Playing a New Game in the Middle East

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Photo Credit: Josh Pepper via Unsplash.com

Jatta, Tel-Aviv-Yavo, Israel

“We have all become friends.” Such sweet words, especially when the “We” are leftists, right-wingers, Orthodox Jews and Arab Muslims in the Middle East.

With Love,

Russ

Snippets:

Backgammon is an ideal game for bringing Jews and Arabs together, Djemal says. Known in both Arabic and Hebrew as shesh-besh, the game long has been a staple of Middle Eastern culture.

“So far, more than 6,000 people have come to our events, and there’s an even broader following online,” said Djemal, a 30-year-old Harvard graduate who studied behavioral economics.

“This is not a competition between enemies. We just want to come and play,” said Matan Hayat, 28, a religious school teacher in this city’s Katamon neighborhood. “Here we have leftists, right-wingers, Orthodox Jews and Arab Muslims. We have all become friends.”

Sources: JTA via Leo at Not All News is Bad

About russtowne

I'm awed by the beauty of nature and the power of love and gratitude. Some of my favorite sensory experiences include waves crashing on rocky shores, waterways in ancient redwood and fern-filled forests, and rain. My wife and I have been married since 1979. We have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. I manage a wealth management firm that I founded in 2003. My Beloved is a Special Education teacher for Kindergartners and First Graders. I'm a published author of approximately 60 books in a variety of genres for grownups and children.

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2 Responses to Playing a New Game in the Middle East

ksbeth says:

June 13, 2018 at 8:08 pm

one of my sons in law, who is originally from lebanon, has taught my daughter to play –

- russtowne says:
  
  June 13, 2018 at 9:23 pm
  
  Cool! I learned to play the game as a child and remember enjoying it. I haven’t played since then, though. Maybe it’s time to begin again.