How Surfing Helps Towards Peace in the Middle East.

Here is an epic tale in a region gripped by conflict between Arabs and Jews.   Even today, in 2024, we are in the midst of a war.  Arthur Rashkoven, co-founder of Surfing4Peace, is here to blow your mind with a story about how a shared love for surfing can bridge the seemingly impossible gaps. Picture this: Arthur, alongside the legendary Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, the granddaddy of Israeli surfing, and a crew from Tel Aviv, embarked on a mission that caught the world's attention. In 2007, they rolled into the fortified Erez crossing in Gaza, defying the dicey security situation and the absence of visitors since Hamas took control. This isn't just a surfing story; it's a testament to the transformative power of riding waves, creating connections that break through borders and ignite hope. Trust me, you'll want to spend the next ten minutes diving into this awe-inspiring journey – it's the best ten minutes you'll invest today.

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Transcript

HOST: JENNIFER (00:02):

Hello, welcome to this podcast called Finding Inspiration. It's a 20 or so-minute weekly podcast where we interview someone with an amazing story. After the show, I know you’ll feel energized, invigorated, and inspired. I'm Jennifer Weismann. Welcome to Finding Inspiration. Today's episode is about surfing. Yes, surfing can be inspirational. That is exactly where my next guest comes into this conversation. Arthur Rashkoven. He's the co-founder of Surfing5Peace. Its mission is to build bonds and friendships between Arab and Jew through the mutual love of the sport of surfing. In 2005, Israel left took all the Israelis out of Gaza.   In 2007, Surfing4Peace made its first delivery of surfboards into Gaza. Take a listen. 

GUEST: ARTHUR (00:57):

The dream is just to connect a group of surfers that are considered to be enemies and go surfing together. Of course, I'm not gonna bring peace, but I did bring peace to our little micro world for one second. We've done so many amazing projects like surf trips with mixed populations from Gaza, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Moroccans, and Israeli surfers altogether.

HOST: JENNIFER (01:17):

Arthur, gimme a little headline on your co-founder for Surfing4Peace Dorian Doc Paskowitz. 

GUEST: ARTHUR (01:22):

Well, Doc, he was from the old times.  He was one of those special people. He had a vision, and when he gave the first board to Abdalla, he said in 1956, I gave the first board to the Jews, and now I'm giving him to the Arabs. You're gonna be the father of Arab surfing. He was a true visionary, but the idea was just to create a stronger bond.  He said, “people who surf together, can live together.”

HOST: JENNIFER (01:41):

When I think, of surfing, I immediately think of Hawaii. How did Tel Aviv become the epicenter of surfing in the Middle East?

GUEST: ARTHUR (01:46):

Let’s say the mid-late eighties in Tel Aviv had influences from America. Videos, color TV with more than two channels.  These videos and magazines gave us American Influence. At the same time, in California, the surf and skate trend kind of blew up. In Southern California, surf and skate lifestyle with the music and the clothing and that whole special language that goes with that. We had that same kind of lifestyle exactly where we live in Hilton Beach (Tel Aviv) with surfing, skateboarding, and fashion. It all went together.   Tel Aviv got a lot of influences from Southern California. But our lifestyle in Tel Aviv was the same. World Championship surf contest in 1984, right here in Hilton Beach, Jennifer. We had a lot of very interesting influences at a very early age on the Israeli surf scene. Tel Aviv, which was a very interesting place back then, was very primitive compared to what we have today in 2022.

HOST: JENNIFER (02:46):

Arthur, before we get into Surfing4Peace, let's just talk for a minute about your co-founder, Dorian Doc Paskowitz.  An American surfer and a physician who gave up practicing medicine to become a professional surfer, he had a special bond with Israel. How did that all come to be?

GUEST: ARTHUR (03:01):

Dorian Paschowitz came to Israel in 1956 from California, and he brought the first surfboards with him. Doc came to join the Israeli army, but he ended up just surfing Frishman Beach in Tel Aviv and becoming Israel's first surfer. Doc left his first boards there to the local lifeguards. He fell in love with Tel Aviv and the lifestyle, and he kept sending boards to the local surfers, nurturing the scene throughout his life till his last day.  The epicenter of surfing in Israel today remains Tel Aviv. Everything started, pro surfing, skateboarding, contests, fashion. Everything started here.  The surf whole lifestyle in Israel. And I'm very fortunate to grow up in this area and experienced this as a child. My neighbors were surfers. My brother was a surfer. It all came very naturally to me – just like a kid in Southern California.

GUEST: ARTHUR (03:46):

In the early 2000s, I was the Israeli Surfing Association Manager, and Doc kept coming back to Israel. Before my army service, I went on a big trip to California. It was my dream to go and check out all the spots I read about in magazines. And I was also working at Doc's Surf camp in California.  This was July and August of 1997. This is the first time I have met Doc in person.  As a kid and grew up with the Paskowitz what's a name in Israel? He was a legend in the Tel Aviv surf scene.  It was in California at his camp that I met Dock in person for the first time.

