I felt it necessary to say a couple of things about this site.

First, I'd like to give a special, heartfelt thank you to Jude Shabry.  The owner of peace.net, who was gracious enough to put up with my incessant phone calls, and allow us to use this subdomain.

I'd also like to thank my family, for understanding, at least post-occurrence, the self inflicted cocoon I put myself in to get this site done.  Thanks Sis, for being an inspiration.  Thanks Dad, for playing a part in my education, necessary to acquire the skills to put this together.  And thanks Mom, for giving me such a great cause to work on.  HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!

As an insight, I'd like to publish my thoughts, in the form of the first letter I wrote to Jude.  After contacting her by phone, the night earlier, she suggested sending her an email, since we were both so busy that night, (and she was in the middle of a blackout):

I guess I'll finish giving you the background.
Like I said, I'm a firefighter, and ex-navy, and my sister is currently serving on the George Washington.

My mother, is an artist. With friends and family in Israel and other places fraught with pain and strife, and her daughter on a warship for the Navy, again and again placed in dangerous regions, she felt as if she had to do something about a world that over and over seemed to be on the brink of self-destruction, determined to start with taking the ones she loved. She is a member of a international calligraphy guild, and used those connections to create her own little corner of peace. The peace quilt began as a pieced quilt, representing what each artist believed was peace. This was the result:



The second peace project was Peace II: The Book. A handmade book, again put together with friends all over the world.

As strife began again in Israel last month, and now the bombing of the USS Cole, she is again worried about her family and friends, and again she calls to bring them together for a new, creative endeavor, that she hopes might encourage peace throughout the world, be a prayer for those she cares for, and if nothing else, make her happy and keep her sane one more day instead of worrying herself sick.

As the call went out, I realized how much she needed a place to display her prayers, and show the world that peace is what you make it, and to help her organize more projects, and collaborate with other artists throughout the world on the same mission. So I opened my browser and typed in, "peace". Eventually, I came to the peace.net, and began my search. I called Anne, offering my assistances, as a web designer, as well as hosting, in exchange for a bit of space, or a relay page. She told me that you had registered the name, and were letting her use it. So I began trying to contact you.

So, that's the story so far. I guess you can tell me what you have in mind, and what I can do to repay you. The short is: It's not a commercial endeavor. The idea is to promote peace and cooperation. So I hope you don't find the subject matter offensive.

As she is beginning to work on the new project, which is what sparked my search to contact you, I hope we can work something out. Please, feel free to email me here at ari@redizz.com or call me any time.

Very Respectfully,
Ari Disraelly
2000 October 25