Peace Through Games Night

Every Wednesday evening I host a board and card games night in my apt. I call it the Jerusalem Strategy Games Club. We play modern board games that are well known around Europe, but not well known anywhere else, games such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico, and so on. Don't ring a bell? Head over to Board Game Geek to learn about them. We also play more traditional games like Bridge and Go.

I advertise in English, but word has gotten out to various Hebrew game forums, as well. The bulk of our players are both English and Hebrew speaking Jews, religious and non-religious. However, we are open to all.

An Anglican from Australia was here for a year and played with us. And we have another semi-regular who is a Christian. Unfortunately, no Arabs/Moslems yet. Still hoping.

Board games appear to attract religious people like few other pastimes do. It is considered a wholesome, family oriented activity, unlike, say, computer games, television, dancing, and so on. A great number of my fellow enthusiasts around the world are not only religious Christians, but missionaries.

I have had trouble making contact with religious Muslims, however, which is a shame. Not a surprise, I guess, seeing as I'm Israeli. I've tried to contact the Chess federation in Lebanon without success, as well as a game/toy conference in Saudi Arabia, again without success. I just recently made friends with one Muslim player, although he doesn't live in a Muslim country.

It's a shame. Board games are probably one of the best tools we have for meeting each other without rancor and politics getting in the way.

I'll keep trying. In the meantime, we have some good neighbors in the Middle East. Many of my Israeli blogger friends made friends with their moderate neighbors around the Arab world, especially during the last conflict with Hezbollah.

They just recently got together and started a new joint blog, Good Neighbors, with contributors from Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Syria. Hope springs eternal.

Yehuda