How has Seeds of Peace had an impact on you?

Seeds of Peace has made the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a central part of my life from a very young age. After having an opportunity to dialogue with Palestinians in Maine at the age of 14, I made it my goal to understand the Palestinian perspective on the conflict, and find collaborative ways to try and change the situation in our region.

How have you impacted your community?

When I graduated from high school I went on a volunteer year where I lived in an intentional Jewish-Arab community in the Galilee. Together we experienced various forms of dialogue, and led youth groups in the villages around us. This was a complex experience from which I have learned a great deal about dialogue, cooperation, and intercultural relations. The service year also gave me a sound basis in spoken Palestinian Arabic, which has been a major help in all my social and political work.

I have since worked for peace NGOs, and I also took part in the Seeds of Peace dialogue facilitation course. I am a part of a group of activists in Jerusalem, who voice a binational nonviolent, non-racist message in light of the recent escalation in violence in the city.

I am also currently the Jewish-Israeli Regional Manager of “Hands of Peace,” which I run together with a Palestinian and a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Together we bring youth to a dialogue program in the United States, and then run seminars, tours, advanced dialogue and conferences for them to expose them to different perspectives on the conflict. Our goal is for them to become active members of their communities who will work to promote peaceful action in the region.

My hope is that meeting the “other side” will affect their lives as much as it has affected mine. I feel very privileged to have had Seeds of Peace open my eyes at a young age, and I cannot think of a worthier goal than educating other young people in the same values of dialogue, openness, and collaborative work towards peace.