorite: hot dogs! But obstacle pops up, and the quest proves to be more than he bargained for. 

(Ages 3 - 8)

 

I am Hava by Freda Lewkowitz, illustrated by Siona Benjamin. Lovely verse and beautiful pictures follow the history of the song Hava Nagila from its origins as a Hassidic niggun through the Ottoman and British colonization eras to today.

(Ages 3-8)

 

Tasting the Sky: a Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat. In this memoir, Barakat describes in poignant, honest detail the harsh life (and the unexpected joy) she experienced as a child growing up in the occupied West Bank in the aftermath the 1967 Six Day War. 

(Ages 11-15)

 

The Six-Day Hero by Tammar Stein. Another story of the 1967 Six Day War, this time through the eyes of Motti, a young Israeli boy who wishes he could join the army like his brother. As the reality of war sets in, he learns that it is not the adventure he’d imagined–and finds kindness and humanity in unexpected places. (Ages 8-12)

 

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler. Natalya can’t decide whether to spend the summer in NYC with her dad and pursue the girl of her dreams, or in LA trying to reconnect with her estranged mom one last time. So, in effect, she chooses both. This hilarious, creative novel follows two timelines, two stories, and two romances–one on each coast. 

(Ages 12-18)

 

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith. Divya is a young online gamer–a rising star who uses her sponsorships to help her single mom pay the rent; Aaron dreams of becoming a game designer. After a chance meeting online, they decide to team up. A group of hateful internet trolls doxx them, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s life. 

(Ages 12-18)