About the Circus

The Olive Tree Circus is a circle of ten friends. We are non-violent peace advocates, human rights activists, parents, nurses, organic farmers, cooks, artists, teachers, land surveyors and circus performers; we are Palestinians, Jews and Christians. We live in Connecticut, New York, Tennessee, California, and Canada. We share a vision and a dream: a world of working people all sharing peace, prosperity and dignity; we are dedicated to seeing justice root and grow on all soil where oppression and occupation perpetuate injustice.

Read about the Olive Tree Circus in the New Haven Advocate.

We believe that just coexistence is possible when communities are given sustainable resources for a just livelihood. We also are passionate about the power of humor, play, music and art to heal, inspire and connect hearts and minds. We use stilting, clowning, building giant puppets from recycled goods, theater, and other forms of entertainment to express our creative hopes for the world in which we live.

We will be taking our circus to tour the villages surrounding Bethlehem and Ramallah during the last two weeks in October, 2008 to work with youth in the refugee camps that have been traumatized by loss and terror. We will use circus and theatre to help them channel their aspirations, fears, and creative energies. We also intend to support the Olive Harvest Campaign by bringing beauty and joy back to the tradition of harvest with song and dance created by the people themselves.

We intend to support the Olive Harvest Campaign of the YMCA in Bethlehem and to collaborate with the neighborhood theatre group Alharh. We will be working with youth and families in the Palestinian communities to create puppetry magic out of local recycled items; we hope to teach circus skills and leave equipment for ongoing collective projects. 

We are committed, upon our return home, to sharing this very personal and political learning experience. We will be in touch with the many friends and strangers in neighborhoods across the United States and Canada who help to make this trip possible. We will also reach out specifically to American Jews who may not be fully aware of how US financial support to Israel subverts a true and just coexistence.

We thank you and look forward to speaking with you further.

In solidarity—the Olive Treee Circus

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We Need Your Support to Make It Happen!

BUDGET FOR CIRCUS:

• Airfare for 10 people: $1500 each. For 10 people = 15,000
• Transportation and food $50 per day for 10 people = $500 per day for 14 days = $7000
• Circus equipment such as staples, duck tape, paint, glue, paint brushes, masking tape, nails, wood, bicycle inner tubes, juggling balls, poi, dowel rods, costumes, renting sewing machine, unicycle. Estimated cost $ 2000
• Total cost = $24,000

Send your tax-deductible contributions to: Levantine Cultural Center, 1012 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035. Be sure write "Olive Tree Circus" in the memo line of your check. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes with 14 days. You may also make a contribution over the phone by calling Levantine Cultural Center, 310.657.5511, or online.