Thoughts On Why I Am Going
Jennifer Gueddiche is dancing in the middle of the party that she planned and organized in Denver. Unveiled & Unguarded offered an opportunity for women of all faiths in our community to come together with our sisters to learn about the role of veiling in Islam; why some women wear the veil, and some do not.
My name is Jennifer Gueddiche and I am a proud Board Member for Beirut and Beyond. This organization provides the precious work of witness– of Never Forgetting and of keeping one of the world’s worst secrets alive and in the open. Working with Beirut and Beyond helps me keep a promise I made more than 30 years ago and I am both honored and heartbroken to continue the work of speaking up for the Palestinian people.
I have been working with refugees and the US Refugee Resettlement Program for over 27 years. In that time, I have met people from all over the world– Bosnia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Iraq and Syria. I understand ethnic conflict intimately from the friends I have made who have shared personal stories of survival and loss related to war. Many of the refugees I have known have returned home after conflict and war has ended. Trauma of course, takes decades to heal, but most countries move forward, constructing new governments and building coalitions. Moving towards Peace and reconciliation.
In December of 1988 I was 19 years old and privileged enough to take a semester abroad. My journey started in Europe, with stops in France, East and West Germany, Poland, and many sites related to WWII. The Holocaust played heavily in my studies- I visited Auschwitz, Warsaw, Berlin, The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and read Elie Wiesel's Night. After 3 months, we arrived in Israel. As a young college student, I was enjoying my freedom as a world traveler, a student of life learning about art and literature. I had no idea the first Intifada had begun.
Our student group stayed at Youth Hostels on our trips- and Israel was no exception. The Hostel was in the West Bank, and we spent our days touring historic sites by day and returning to the Hostel at night for meals and sleep. My roommate noticed the young man at first. He watched us as we arrived and made a point to serve our table,and return frequently to remove things. She was sure he was listening to our conversation. Heather was a beautiful girl and smiled frequently–despite the attention it often brought her. He finally spoke to her and asked if our group would come and talk with him and his friends after dinner.
A group of us went to meet them. We were young and excited to meet other young people as we had done all over Europe. There were four young Arab men– they obviously worked in the kitchen. We started with introductions– they wanted to know where we came from and how long we were there for. We shared cigarettes. It seemed harmless.Then the conversation turned.
“We asked you to meet us because we want to know why your country hates our people.”
We were silent. Most of the kids on our trip were white kids from the midwest. A few Colorado kids, and several from the upper northwest–Washington and Oregon. None of us were Jewish and few of us followed international news. I asked what he meant.
“Our children learn English from the letters on the shrapnel of the bombs that are used to blow up our houses. Your country gives Israel money and weapons that are used to kill our people and take our land. Why do the American people hate us?”
The air turned uncomfortable. We were ignorant– young and wealthy Americans on a trip exploring the world. We wanted to understand, but we felt their hostility and lacked the awareness and context of what was happening to them–at that moment when anger and resentment was building up after 40 years of conflict and apartheid. We were just passing through. In their reality, rocks were being thrown and homes were being bulldozed. Ancient groves of olive trees being pulled out to make way for condominiums. These young men– the same ages as us, asked us to remember them when we left. We said we would.
It is 35 years later and I still remember. I have led a life, traveled and met people from all over the world. And yet, I think of those 4 young men who wanted us to know what was happening to them and their families. Because of that conversation, I changed my field of study, I learned about the history of Israel and Palestinian relations, I learned about the global refugee crisis, and I have assisted over 6,000 refugees who came to the U.S.
I don’t know what happened to those 4 young men. But I decided then to learn and to not forsake those that are born into war and conflict–the victims we never see whose lives are so deeply impacted. And continue to suffer to this day.
I plan to use this trip to witness– to learn and ultimately share what I see–and to continue to be a voice for the Palestinian people. I have not forgotten.
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A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Jennifer relocated to Denver with her husband, an immigrant from Tunisia, in 1991. Since then, she has contributed to building welcoming community in Colorado for refugee and immigrant families. As the founding Director of the African Community Center, former Director of Programs at the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, and current Chief Operations Officer at the Rocky Mountain Welcome Center, she has successfully developed programs and raised capital for refugee resettlement, cultural orientation, employment readiness, and youth development programs.
Ms. Gueddiche received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Purdue University, and an MA in International and Economic Development from the University of Denver. Jennifer believes firmly in the power of social networks to create community and help newcomers easily integrate into American society.