Galilee Youth Circus in Philadelphia and St. Louis

In a world ??and a region ??where fear and distrust between peoples lead to insecurity and violence daily, it just might be that a circus can make a difference! After all, what is circus all about? It's about overcoming fear, it's about trust, it's based on non-verbal communication, it represents a multicultural tradition ??and its purpose is to make people smile. The late Australian circus artist and educator Reg Bolton has written about ??ircus to save the world.??When you see the child of Russian immigrants from Karmiel balancing on the shoulders of his Arab peer from Dir El Assad ??you know exactly what he means. When the kids stop the music at the curtain call of their first show to say ??in Hebrew and in Arabic ????he Galilee Circus family thanks you??you understand that this not just another after-school activity. These kids come on their own time (from different communities, different religions, speaking different languages), they commit themselves, and they understand that they have to do what they do in complete cooperation with The Other ??or they will do nothing at all. The Galilee Circus includes kids of ages 6-18, from the town of Karmiel in the heart of the Galilee and the villages around it. Rehearsals are held after school in a school gym, and we perform all over the region for schools, festivals, businesses, etc. The circus has an active parents committee that helps out at performances, and organizes occasional social activities for the circus kids and their families. Galilee Youth Circus Schedule in St. Louis. Please visit this website (http://circusday.org/News.html) for details. Galilee Youth Circus Schedule in Philadelphia (http://www.jewishphilly.org/page.aspx?id=255776) All programs are free and open to the community. Wednesday, July 18, 1:30 p.m. American Gymnastics 506 A. Stump Rd., Montgomeryville, Pa. Performance and skill sharing Information: 215-361-1818 Thursday, July 19, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Main Line Reform Temple 410 Montgomery Ave., Wynnewood, Pa. Information: 610-649-7800 Friday, July 20, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. City Camp of the Diocese of Pennsylvania 3217 W. Clearfield St., Philadelphia, Pa. Performance and dialogue Information: 215-627-6434, Ext. 120 Friday, July 20, 8 p.m. Philadelphia School of Circus Arts 5900 A Greene St., Philadelphia, Pa. Training and skill sharing Information: 215-849-1991 Meet and greet members of the Galilee Youth Circus on Saturday, July 21, at St. Stephen's Church, 19 S. 10th St. (one half block south of Market street), from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments and music included. For information, call 215-922-3807. Galilee Youth Circus is a program that brings together Jewish and Arab young people, ages 6 to 18, for after-school programs in acrobatics and circus arts.