SALT LAKE CITY | Gerald Elias, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, and local pianist Marjorie Janove will present their third concert to benefit Seeds of Peace, an international organization that seeks to empower the children of war to break the cycle of violence.

The Salt Lake City “Concert for Peace,” which follows the national benefit gala recently held in New York City, will be Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m., at The Cathedral Church of St. Mark-Episcopal Diocese, 231 E. 100 S. Tickets are $25 for the concert and $35 for both the concert and post-concert reception. Food will be provided by Mazza, which specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine. For more information, or to make advance reservations, call 801-328-5043, or e-mail lbarlow@saltlakechamber.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Seeds of Peace offers one-on-one interaction for teenagers from 22 war-ravaged nations at an idyllic lakeside camp in Otisfield, Maine and runs follow up programs through its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem. Through the creation of open dialogues, team building, group projects and activities and conflict-resolution sessions, the teens—or “seeds of peace”—begin the difficult process of developing the mutual trust, respect and empathy needed to break the cycles of hatred and violence. The organization’s goal is to humanize “the enemy” by breaking down barriers and by building bridges, all in a neutral, safe and supportive environment.

“This year the message of peace is more relevant than ever,” notes Elias, adding that his visit to the Maine camp and observance of the emotional and passionate “coexistence” sessions was a life-changing experience.

Although Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach passed away last year, the organization has been busier than ever. Over the past 12 months 450 teens, representing 22 nations, graduated from Seeds of Peace camps; over 150 Israeli and Palestinian alumni held a reunion through the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem and ran leadership programs and coexistence dialogue groups; over 100 Seeds of Peace students were on scholarships at U.S. universities; and an Afghanistan program was initiated.

Current Seeds of Peace President Aaron David Miller writes, “No matter how compelling the terms of any agreement or treaty, peace will not be secured without an effort to break down barriers of suspicion and mistrust and create normal relations between people. Indeed, if peacemaking remains the purview of the diplomats alone, it will not succeed.”

Last year’s Salt Lake City Seeds of Peace Concert, played before a capacity audience at Gardner Hall, raised $11,000 in two hours. The 2002 event featured music by Tartini, Gershwin, Chopin, Deberiot and Strauss. This year’s concert, part of a larger community outreach effort, will surprise music lovers, as the evening’s program will not be announced in advance. “We are calling this a command performance,” notes Lizzie Barlow, one of the event coordinators.

Commenting on why he and Janove have decided to keep the program a secret, Elias explains, “We want the audience to be even more excited about the music when they hear some of their old favorites—and some soon-to-be favorites—pop out of our hats.”

Two representatives from the national organization of Seeds of Peace, Amy Baroch, senior event coordinator, and George Atallah, development associate, will attend the concert and will accompany two Seeds of Peace alumni. They are Malvina Goldfeld, a 21-year-old Israeli who is a sophomore at Princeton, and Mohammed Matar, a 17-year-old Palestinian from Gaza who, through a scholarship, is finishing his senior year at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.

“This year our goal is to be able to send six teenagers to the Seeds of Peace camp, which costs $2,500 per student,” notes Barlow, adding that the national organization is funded through individual donors, foundation and federal grants, and corporate giving. “We hope to raise $16,000 through this event, with $9,000 of that donated outside of ticket sales.”

Deseret News music critic Ed Reichel has called Elias “an exceptionally talented and sublime musician” and Janove “a marvelous pianist and first-class accompanist.”

To schedule an interview, contact Ann Bardsley at 801-466-1127 or at annjb@xmission.com. Photos available upon request.

Seeds of Peace was founded in 1993 by award-winning author and journalist John Wallach. Foreign Editor of the Hearst Newspapers for 25 years, Wallach covered many regions of war and terrorism, including the Middle East. After the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, Wallach decided to reach out to the children of war and terror to find and nurture hope. Wallach created the organization to provide an opportunity for these children to plant the seeds for a more secure future. In its first year, the Seeds of Peace International Camp brought 45 youngsters from Israel, Palestine and Egypt to live together side by side.

Now, more than a decade later, almost 2,000 teenagers from the Middle East, the Balkans, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, India and Pakistan and the United States have graduated from the Seeds of Peace International Camp. In 2002, 12 Afghan youths attended the program. Seeds of Peace has created a variety of follow-up initiatives worldwide, including the Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, which offers year-round activities for Seeds of Peace alumni to sustain their relationships and commitment to coexistence.

