Michael Levy - bus manager
At Fort Lewis College, in Durango, Colorado, Michael co-founded Green Chemistry, a student and faculty group that works to make the Chemistry Department, school, and greater community more environmentally responsible. He also served as the president of two student organizations, Uniting Students through Wellness and Chemistry Club.
Upon graduating, Michael accepted a research position at Stanford University Hospital, however, he left this position due to qualms with experimental design and animal testing procedures. Following this, he spent a year in South Korea teaching English to children.
In early 2007, Michael traveled to West Asia with birthright israel – an organization funded by wealthy Jewish philanthropists and the Israeli government – which pays for Jewish youth to travel to Israel, provided they take part in a two week tour sponsored by the organization. Before arriving in Israel, he also registered for a six day Birthright Unplugged tour, the goal of which “is to expose people to Palestinian society and its political realities by traveling to Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps.”
He came to the region wanting to find “a balanced and nuanced perspective on the ‘conflict.’” The reality he found, however, was an Israel littered with racism, vitriol, and willful ignorance, and a Palestine in shackles; nevertheless warm and welcoming.
After both tours, Michael took part in ISM training in Ramallah, after which he worked mainly out of East Jerusalem, coordinating fund raising for the reconstruction of recently demolished Palestinian homes. He also worked in the Tel Rumeda neighborhood of Hebron, monitoring checkpoints and escorting Palestinian children to school.