2024 PeacePlayers Impact Report FINAL-2 - Flipbook - Page 59
FRIENDSHIP GAMES FLASHBACK
JERUSALEM 2022
The night was full of unexpected magic. As PeacePlayers from around the world gathered in Jerusalem, they began learning
traditional dances from one another. The evening started with the Middle East alumni teaching a combined Palestinian
Debka and Israeli Hora, an original dance that brought together two cultures in a way that no one could have imagined
before. As the circle expanded, participants from Cyprus and South Africa began teaching their own traditional dances.
Soon, Americans were learning Cypriot steps, Cypriots were learning Middle Eastern dances, and South African dances
were spreading across the circle.
And then, just as the evening reached its peak, 昀椀reworks lit up the Jerusalem sky. Though it wasn’t planned, the 昀椀reworks
were a beautiful coincidence, marking the celebrations of Palestinian families across the city. It was the perfect ending to a
night full of laughter, connection, and shared joy, encapsulating the spirit of unity at the Friendship Games.
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