May 1, 2022
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Why I Commit

The Inescapable Exhaustion of Being the "First" Black Woman

News Worth Sharing

Transcending Familiar Narratives

Aziz Abu Sarah of Mejdi Tours — and Founding Committee Member of Heart of a Nation — Profiled in New York Times
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“A defining feature of the tour company they founded in 2009 is the ‘dual narrative’ tour, in which a group of tourists is led by two guides: one from either side of a longstanding conflict or division that has affected the area that the group is visiting.”

Great Read

Conflict Resolution for World Leaders – and Families

Kinney Zelasne and Adina Siff — Committee Members of Heart of a Nation — in Christian Science Monitor
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"What was so unusual, especially for a Washington-based event featuring a member of Congress, was the humility and vulnerability each speaker brought to the conversation. Jewish Israelis and Palestinians are very used to arguing with one another. American officials are very used to lecturing both. But on that evening in our living room, all three leaders seemed remarkably determined to listen more than they spoke. Nobody heckled, lectured, or poked. Rather, each of them said, in their own way: My own people have been quite imperfect at sharing society. My country regularly stumbles. But despite the slow, uneven progress, I’ve devoted my life to moving my society forward, and tomorrow I’ll get up and do it again.

And what got transformed by that approach ... was us."

Help Promote

HeartTEC: Teen Essay Competition!

Click here to see Advisory Board & Teen Judges - also competition guidelines in English, Hebrew, and Arabic - and to submit your essay!

Heart of a Nation is inviting American, Israeli, and Palestinian teenagers to submit short essays in English, Hebrew, or Arabic on the topic: “What would you most like to improve about your own society and how would you do it?”

A group of twelve teen judges – evenly divided between the three societies -- will select the best submissions for publication/presentation. Criteria for selection of winning essays includes: passion, eloquence, pathos, idealism, practicality and optimism.

The Jerusalem Post (Israel’s oldest English-language daily newspaper), Al-Quds (the Palestinian territories’ largest-circulation Arabic language daily newspaper) and The Christian Science Monitor (which has been publishing continuously since 1908 and has won seven Pulitzer Prizes)  will help Heart of a Nation promote this competition and publish the winning essays!

Worthy of Support

Pesia's Kitchen

Dear Friends,

I am humbled and stunned by your outpouring of generosity for Pesia's Kitchen, a place that inspires and reminds me that in this upside-down world there are truly good people. Because of you, Pesia's Kitchen now has the funds to continue their life-saving work providing food to the most vulnerable in society including the homeless, elderly, and refugee communities. 

Just this week, our dear Gideon, founder of Pesia's Kitchen, has opened his home to newly arrived refugees from Ukraine. He never ceases to impress me with his open heart for the "stranger" among us. 

I invite each of you to come visit Pesia's Kitchen with me the next time you are in Tel Aviv. It would be my pleasure to personally introduce you to the team and let you see their inspiring work firsthand if you have not yet had the opportunity. 

Thank you so much for partnering with us to alleviate hunger.

Julie

Upcoming Events

 MAY 2, 2022: HeartForum Recording - Bridging Cultures Through the Lens of Language with Tamar Pross, Rivka Cohen, Robbie Gringras

 MAY 23, 2022: HeartForum Event - LGBTQ Activism: A Look Forward

 JUNE 23-JULY 3, 2022: Leadership Mission to Israel and Palestine Hosted by Heart of a Nation

Heart2Heart

In Loving Memory of Orli Sheffey

Please support Ariel Sheffey as she runs in the NYC Marathon to raise money for mental health care in memory of Orli Sheffey.

Celebrating our Committee Member Successes

Tech2Peace Appoints New CEO

Tech2Peace provides high-tech and entrepreneurial training alongside conflict dialogue to young Palestinians and Israelis.

Click to read more about Tech2Peace

Middle East Partnership for Peace Act builds its Advisory Board

“This past January, Rabbi Michael Cohen was selected by US Senator Patrick Leahy to serve on an advisory board that will work to distribute US funding for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue programs and peace-building efforts. The funds were allocated through the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) that was passed by Congress. As a member of the board, Rabbi Michael will use his expertise to support people projects on the ground and work to further advance co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians."

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A new arts program hopes to showcase Israel’s diversity

“There are world-class artists that are creating work in Israel,” Flo Low, Bamah’s founding director, told eJewishPhilanthropy. “We want to provide a different way to learn about, connect with, and engage with Israel… Bamah’s mission is to design meaningful experiences that harness the power of Israeli culture to inspire and connect people.”

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About Heart of a Nation

We are Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians building relationships across diverse backgrounds to learn, think, and work together to advance progressive solutions to issues of mutual concern.

אנחנו אמריקאים, ישראלים ופלסטינים אשר בונים ויוצרים קשרים במגמה ללמוד, לחשוב ולעבוד יחד כדי לקדם פתרונות פרוגרסיביים בנושאים החשובים המשותפים לכולנו.

نحن أمريكيون وإسرائيليون وفلسطينيون نبني ونكوّن روابط من أجل التعلم والتفكير والمشاركة معًا حتى نشجع الحلول التقدمية بشأن القضايا التي تهمنا جميعًا.