Hawaiian Guru, 86, Donates Boards, Seeks Peace Through Surfing in Gaza Strip
PHOTOS
Tuesday , August 21, 2007
JERUSALEM —
An 86-year-old Jewish surfing guru from Hawaii is bringing good vibrations to the Gaza Strip.
Dorian Paskowitz, a retired doctor, on Tuesday donated 12 surfboards to Gaza's small surfing community in a gesture he hoped would get Israelis and Palestinians catching the same peace wave.
"God will surf with the devil, if the waves are good," Paskowitz said. "When a surfer sees another surfer with a board, he can't help but say something that brings them together."
The chiseled Paskowitz emerged shirtless at the Israel-Gaza crossing after handing over the dozen boards to Gazan surfers waiting on the other side. He said he was spurred into action after reading a story about two Gaza surfers who couldn't enjoy the wild waves off the coast because they had only one board to share between them.
Arthur Rashkovan, a 28-year-old surfer from Tel Aviv, said Paskowitz's project was part of a larger effort called "Surfing for Peace," aimed at bringing Middle East surfers closer together. He said eight-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, who is of Syrian descent, is expected to arrive in Israel in October to take part in the drive.
Paskowitz, whom Rashkovan called a 'guru' to Israeli surfers, has surfed in Israel several times over the past five decades.
Paskowitz, a father of nine, served in the Navy during World War II, practiced family medicine for more than half a century and has published books on surfing and health. He said he's surfed for 75 years, in locations all over the world, and ranks the waves off the coasts of Israel and Gaza as among the world's best.
"It's really quite remarkable how good they are for modern surfing," he said.
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In pictures: Surfing for peace |
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A Palestinian porter pushes surfboards past the security gates of the Erez Crossing, in the Gaza Strip. The boards have been donated to Palestinian youths by an elderly American surfer.
Several Israeli companies and donors also contributed to the donation of 12 surfboards. The gesture is part of the wider "Surfing for Peace" movement.
Dorian Paskowitz, 86, from Hawaii, handed over some of the surfboards himself. The retired Jewish doctor hopes a love of surfing will help bring Israelis and Palestinians together.
Gaza's surfing community is small. Dr Paskowitz said he was spurred into action after reading about two surfers in Gaza who only had one board to share between them.
The beach is one of the few places Gazans can relax. However, it is closely monitored by the Israeli military which controls the sea off Gaza's coast and the airspace above. |
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