GUEST: ARTHUR (04:33):

I spent a lot of time during that summer.  Fast forward, to six years after my Army service, and I was working at the Israeli Surfing Association.  Doc came to visit Tel Aviv, and he said he wanted me to introduce him to an Arab surfer. So I told him, okay, it's pretty easy. I know some guys who are surfing in Jaffa, and I'll introduce you to them.  Doc kind of nurtured the sport in Israel and created a surfing scene. My job was the Israeli Surfing Association Manager.   So Doc and I found ourselves hanging together 24 hours a day promoting the surf scene and creating things that are all surfing. The idea of Surfing4Peace was conceived when I introduced him to my friend Abdallah. Doc was the old times.  He was one of those special people. He had a vision, and when he gave the first board to Abdallah, he said “in 1956, I gave the first board to the Jews, and now I'm giving it to the Arabs. You're gonna be the father of Arab surfing.” Doc was a true visionary, but he his idea was just to create a stronger bond based on the mutual passion for surfing. And he had this sentence saying “God will surf with a devil if the waves are good.”

HOST: JENNIFER (05:47):

So the idea of Surfing4Peace was born. How'd you roll it out?

GUEST: ARTHUR (05:51):

We delivered 14 boards to Gaza in 2007. That's where it took on a faster pace. That little action spread worldwide about Israeli surfers passing boards through the crossing into Gaza. And later in October 2007, Doc invited Kelly Slater, and you know the name to do a big musical benefit for Surfing4Peace. It was Kelly Slater and a Jewish, uh, big wave, world surf champion called Makua Rothman from Hawaii. We did a big musical benefit in 2007.   We had big dreams back then. And we started thinking seriously about how to move this forward.

GUEST: ARTHUR (06:41):

But I have to say that all these actions we did gave birth to such great interest in what we do here in Israel and had so many people interested in sending ideas and support. And then we've done so many amazing projects like surf trips.  These were mixed populations from Gaza, Lebanon, Tunisia Algeria, Moroccans, and Israeli surfers.  I love giving back. First of all, surfing for the basic reason, it gave me. Growing up in such a troubled area, this kind of way of showing people that are considered to be my enemies and we are friends.  We send them surfboards. I remember that day when I got back from the crossing in Gaza. I got back, and I truly felt victorious.

GUEST: ARTHUR (07:30):

I can't find another word. This is also another kind of interesting example of how complicated this reality is. When I got back, people said: So what do you think? Are you're gonna change the world now? You're gonna bring peace?  Of course, I'm not gonna bring peace, but I did bring peace to our little micro world for one second. To me, it felt immense. So many different populations of Arabs and Muslims and Christians living within Israel; there's one very special surf spot called Jisr a zarka. It's a very poor fishing village. I've been surfing there for many years.  There was always a little crew of local surfers there. And there was an idea that came about with the local NGO that wanted to promote surfing.  They came to me, and I suggested giving them a crash course on how to teach surfing to their local kids.  I connected them with a surf school in Tel Aviv.

GUEST: ARTHUR (08:20):

They gave them a full-day course on how to teach the kids. We donated a few soft boards and equipment. And since then is just had a very strong friendship with Mohammad.  We try to support him with everything he needs. Anytime he needs anything, I get it for him.  Interestingly, in this area called Jisr a zarka, I don't think they're interested in being a part of any other government rather than Israel because they understand the difference. They understand what it is to live under the Israeli regime. They see how people live in Gaza or other places. Israel is a Democratic country. My dream is to go on another surf trip with a mixed population of surfers and keep flowing with this kind of message --  just going surfing together. The dream is just to connect a group of surfers that are considered to be enemies and go surfing together. Very simple. I don't think there's much more than that, but there's so much more than that. Do you know what I mean? I would never have believed it if you told me today that I'm gonna know surfers from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Gaza. I have a lot of friends in Lebanon. Although it is hard to be in touch with them. I had friends in Egypt that fled to Canada after the Arab Spring with the Arab Spring.

HOST: JENNIFER (09:28):

Arthur, your story is incredible. Surfing4Peace proves through the mutual love of something as simple as surfing – one can create bonds between human beings.  And maybe even for a moment, as you say, transcend the longstanding conflict between Arab and Jew. Thank you so much. Arthur.

GUEST: ARTHUR (09:47):

Pleasure, Jennifer. Thank you.

HOST: JENNIFER (09:50):

You for joining us this week on Finding Inspiration. Hey, I would appreciate it if you would click on that subscribe button and share this podcast with a friend. See you next week. I'm Jennifer Weissmann.