There’s nothing easy about the road to peace, unless you stumble upon the kiddie corner at “Israel in the Gardens.”
Then, it’s all about fun and games.
“We feel that we can’t celebrate Israel fully without reminding ourselves how we want peace for the country,” said Shai Schneider, children’s program coordinator. “But of course we want families to come and have fun and spend time together.”
Whether it’s face painting, storytelling or music playing, every member of the family can celebrate together.
As families celebrate, decorate, participate and create “Peace for Israel,” ongoing activities will keep those tiny tots, preteens, teens and parents entertained.
At the center of the activities is the “Olympics Peace Course,” proving again that the path to peace usually involves jumping over a few hurdles here and there. But kids 8 to 14 can play for peace — and for fun — while climbing, sliding and jumping through the obstacle course. Kids will write a wish for peace, wear it as they dip and dive through the course, and when they reach the Western Wall structure, they will tightly tuck their wish inside. The course will operate from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Or, if families want something a little more restful, they can take advantage of story and music time, offered on the main stage from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Israeli storyteller Uri Harash will start at 11 a.m. and will share a life-changing experience he had as child with the neighboring Arab. His performance should be engaging; “He is very visual,” Schneider said.
Following Harash, from 12 to 12:45 p.m., will be Israeli percussionist Dror Sinai of Santa Cruz. He will be teaching families peace songs in different languages, and also will play Israeli music.
The Berkeley-based band Zatar will tell stories and play music, followed by physical theater and beatbox (the vocal percussion of hip-hop beats) performer Tim Barsky. Considered by some a revolutionary beatboxer, Barsky is a traditional storyteller who combines hip-hop, street theater, Jewish folklore and the unique blending of a flute and microphone to create an original and worthwhile performance.
Besides performing arts, there are also opportunities to create art. A 4-foot-tall by 5-foot-wide dove sculpture will be a canvas for young artists and parents alike. Students from the San Francisco Art Institute created the sculpture.
“Everyone is welcome to help decorate, write their wishes for peace, color and draw on it,” Schneider said. “It will be a memory for our desire of peace in Israel.”
After the dove is completed, it will tour JCCs and schools, “so that we can remember one day there will be peace in Israel,” Schneider said.
For teens, the Bedouin tent is the perfect hangout, with cushy pillows and comfortable rugs. The Diller Teen fellows, funded by the Helen Diller Family Foundation, will run the tent.
Arts and crafts activities — inspired by Jews from around the world — will include making spice boxes, block prints and colorful cut-paper designs. The hands-on activities, which go on until 3 p.m., are sponsored by Be’chol Lashon, an organization that supports and promotes diversity among Jews.
Jugglers, clowns, face-painters and balloons will work the crowd.
And though the theme is peace, with all those activities, don’t expect quiet.