Amy Kolsky
Amy Kolsky is an adventurous spirit. During the NewGround experience,
Kolsky was the only Jewish fellow who had not been to Israel or
Palestine. “I didn’t have
much of a connection to Israel or particularly strong views on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I
just knew that both sides experienced
a painful past and both sides took a powerful stance now. I came to the realization that after
NewGround, I wanted to learn more about the region.” So Amy took a position teaching at a
summer school in the West Bank city of Nablus. After completing her teaching
assignment, she spent a month traveling or more specifically, “Couchsurfing,” around
Israel. “I came in to NewGround open-minded and the fellowship taught me how to
take this experience to the next level- to encounter people as individuals not just as representatives of political
entities. And that enabled
me to engage with people across the spectrum.”
Kolsky found that the simple act of politely asking for directions to a place was an opportunity to connect. “I tried to ask in Arabic, ‘Do you speak English?’ and I would always say ‘Thank you’ in Arabic. This usually seemed to break the ice. Then, nine times out of ten they would ask ‘Where are you from?’ When I said America, they responded ‘Welcome, welcome! I have a brother who lives in California or …a cousin who lives in Pennsylvania.’ If most of the Palestinians that I encountered had some American connection, then how could they possibly hate me as an American or America itself? Prior to arriving in this region, I had concern about an overwhelming amount of anti-American sentiment by Palestinians. But the more I engaged with them through traveling in service taxis, shopping in the old markets (souqs), and sharing meals with locals and co-workers, I noticed they understood the difference between the average person and the political figure.”
After her time in Israel/Palestine, Kolsky went on to teach English and language arts to primary age children at an international school in the United Arab Emirates. She spent her free time traveling and meeting people from different countries through utilizing UAE based social networking sites. Ancient history and archeology became a passion when she connected with the Emirates Natural History Group. Amy learned about the foundations of the Gulf region’s civilization by exploring archaeological digs and other historical sites. Throughout all of her travels in the Middle East, one thing became clear to her. “Learning to be an active listener and less judgmental through NewGround was such an essential skill for my time traveling. Everyone I met, no matter their ethnic, national or religious background, have the same underlying drives as me – wanting simply to live well and take care of those we love. Even though we may have disagreed on specific political issues or had different opinions, we could still connect on the human level.”
Kolsky recently returned to the United States after more than two years abroad. Armed with an MFA in film from the University of Miami along with her teaching certification from Rutgers University, she is contemplating how best to share her experience of Israel/Palestine and the UAE. “I want to emphasize the universality of the human condition and express the human intersection of where East and West can meet.”
Kolsky found that the simple act of politely asking for directions to a place was an opportunity to connect. “I tried to ask in Arabic, ‘Do you speak English?’ and I would always say ‘Thank you’ in Arabic. This usually seemed to break the ice. Then, nine times out of ten they would ask ‘Where are you from?’ When I said America, they responded ‘Welcome, welcome! I have a brother who lives in California or …a cousin who lives in Pennsylvania.’ If most of the Palestinians that I encountered had some American connection, then how could they possibly hate me as an American or America itself? Prior to arriving in this region, I had concern about an overwhelming amount of anti-American sentiment by Palestinians. But the more I engaged with them through traveling in service taxis, shopping in the old markets (souqs), and sharing meals with locals and co-workers, I noticed they understood the difference between the average person and the political figure.”
After her time in Israel/Palestine, Kolsky went on to teach English and language arts to primary age children at an international school in the United Arab Emirates. She spent her free time traveling and meeting people from different countries through utilizing UAE based social networking sites. Ancient history and archeology became a passion when she connected with the Emirates Natural History Group. Amy learned about the foundations of the Gulf region’s civilization by exploring archaeological digs and other historical sites. Throughout all of her travels in the Middle East, one thing became clear to her. “Learning to be an active listener and less judgmental through NewGround was such an essential skill for my time traveling. Everyone I met, no matter their ethnic, national or religious background, have the same underlying drives as me – wanting simply to live well and take care of those we love. Even though we may have disagreed on specific political issues or had different opinions, we could still connect on the human level.”
Kolsky recently returned to the United States after more than two years abroad. Armed with an MFA in film from the University of Miami along with her teaching certification from Rutgers University, she is contemplating how best to share her experience of Israel/Palestine and the UAE. “I want to emphasize the universality of the human condition and express the human intersection of where East and West can meet.”
