Jewish and Arab Youth Unite in Music with Ukuleles for Peace

In 2004 Roy and Kathy Sakuma established Ukulele Festival Hawaii, a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to bring laughter, love and hope to children and adults throughout Hawaii and the world through the music of the ukulele.

British-Israeli musician and ukulele teacher Paul Moore regularly performs for both Arab and Jewish kids, and it gave him an idea: to combine his love for the ukulele (a small and easy to learn four- string instrument) and his experience with children to create Ukuleles For Peace.

The goal of Ukuleles for Peace is to bring Jewish and Arab children together to play in an orchestra with ukuleles, kazoos and other fun instruments. Paul works with the students once a week in their own schools, and then brings them together for performances. The children sing in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The hope is that playing together will create further opportunities for communal activities, and that parents and members of the communities will get involved in the program.

In 2015 Paul and his wife Daphna Orion brought a Ukuleles for Peace group of 12 Jewish and Arab teenagers from the towns of Hod Hasharon and Tira all the way to Hawaii to participate in the 45th annual Ukulele Festival.

Here is a Hawaii TV report about the group's participation in the festival followed by the complete 18 minute performance of Ukuleles for Peace in Hawaii.

Enjoy!

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