"Togtherness is the key word and idea of our trip to Israel.
Latino and African-American teens unite for a trip of a lifetime. This trip changed my perspective of all people and taught me we all need to work as one unit." This statement was made by Nyesha Favorite, who recently
graduated from Hollywood High school in Los Angeles. She was part of a group of teenagers chosen to participate in a program organized by Operation Unity. These students live and work on a kibbutz in Israel for an eight
week period. During their stay they are each adopted by a family on the kibbutz and fully participate in the cooperative living environment of the kibbutz.Operation Unity is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization
focused on breaking down ethnic and cultural barriers among our youth. The organization was founded in 1992 by Cookie Lommel, an African-American music industry journalist. Recognizing the important part that music
plays in bringing people together, Lommel enlisted the help of recording artists in organizing dialogues between young people from the churches and synagogues in Los Angeles. The kibbutz trip was created as the ideal model of
how working together "shoulder to shoulder" helps diverse groups break down barriers.
When they return, as a critical part of the program, these young people share their experiences throughout the city via speaking engagements
and articles written in local and national print media. These youngsters have received recognition from the city and county of Los Angeles for their work as young ambassadors of peace and harmony. Because of this,
Operation Unity was inspired to create the "Young Ambassadors of Harmony" photo exhibit. This exhibit was displayed at the Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery in Los Angeles City Hall, and was sponsored by Universal Music Group.
The exhibit was so well received that it will now travel throughout California, currently on display at the Karpeles Museum in Santa Barbara. It gives these teens the opportunity to express what they feel they learned from
the experience, as well as selecting one of their favorite photos they took while in Israel as a tool to discuss certain important episodes of their trip.
"The Israeli people did not care what color we were. It was such a
special feeling to know that adults and teens my age were interested in me as a person like themselves. We all realized we all had the same things in common as teenagers. The adults were no different than my parents,
they all had the same hopes and goals for their children," says Merlin Chopha, who recently graduated from Hamilton High School.
"The kibbutz program was special because it diversified my views on different people. I
had never been as open-minded towards other groups as I was after this trip. In America, where we all seem so divided, it was refreshing to see the mixture of people on the kibbutz who have learned to relate well in many
ways," stated Enrique Carmona, a recent graduate of Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles.
The kibbutz program succeeded in broaching interethnic perceptions and eliminating stereotypes. "Before going on this trip,
I didn't have a good perception of Jewish people. Now, meeting the people I met on the kibbutz and sharing the warm reception of American Jewish people's interest in me and my trip let me know I could not be a part of the
stereotypes previously heard," stated Rochelle Brown from Crenshaw High School.
The Rev. Leonard Jackson of First AME Church, an Operation Unity board member, told The Los Angeles Sentinel, "Here we have
youngsters learning that we can live, work and play together, and if we want to continue to move forward in this society, we must promote these types of activities." Michael Hirschfeld, executive director of The Jewish
Community Realtions Committee and co-sponsor of the trip explained, "The organized Jewish Community strongly endorses and supports Operation Unity, because it gives young African-Americans and Latino students the opportunity
to be exposed to the diversity that one can find in Israel, and to Jews they may riot have the chance to meet here in the United States. Hopefully this will be a foundation for building better relationships between our
communities."
"Organizations such as Operation Unity, whose initiative is to expand young people's horizons, should be commended because it cannot be experienced in the classroom or through a textbook," says Dr. Frances Nakano,
Assistant Superintendent at Los Angeles Unified School District. The students are recruited from LAUSD, which cooperates by sending teachers to chaperone and keep the students on top of their studies, allowing them to receive
school
credit for the trip. The uniqueness of this project attracted many in the business community including activist Stanley Hirsh, who encouraged The David Geffen and Steven Spielberg Foundations to become involved.
