Story Summary: (text by Sandi Dolbee, Religion and Ethics Editor, San Diego Union Tribune.) Breaking Barriers: Rejecting past rancors, teens from the Middle East and San Diego stand united to work for peace. There is so much that separates them. History. Religion. Politics. Culture. Violence. But for almost three weeks, 39 teenagers are trying to become their own community, citizens of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs International Teen Leadership Institute, known as JITLI (jit-lee) for short. Among them: 10 Israeli Jews from Sha'ar HaNegev, next to the border of Gaza; 10 Bedouin Muslims, who live in Israel in the nearby community of Segev Shalom; nine Palestinians (seven Muslims and two Christians), who live in Gaza; and 10 Jewish students from San Diego. Palestinian Heba Khedar, 20, dances during the official opening of the JITLI program in front of the Beth Israel Synagogue in San Diego. Each of the four groups introduced their culture by giving a performance. Khedar, with her take-charge personality and spectacular dancing, coordinated the Palestinian group's show.

Autumn Cruz, San Jose State University