By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A dozen Americans and Israeli teenagers are shuttling between San Diego's world famous zoo and its sister venue, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, to learn not only about animals but about each other.

It is a group in which participants collectively speak at least four languages—Hebrew, Arabic, English and Spanish—with Spanish a reflection of the Jewish community that lives on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The July 31-August 11 program brings together six Israeli teenagers who regularly volunteer at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo with six American teenagers who plan to volunteer at the same zoo during the summer.

At a welcoming luncheon for the six Israelis at the San Diego Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 2, the war clearly was on the minds of many of the speakers, including U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and Robert Price, chairman of the San Diego Friends of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.

"This is an extraordinary time," the congresswoman commented to the visiting students.  "I know you don't want to necessarily dwell on that, but to focus on the kinds of relationships that you can build... That is probably the most  important part of this effort."

Robert Price and U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego)

The exchange program began in 2001, and Nick Bandak, an alumnus of the first group of Americans, described his trip to Israel that year..  The son of a Palestinian Christian immigrant to the United States, Bandak said it was "amazing to be able to go there and be with the people and just pretty much not judge but get to know them."

He added that his parents had taught him to look for the kindness in other people, and if he followed the kindness in his own heart, things would work out.  The soundness of their advice was proven, he said, by the long-term friendships he made while volunteering at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.

One of the friends from that exchange, Yossi Saad, said the program "allows teenagers from different parts of the world  to interact and learn from each other.... I strongly believe that the more young adults interact with each other and learn about different cultures and religions, the more people will be open to new ideas and perspectives which will create a much more difficult and accepting world."

Because of the continuing war between Israel and the Hezbollah forces of Lebanon, this year's summer trip to Israel of the American teenagers has been indefinitely delayed, according to Helena Galper, director of the San Diego Friends group.

Price, whose family  is a major underwriter of the exchange and various capital projects at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, started the luncheon program by calling for a moment of silence "memorializing those who have lost their lives and have suffered as a result of the warfare over there in the Middle East."

On a more upbeat note, he reported that even with Hezbollah rockets hitting cities in northern Israel, the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, in the center of the country, is enjoying booming attendance. He reported that the zoo's director, Shai Doron, told him that "they are up 15 or more percent from a year ago—in fact the Jerusalem Zoo is now the number one site of any site in Israel, which is beyond belief.

"I was there in March and saw the new Australian yard, which the San Diego group had a major role in financing, and also there is a new project from the Tisch family, which is a tiger exhibit, which will be very nice.  And there is some additional land which will be made available for the zoo so they can expand."

Tanya Fainsod, speaking in behalf of the visiting Israeli students, said the professional staff and her fellow volunteers at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo are doing as much as they can to help alleviate some of the stresses of warfare.

"Our zoo visits shelters in the north, bringing animals and activities to try and cheer up children and adults who have to stay there to protect themselves from some of the missiles," said Fainsod, 16.  "Also the zoo opened its gates to visitors from the north with symbolic prices or no prices at all.  We try to help as
Murray Galinson, chairman of the California State
Universities and Colleges Board of Trustees, welcomes
Tanya Fainsod to luncheon at the San Diego Zoo.

much as we can with the Haifa and Kiryat Motzkin zoos with food supplies, professional assistance and moral support.

"We see the zoo as an island of peace where people from all populations work together in friendship and visitors from different parts of Israel are welcome.  We wish one day Israel would be like our zoo, and live peacefully with no war within the country and within its borders. 

"As for the American part of the group, we will welcome you soon in Israel and look forward to seeing you in our country, our zoo and our homes."  Besides Fainsod, the Israeli participants are Non Hevroni, Gadi Bris, Yohanan Nelson-Levi, Neta Tauber and Mohamad Alliyan. The American contingent includes Carlos Krinsky, Tammy Sacks, Sara Halelooya, Mario Adatto, Alberto Galante, and Jay Levine.  A seventh American, Beth Jacobs, is scheduled to join the group towards the end of the Israelis' visit, according to Galper.

Fainsod's father, Abraham, a professor of biology at Hebrew University,  conducts such studies as the effects of alcohol on pregnancies.  Like Tanya and her two brothers, Jonathan and Benjamin, the professor enjoys volunteering at the zoo.  Previously he had worked with lemurs but now he works in the new Australia exhibit, she said. 

Jonathan now is in the Israel Defense Forces, while Benjamin works with the carnivores.  Fainsod said Benjamin has befriended a cheetah that came to the zoo a few years ago.  "They got to know each other when he (the cheetah) was small" and play together.

Her own assignment is feeding and caring for the animals in the petting zoo, where children can meet not only sheep and goats, but also such animals as  turtles, snakes, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, chinchillas and a parrot. She typically volunteers on Fridays.

One sees different kind of peoples at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo including secular Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Arabs, Fainsod said..  Occasionally a scuffle might break out, she said, but overall the zoo is very peaceful where people from these diverse groups adopt an attitude of live and let-live.

However, she said,  the people who visit the Jerusalem Zoo need to learn some lessons in how to treat the animals they visit.  San Diego visitors are much more respectful of the animals, whereas in Israel visitors, particularly youngsters, occasionally will throw objects at the animals. 

At one point, she said, the chimpanzees started throwing rocks from their enclosure back at the humans—warfare that was stopped by erecting a net between the cage and the spectators.

Unfortunately, there are no such nets to put up on the Lebanese border to protect Israel against incoming missiles.