Opening doors in Haifa • Deep within northern Israel’s Haifa, the Wadi Nisnas (Arabic for ‘Mongoose Valley’) neighborhood was sleepy. Muslims, still celebrating the end of #Ramadan with Eid Al Fitr, seemed to still be resting. The market, usually bustling with vendors hawking the catch of the day, vegetables, felafel and more, was dormant. A few kids zoomed by on bikes. The hillside community is known for is historic peaceful existence where Jewish, Arabs and Christians all live side-by-side. Art peppers the walls around, depicting peace, identity, connection and understanding. Our guide, an Arab Orthodox Christian, was first terrified to walk through the village when she came to Haifa for university. She didn’t understand the Hebrew language and avoided the area at all costs. But it wasn’t until she encountered a Jewish family opening their home to her after she experienced personal hardship, did she drop her guard and assumptions. That offer to help, even at times just cooking salt, ...