Hope and Determination - Letter from Kathryn Grody and Mandy Patinkin
Dear Friend,
Thirty-eight years ago, when my wife Kathryn and I were expecting our first child, we
went to Israel to research the movie Yentl. I stayed at an Orthodox Yeshiva, and Kathryn at The American
Colony Hotel. The next day we spent a beautiful day in Hebron, surrounded by curious children happy to
meet visiting Americans, and went on a tour of a vibrant neighborhood, guided spontaneously by a sweet
stranger at the Cave Of The Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Our baby boy moved fiercely when visiting this
tomb, and we decided that was a sign that he should be named Isaac. Fast forward almost 40 years, when I
was filming an episode of Homeland, and I traveled to Israel and Palestine. Once again, I visited Hebron.
But this time, traveling with Israeli peace activists from Shalom Achshav, those thriving streets Kathryn
and I had seen were no longer.
Ginna Green: "I am grateful to be on this road with you"
Earlier this fall, when my friend Hadar asked me to be a part of APN’s commemoration of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin, marking 25 years since he was killed at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, I immediately said yes. For not only
am I, like Hadar and all of you, a seeker of justice and peace and have dedicated my life to healing the world,
but Prime Minister Rabin holds a particular place in my history and my heart.
Those of you who heard me speak in October may remember that I described how Rabin’s
assassination took place in my senior year of high school. Each graduating senior was asked to give a
senior speech around the time of their birthday. After dithering and waiting to write my speech, unsure as
to what I would say that might sound prophetic or at least a little bit interesting, as I watched the
terrible news unfold on November 4, 1995, I knew at last what I would talk about.
Click HERE or the above photo to watch Ginna Green's remarks at APN's
Yitzhak Rabin 25-Year Memorial Event
Message of Hope and Commitment, and Supporting APN, from Hagit Ofran, Peace Now
Settlement Watch Director
Last week, over 150 APN supporters joined me and Hadar Susskind and Ori Nir to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing annexation of the West Bank, and to begin to predict the impact the incoming Biden administration may have on this seemingly intractable issue.
We at Settlement Watch, the Shalom Achshav program designed to monitor and evaluate the impact of Israel’s settlement enterprise on the chances for a two state solution and on Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, are grateful for your keen interest and concern over the growing threat that the settlements pose to peace.
Knowing that our APN family is championing our work helps us renew our commitment each day to fighting the expansion of the settlements and the de facto annexation that has been taking place for years, and which has ramped up shamelessly during the four years of the Trump/Bibi alliance.