If you bought anything from the ISM online store in the past couple years, it was probably shipped by, or even delivered in person by Lenore Sheridan. Lenore has been volunteering with the NorCal ISM group for the past 5 years, and doing the majority of the office support for the past 2.
Lenore got involved with the NorCal ISM group after moving to Berkeley from San Jose 5 years ago. She has taken several volunteer trips to Palestine, the first in 2006 with a group called the International Women’s Peace Service (IWPS). She made additional trips with different groups and tried to enter Gaza in 2008, but the Israeli military would not allow her. These trips have taught her a great deal about the oppression of the Occupation and is inspired to work in solidarity with Palestinians and others who want to end it. She said,
My experiences in Israel and the West Bank convinced me that it was important to let people know first that all Arabs aren’t terrorists and the situation isn’t that complicated. Some people have the idea Jews and Muslims have been fighting for ages and will continue to do so. The state of Israel, when it was formed, drove people out of historic Palestine and has made life miserable for the ones who stayed. It isn’t a blood feud that has continued through the ages. Israeli policy and US complicity with it allows Israel to mistreat Palestinians within the state of Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza. States formed on the basis of religion where one religion is given preference over another whether it’s Protestants in Northern Ireland, Muslims in Pakistan or Christians and Muslims in historic Palestine doesn’t work. I work with ISM to educate people about the role the US plays in supporting the government of Israel. I also make clear that it’s the policies of the Israeli government and US complicity that I oppose.