As part of the Writers Matter program, teachers from about twenty schools around Israel wrote and shared their writing together. The following piece is part of the “I Am From” collection, and comes from Abeer, from the Ibn Al-Haitham high school in Baqa al-Gharabiya.
I am from names that draw suspicion,
Where faith is met with cautious glances,
A heritage woven in rich tapestry,
Yet tangled in the threads of fear.
I am from streets marked by divisions,
Where prayer and culture clash like storms,
Each belief a barrier, each word a weapon,
And my heart aches to bridge the divide.
I am from stories of ancestors whispered,
Their hopes wrapped in sacred traditions,
Yet here I stand, caught in the crossfire,
Identity pulled like a fraying seam.
I am from gatherings filled with warmth,
Laughter rising above the quiet doubts,
But outside, the world is a weighty silence,
Judgment cast like shadows at dusk.
I am from the fire of shared humanity,
Uniting in struggle against the tide,
Finding solace in the common thread,
Where love can flourish, unbound by fear.
I am from the resilience of my people,
A chorus rising to reclaim our place,
With every heartbeat, we break the silence,
Together, we weave a brighter space.
Debate for Peace 