Greetings Dear Friends, Cultural Creatives and Seekers Everywhere!
THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.“
Margaret Mead
War only perpetuates a cycle of suffering. Through nurturing compassion and empathy, humanity will come to realize that the well-being of one is intrinsically linked to the well-being of all. The following is a love story of Ihab and Ora, an extraordinary tale of Conflict Resolution wherein their love birthed a “Miracle of Reconciliation,” the Humans First movement.
Ihab, one of four children of a loving Palestinian Arab Muslim family. His father hated Jews with an uncommon passion and taught his children to hate Jews as well. When Ihab was 16, he attempted to fire-bomb a synagogue. At age 20, Ihab and his Palestinian friends met with Israelis for the first time. In that encounter they released their pent-up venom and rage toward one another. However, the group sought more opportunities to be heard and to be listened to. Soon, they found among themselves a common humanity and began to realize that their programmed hatred and bigotry was irrational.
When Ihab told his parents his attitude about Israeli’s was changing, it led to a serious fall-out with his father and they did not speak or see one another for the next five years. Ihab turned to Islam and the Quran and became a Sufi mystic. In 2002, Ihab’s life changed when he attended a discussion between an Imam and a Rabbi, both of whom had lost children because of the violence. With a change of mind, accompanied with a change of heart, Ihab helped to organize a conference attended by 5000 Palestinian Arabs and Israeli’s in 2006.
At the age of 35, Ihab was walking in the Sinai desert in Egypt and saw Ora, an Israeli Jewish woman. Ora was a Feldenkrais Method practitioner who used movement, dance, and awareness to enhance quality of life and performance of individuals. They both stopped in their tracks and were immediately hit by the proverbial “thunderbolt,” and fell in love with a flash of lightning and a simultaneous crash of thunder. When they fell madly in love, they rose above their cultural and societal differences and were married two days later.
Ihab and Ora told their families of their love and marriage, in response, their respective families refused to acknowledge or maintain any connection with them. After a struggle of several years, their families finally accepted one another. It took time, but Ora and Ihab stayed true to their love. They also talked about the importance of choosing love even if you are afraid. When you choose love, people see that and then reflect it back.
Soon Ora was pregnant with Nur, their first child. In their home, Nur learned both Hebrew and Arabic and celebrated all his parent’s holidays. When it came time to send him to kindergarten, they couldn’t find a school that was teaching what they were teaching Nur at home.
They visited Jewish schools, Muslim schools and Christian schools, and were deeply upset over the programming of religious separation and conflict provided in each of these schools. They decided to open their own school in 2010, one reflecting the character of their own bilingual, multicultural home in Jaffa, an Israeli city with sizable populations of Jews and Palestinian citizens.
Ihab and Ora chose the name the Garden of Abraham’s Children for their school, because the prophet Abraham is shared by both Jews and Muslims. There were only two students when their kindergarten school opened, their son and a neighbor’s child, in addition to a Israeli teacher and a Arab teacher. The community started to hear about the school, and slowly, by the end of the year, 16 children were involved. They opened a second class the following year and a third class by the third year. In The Garden of Abraham, children shared love and harmony when growing up together in an environment where they were not identified by their religion, but as being Humans First
Today, their efforts have led to nine kindergartens, an elementary school, and a community center offering music and activities that not only brings children together, but their parents as well. Currently, the schools have a staff of more than 100 Israeli and Arab teachers.
In a world filled with chaos, Ihab and Ora created a Light in the Darkness because their efforts revealed a path to transformation that can be experienced by enemies, and about the consequence of what can happen when we listen and seek to understand the “other.” It’s a story about how empathy and compassion can generate friendship, community, and a shared society.
For more information on The Garden of Abraham’s Children and its evolutionary impact in promoting peace and harmony please visit their powerful website: Click here
If you a minute to spare, actually 56 seconds, please watch the wonderful short video about Ihab’s and Ora’s Humans First education project.
Lastly, and yet importantly: World governments are fueling the Mideast war by sending money and weapons to the opposing sides in sustaining this conflict. If you could spare $5 or $10 dollars, or whatever, please make your voice and vote to support evolution by contributing to Ora and Ihab’s Garden of Abraham’s Children community at: https://www.orchardofabrahamschildren.org/copy-of-support-us
With Peace, Love, and wishes for World Harmony,
Bruce
Upcoming Events
At this time we are planning for these events to occur and will notify you if there’s a change in schedule.
TCCHE Conference
Bruce Lipton in Brazil
LCK Experience 2025
Quantum Convergence; The Evolution of Consciousness
L’Effet Lune de Miel (The Honeymoon Effect)
Unlock Your Potential; Thriving in a Changing World
Bruce’s Spotlight
Years of lecturing around this beautiful planet have provided me an opportunity to encounter wonderful Cultural Creatives that are helping to bring harmony into the world. Each month, I want to honor these cultural creatives by sharing with you the gifts they have shared with me.
This month I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful organization, the Raven Drum Foundation. Raven Drum Foundation, founded in 2001 by Rick Allen, Drummer of Def Leppard and Healing Arts Educator, Lauren Monroe, brings musicians, health educators, and the philanthropic community together to support the healing of first responders and veterans struggling with post traumatic stress. The foundation provides mind, body, and drumming integrated workshops incorporating evidence based techniques such as guided visualization, breathwork, and heart-brain coherence education to support wellness, and regulation of the human nervous system. When music, intention, and healing wisdom all meet on the paths of neurobiology and psychology, we harmonize our inner mental and emotional states to effect positive change.
Raven Drum Foundation drum circles provide an experiential learning environment that provides skills and methods to navigate physical and emotional symptoms of trauma, anxiety, pain and isolation. These shared experiences involve integrative mind- body focused techniques, and mindfulness rhythm approaches that impact participants’ emotional and mental awareness, and connection to their bodies that foster transformative growth, healing awareness and self empowerment.
Please visit their website to see more about the incredible work they do. And if you’re in the NYC area on April 25, 2025 consider attending their annual benefit concert!
Or, if you’re near Santa Monica, consider attending Raven Drum founder Lauren Monroe’s concert on May 7 which is sure to be an unforgettable musical experience.
Bruce Recommends
An empowering guide: If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles of fatigue, bloating, stubborn weight, or confused by conflicting health advice—Live Well is for you. Written by Adriana Shuman, a Functional Medicine Wellness Strategist and former pharmacist, this book offers a simple and empowering roadmap rooted in her signature Live Well Method, built on four transformative pillars: Environment, Food, Sleep, and Movement. After overcoming trauma, brain injury, and chronic illness herself, Adriana teaches you how to decode your body’s signals, restore your energy, and be in charge of your health—with clarity and ease. RELEASE DATE: May 13
Grab your copy and all the preorder bonuses.
Featuring Bruce
MAYIM BIALIK’S BREAKDOWN Podcast with Bruce Lipton
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Join today for the next Membership Call, happening Saturday May 31 at 9:00am PDT and get exclusive access to the audio and video resources in the Bruce Lipton Archive – featuring over 30 years of cutting-edge research and teaching. Plus, when you join you’ll have the chance to ask your questions and hear Bruce LIVE on our Monthly Member Webinars. Learn more about membership.
