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Tents of Hope
The mission of Tents of Hope is to support a one year project in which communities respond to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and ongoing focal points within communities for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan. The project will culminate with the display of tents from across the country on the Mall in Washington DC in the Fall of 2008.
 
The tents are not answers in themselves. Rather, they are points of entry for more concrete forms of Darfur advocacy. "For refugees, the tent is a symbol of loss. Every time they come back to their tents, they are reminded of what they used to have, what was taken from them, and their longing to return home. Yet, even though the tent represents loss, they immediately humanize their situation by creating a new life. In the camps in Chad, this is most obvious from the fences and screens they build around their tents with sticks and grass and the little plots they scratch out next to their tents to grow vegetables. Loss and hope exist side by side. This is not only true for uprooted people from Darfur; it is the human condition. Our ability to create and sustain hope in the presence of loss—even enormous loss—is one of humanity's most exalted characteristics." - Jerry Fowler, Director of the Committee on Conscience, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Join us on a journey of hope and compassion as we design and paint simulated refugee tents in our community to create awareness and support for the people of Darfur. The students from Judea Reform Congregation, The Chapel Hill Kehillah, Congregation Beth El and the Lerner Jewish Community Day School will be painting patchwork pieces that will be sewn into an 8X10 tent. The community will have an opportunity to participate in painting a second tent. The tent will move to various painting locations, ending at the Israel at 60 celebration.

Please complete the form and donate today.

All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donations will support the Tents of Hope project in our community. All donations collected exceeding the amount needed to purchase the tents and supplies as well as donations one wishes to designate to go directly to Darfur will be donated to the American Jewish World Service emergency campaign for Darfur. Since April 2004, American Jewish World Service has been partnering with international organizations to fund life-saving programs managed by international aid agencies. AJWS has also established strong partnerships with local organizations and is directly supporting community-led initiatives in Darfur. Recognizing that humanitarian aid is crucial but will not stop the genocide, AJWS is also engaged in a domestic education and advocacy campaign to put pressure on United States and world leaders to end the crisis. For more information on AJWS, visit: http://www.ajws.org/emergencies/darfur/sudan_relief_and_advocacy_fund.html