Show: Gindi Auditorium, Bel Air Workshops: Skirball Cultural Center   A collaboration between artists from Israel and Los Angeles celebrated diversity and the rich traditions of the Jewish culture. SHARED ROOTS consisted of three concerts, a lecture-demonstration, a teacher workshop and a series of workshops for local schools. Inbal Dance Theatre- Israel’s oldest dance company, was founded in 1950 by Israel Prize laureate Sara Levi-Tanai.  Inbal’s major accomplishment remains the translation and development of the rich heritage and culture of ethnic minorities into the universal language of modern dance.  Based on Israeli tradition, Inbal’s dances have become a national cultural treasure.  The company has toured extensively in Europe, Asia, and the United States, receiving critical acclaim and enthusiastic responses from critics and audiences alike. Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble - Artistic Director Eytan Avisar and his company transcend generations of Jewish thought and emotion through a mosaic of music, dance and color.  The company began in 1983 and is presently the major professional company of Israeli dance in the United States.  Keshet Chaim’s mission is to express the global spirit of Judaism and Israeli culture and to combat prejudice and anti-Semitism through entertainment and education. At a time when racial profiling is in the news constantly, Inbal and Keshet Chaim used art as a tool to bring different ethnicities together in a positive way.  Given the events since September 11th, this project was most timely.  This alliance of artists was dedicated to building bridges and breaking down barriers between countries through art, the only pacifist weapon that exists. This project was supported in part by the Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Tel Aviv Municipality, the City of Los Angeles and Partnership 2000 of the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Skirball Cultural Center, the University of Judaism, David Oved and Fred Leeds and the Public Arts Department of the Los Angeles CAD, the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the California Arts Council, and the Consulate General of Israel.