Palestinian dance troupe is taking steps to peace

By Bronislaus B. Kush, Telegram & Gazette Staff

Transcribed from the clipping

“WORCESTER — Walk past Atwa Jaber and Jadya Aqel on the street and you’d think they’re typical American teenagers. Their clothes look as if they’ve been purchased at The Gap and they embrace all that pop culture offers.

But the two high school juniors are a long way from home… The Al Raja Palestinian Folkloric Dance Troupe has been performing across the country over the past couple of months, as part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s ‘Peace Not Walls’ campaign. The 22 teens have performed in Chicago, San Francisco, San Antonio and Omaha, Neb.

‘This will give them a chance to get a better understanding of American teens,’ said the Rev. Daniel Wilfred, Immanuel’s pastor. Mr. Jaber and Ms. Aqel, who also participated in the…”

Context added by this archive

Twenty-two teenagers from Ramallah touring American churches, and the caption is worth reading twice: the troupe is made up of Palestinian, Christian and Muslim students. Palestinian is set beside Christian and Muslim as though it were a third category rather than the thing all of them are.

The reporter’s way into the story is that they look like everyone else: their clothes look as if they’ve been purchased at The Gap.

Cite this item

"Palestinian dance troupe is taking steps to peace," Telegram & Gazette, 27 July 2006. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2006-008. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2006-008