August 2022
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Why I Commit

Said Hamad

As a career diplomat for more than 40 years, serving in Washington DC, Mexico, Belize and Canada, my message has been clear and consistent: peace with justice and security for both Palestinians and Israelis is really the only path forward.

I have joined Heart of a Nation, in the hope that, working together, through the good will, values, and diligent efforts of its members, we may help bring about a free and independent State of Palestine thriving in coexistence with Israel and all of its neighbors. 

Despite all the hardships, challenges, and setbacks, together, we choose life and celebrate the humanity that binds us all.

Said Hamad, Ambassador (Retired)

Leadership in the News

Stav Shaffir

Heart of a Nation Committee Member Stav Shaffir is engaged!

“Thank you for allowing me to speak about my work in the center we established for young people with special needs and the aspiration to revolutionize this field. And about the future of politics in Israel and what we need to do to bring about change. And also about why love is the most important choice in life.”

Shelley Greenspan

Exciting promotion for Heart of a Nation Committee Member Shelley Greenspan!
Click here to read more

Amira Mohammed

Heart of a Nation Committee Member Amira Mohammed was recently published for the first time!

Click here to read her article

Rabbi Michael Cohen

Heart of a Nation Committee Member Rabbi Michael M. Cohen, who works for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and Bennington College, has been named by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to the Partnership for Peace Fund (PPF) Advisory Board established by the Nita Lowey Middle East Peace Partners Act (MEPPA) to "advance peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians to enable a sustainable two-state solution.” 

Wayne Firestone

Heart of a Nation Committee Member Wayne Firestone and his wife Stephanie have recently relocated for a sabbatical year to San Juan Puerto Rico, where Wayne is working on plays about Christopher Columbus, Sephardic and Marrano communities, and trying to learn Spanish and Salsa!

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Youth Engagement

International Teen Summit

HeartTEC: Teen Essay Competition!

Christian Science Monitor Promotes HeartTEC

"In high school, I had what I considered a fairly good sense of the big problems facing society. 

"But if you had asked me how I might solve some of them, I would likely have stared at you blankly. I had been trained to critique the status quo, but rarely asked to think deeply about where to go from there. 

So my ears perked up when I heard about a new essay contest for teenagers. The prompt: What would you most like to improve about your own society, and how would you do it?

The competition is sponsored by Heart of a Nation, a nonprofit that connects Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans with the aim of “bettering, not battering, these societies we love.” 
Click here to read more

Leadership Mission

June 26 - July 2, 2022

Our recent Leadership Mission to the Middle East – which was a remarkable opportunity to pressure-test operating assumptions about bridging and bonding social capital - had a particular positive impact on the young people we engaged. Our delegation, which included seniors in high school and college students from the US, interacted with Israeli and Palestinian teens at Givat Haviva, Palestinian undergraduates in Hebron, and  Israeli Bedouins in Rahat.

What attracts these young people – many of whom are, in their own words, alienated by more traditional organizations and approaches – is the contact they had with the diversity of Israeli and Palestinian societies, and the genuine relationships they were able to form. They appreciate the way Heart of a Nation enhances empathy, which leads to greater affinity and further engagement. Watching these young people interact with each other across cultural and societal boundaries, as well as seeing how the themes and content of our itinerary landed on them, gave us confidence that our mission made real inroads.

Social Media

Sarah Granof / Hallel Silverman

Heart of a Nation is excited to be enhancing its English, Hebrew and Arabic social media presence with the help of a terrific firm based in the Middle East. With the creative and technical assistance of Sarah Granof and Hallel Silverman we intend to connect like-minded individuals, organizations, and movements working to better their own societies. Heart of a Nation's different platforms will showcase the many incredible initiatives taking place on the ground as well as facilitate opportunities for cooperation among change-makers.

Great Reads

Worthy of Support

Emerge President A'shanti Gholar

In June, Heart of a Nation Executive Committee member Kinney Zalesne hosted a reception for Emerge featuring its incomparable president - and fellow Executive Committee Member - A’shanti Gholar. The reception exemplified one of Heart of a Nation’s core commitments to elevate and amplify American, Israeli and Palestinian organizations working to make their societies better.

Emerge trains Democratic women to run for office. To date, Emerge has trained over 5000 women, more than 1000 of whom are now serving in elective office. A’shanti oversees 27 state affiliates – and there is a direct correlation between the arrival of Emerge and each of those state’s increase in female legislators. Emerge delivers this impact with an annual budget of just $4 million, up from $1 million three years ago when A’shanti became president.

When we form partnerships with fellow changemakers – and actively support their important work -- we strengthen our Community of Purpose!

Click to visit the Emerge website

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.