Melissa Weintraub /// Take a seat at the table of change /// Season5:E116

Division is all around us. Division as we experience it today comes in the form of political affiliation, race and even religion. Conversations within these divided topics tend to become hostile and rarely conclude with understanding or peace; let alone a consensus.

 

Our guest Melissa Weintraub has dedicated her life to the facilitation of these conversations and deliberation amongst strong religious and political divides; specifically, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These conflicts reflect the complicated creation of division that stems from our psychological perceptions and projections. Her commitment and dedication to peace gives hope for the prospect of peace throughout the world.

 

“These storylines, are what drives divide and societal chaos” - Melissa Weintraub
 

Melissa is the co-founding Executive Director of Resetting the Table, an organization dedicated to building dialogue and deliberation across political divides. Melissa was also the founding director of Encounter, an organization dedicated to strengthening the capacity of the Jewish people to be agents of change in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Melissa was awarded the Grinnell Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize, which honors demonstrated leadership and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change. A noted speaker and educator, Melissa has lectured and taught in hundreds of public forums on four continents. She was ordained as a Conservative Rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary and graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude.

 

Topics we discuss:

 

• Her upbringing influencing her career path.

• Gave her an ability to look for people who are excluded by circumstances.
• At an early age she found a passion for understanding all perspectives
• Curiosity for how people experience the world.

• Bridge building work in Israel and Palestine conflict
  • Lack of mutual recognition is the heart of the conflict.
  • Understanding each other's point of view would alleviate conflicts.
• How to get people to see each other's point of view
  • Getting them to the table is the most difficult part.
  • Suspicion and distrust are key struggles from all sides.
  • Are you trying to make me betray my values and people behind?
• Fed up with dialogue without action.
  • Anti-normalization
  • All these dialogues can’t their pain and circumstances without action
  • “Echo chamber”
• The Threat
  • So much complexity and nuance to who I am, so don't put me in a box.
  • Self-protection drives these self-destruction divides.
  • More about losing themselves and betrayal.
• Outcome of her work
  • Robust humanization
  • I see you and you see me; An understanding that we are all human.
  • Her work targets the differences not commonality amongst people.

References:

 

• Gift Pod
• Resetting the Table
• The West Bank
• Intifada
• Spirit of Anti Normalization
• Zach Metz Writing a book
• Hotel Corona- The Daily
• The Film
• Ted Talk from Nigerian Author

 

Credits:

 

Lead editor + Producer: Ruf Holmes

 

Music:

Main Theme: "Eaze Does It" by Shye Eaze and DJ Rufbeats, a More In Common Podcast Exclusive.

Guest theme:  "Even Tables" by DJ Rufbeats created as a More In Common Podcast Exclusive.