Seeds of Peace has achieved broad-based international recognition as a “best methods” conflict resolution program and has been featured on 60 Minutes, Nightline, Good Morning America, The Today Show and on CNN, PBS and NPR. Seeds of Peace received the UNESCO Peace Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Nonviolence in 2000.

Gerald Elias, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony since 1988, first violinist of the Abramyan String Quartet and a faculty member of the University of Utah, has performed in Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as well as in the United States. He has composed many works including “Conversations With Essie,” which was performed at the 2002 Moab Music Festival. He has been commissioned by the Utah Symphony to compose a piece for its chamber orchestra series in 2004. Elias is also the author of the mystery novel Devil’s Trill.

Marjorie Janove is an active soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She has appeared with the Utah Symphony, NOVA Chamber Music Series, Temple Square Concert Series, the Vivaldi Candlelight Concert Series, the Maurice Abravanel Distinguished Composer Series and the Madeline Festival of the Arts and Humanities Series. She completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree with distinction in piano performance at Indiana University, where she studied with Karen Shaw and Menachem Pressler and where she taught as an associate instructor.

ADDRESS: 231 E 100 Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
DATE: May 31, 2003
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Cathedral Church of St. Mark-Episcopal Diocese
CONTACT: lbarlow@saltlakechamber.org

NEW YORK | Prior to their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, most young Jewish students are encouraged or required to take on a Mitzvah Project, volunteering or raising money for a worthy cause.

Seeds of Peace—a non-profit dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict by giving them the tools to promote reconciliation—has recently become the beneficiary of such a project.

Emily Epstein and Sophie Germain, from Long Island, have started selling Peace Bracelets to promote peace in the Middle East and raise money for Seeds of Peace.

The idea for the bracelets originated when Emily visited Israel for the B’nai Mitzvahs of her brother and cousins.

“I was surprised and sad to learn of all the problems that Israel has with its neighbors. It is terrible because most people in the area really just want to live in peace,” she says. “I decided then that I wanted to help find a way for people to live in peace, which would benefit everyone.”

Her Rabbi, Irwin Zeplowitz, told her to take a look at Seeds of Peace, which operates an international peace camp in Maine. Sophie joined with a shared appreciation of the lessons that can be learned at summer camp, explaining, “At [camp], I learned to treat people with love and kindness … I believe Seeds of Peace can do the same to help the conflict in the Middle East.”

The girls were also impressed that Seeds of Peace does not “just randomly choose someone to go to Camp, they pick someone that they think can be a leader.”

The bracelets (pictured), are blue, green, and white tie-dye, and say “Peace, Shalom, Salaam.”

“We wanted to blend in the colors representing the Israeli and Palestinian flags in a tie-dye, because we wanted to ‘tie’ these people together in friendship and unity,” explains Emily.

Wearing the bracelet “is an expression that all people deserve to live in peace,” she says.

Sophie agrees, adding, “The bracelets say ‘peace’ in English, Hebrew, and Arabic because we don’t want just Israel to have peace, and we don’t want just Arab nations to have peace. We want all of the countries to be in peace together.”

The bracelets were manufactured by the company Confetti and Friends, for which Emily’s Uncle Steve works. Confetti and Friends made and donated 1000 bracelets to the project, ensuring that 100 percent of the profits go to Seeds of Peace.

So far, the project has been a great success. In approximately six months, the girls have soldabout 350 bracelets, raising over $1,200. And they’re not stopping there. They will continue to sell bracelets at least through the summer.

“We never want to stop—we will stop when everyone has the bracelet!” says Emily.

Their success has been more than just financial, however.

“When people ask why we are selling these bracelets, it gives us a chance to help people understand what is going on in the Middle East,” says Emily.

“It is important for American people, especially young people who might not have ever thought about it, to understand and support the process of peace in the Middle East, and by selling the bracelets, we can help educate our friends and their families.”

The bracelets are being sold at a number of stores in Port Washington, local temples, and community events. Those interested can contact bandsforpeace@gmail.com for more information. Additionally, if people would just like to support the girls’ mission, a tax-deductible donation can be sent to:

Seeds of Peace
370 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1201
New York, NY 10017