Daniella Arieli (2011 ISSRPL)
Daniella Arieli is a social-anthropologist living in Israel. She is interested in encounters between people, ideas and lives, and believes in the good in all people. Her recent studies include fieldwork amongst expatriates in Beijing, and action research with Jewish and Palestinian citizens in Israel.
Rasha Azoni (Palestine) (2011 ISSRPL)
Rasha Azoni is a Palestinian woman who comes from the Muslim village of Jaljulia, Israel and is a member of a family of the 1948 Arabs. She earned her bachelor’s and first master’s degree at Bar Ilan University, where she graduated with honors. She wrote her master’s thesis on the Socialization Process and Gender Identity among Arab (Muslim and Christian) Women who Studied in the Israeli Educational System. For five years, she worked as an educational counselor in an Arab high school in the mixed cities of Ramla/Lod and then earned a second master’s from Wheelock College, Boston. She is currently enrolled at Hartford Seminary, Connecticut.
Berlanti Elhaj (2011 ISSRPL)
Berlanti Elhaj is of Arab Nationality, born and living in Jaffa City in Israel. She is working as a Supervisor of Social Science and Citizenship curriculum in Arab Schools for the Ministry of Education and is a Lecturer on Education and Democracy at Beit Berl Teachers College, and is National Counselor on Values Education, Multiculturalism and Education for Coexistence, Civic Education Department. She holds a M.A. Degree in Educational Administrative Policies, from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and has a B.Ed Degree in Social Science Education and Citizenship Studies, from Beit Berl College, and a B.A Degree in Social Sciences and Humanities, from The Open University In Tel-Aviv. She is married to Afif and a mother to Arwa, Omar, and Raged.
Victor Friedman (2011 ISSRPL)
Victor J. Friedman is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and co-chair of the Action Research Center for Social Justice, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel. My life’s work is helping individuals, organizations, and communities learn, especially under conditions of uncertainty and conflict, through “action science” – theory building, experimentation and critical reflection in everyday life. Currently my focus is on social entrepreneurship as a means of promoting social inclusion and on the development of the idea of “social space” as an actionable construct. I am co-author of a book entitled Demystifying Organizational Learning, Associate Editor of the Action Research Journal, and serve on the board of the Campaign for Middle East Peace: Now is the Time. I hold a B.A. in Middle East studies from Brandeis University, an M.A. in cross-cultural psychology from Columbia University, and an Ed.D. in counseling, consulting and community psychology from Harvard University.
Fatme Birro (2010 ISSRPL)
Fatima Birro is an Arab-Palestinian psychologist living currently in Jaffa, Israel. She works as an educational psychologist in Ramle and as a clinical psychologist at Schneider Hospital in Petakh Tikva, giving service to both Arab and Jewish children and their families. Fatima finished her BA studies in psychology at Tel Aviv University and got her MA degree from Haifa University. Besides psychotherapy, Fatima is interested in cultural, national and religious diversity and lately participated in a multi-national conference including Palestinian, Jewish and German psychologists.
Adar Cohen (2010 ISSRPL)
Adar Cohen is the Israeli National Inspector of Civic Studies & Head of Civic Education Unit at the Israeli Ministry of Education. He completed his B.A. in Law and Political Science at The Hebrew University, acquired his Teaching Certificate in Civic Education and Hebrew Bible studies at the “Kerem” Institute, and completed his M.A in Political Science with a Specialization in Civic Education at The Hebrew University. His Masters Thesis analyzes sociolinguistic and political aspects of Zionist leaders’ surnames during the formative years of Israel. Adar is a certified lawyer, and he worked as a teacher in a Jerusalem high-school for 8 years. He is married to Galit and the father of Hodaya and Uri.
Raja’i Nusseibeh (Israel / Palestine) (2010 ISSRPL)
Raja’i works with the United States Agency for International Development as an Information technology assistant, he holds a B.Sc in Computer & Software Engineering. Raja’i, who is a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem, comes with an experience of working as an R&D Design Engineer, Information Security Engineer & as an IT Consultant with a number of international NGOs. Raja’i is a descendent of the Nussiebeh family, the family that has ties with the holy land since the 7th Century, and that has been holding the keys for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem for more than 800 years.
Sana’ Zeidan (Palestine) (2010 ISSRPL)
I am from Jerusalem and graduated with a diploma from the YWCA. I am working now for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Bank & Gaza Mission and head the Executive Office’s Procurement and Administrative section. This includes managing the operating expense procurement and managing residential leases for our American employees and oversight in the Real Property Management for the Office. I supervise six staff members and believe that when there is a will there is a way.
Tal Kligman (2009 ISSRPL)
Tal Kligman is a group facilitator and a Project Office Director. She specializes in the fields of dialogue, multi-cultural communication, participatory democracy, coalition building and conflict management. She runs workshops and training in East and West Jerusalem for professionals and residents from diverse sociological and cultural backgrounds. She is currently working in the Jerusalem Inter-Cultural Center, Merchavim—The Institute for Advancement and Shared Citizenship and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Tal has a second degree in Special Education and Education Policy and Management from the Hebrew University, and a group facilitator diploma from the Zippori Center in Jerusalem.
Linda Maher (Palestine) (2009 ISSRPL)
Linda works as an Acquisition & Assistance Specialist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Bank & Gaza Mission. She backstops procurement actions for the water resources and infrastructure office as well as the Education Development office. Linda has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Birzeit University. Before joining the USAID she worked in the private sector with USAID contracts for four years. Linda is a Palestinian, living in Jerusalem.
Mustafa Qossoqsi (2009 ISSRPL)
Mustafa Qossoqsi is an educational and clinical psychologist, head of the Arab Psychological Association in Israel, and Palestinian citizen of Israel. He runs a public psychological service in the area of Nazareth and is engaged in private practice. After receiving his Italian Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at “La Sapienza” in Rome, he worked as a psychologist and psychotherapist with immigrant families at the Psychological Service for Foreign Families at “La Sapienza.” He has collaborated as a consultant with UNICEF to train mental health professionals in crisis therapeutic intervention for children and as a lecturer at the Beir-Zeit University in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Mustafa is variously involved in promoting mental health activity among the Palestinian community in Israel aiming at meeting the general and specific psychological needs due to a complex political reality. He is involved as promoter, coordinator and member in different bi-national and international think tanks that brings together child mental health professionals from Israel, Palestine and other countries to formulate and accomplish joint projects to enhance the well being of children and families, to develop strategies for strengthening community resiliency, and to restore hope in this post-traumatized region. Furthermore, he cultivates literature activity being interested in the intersection between psychology and literature, especially in poetry. Mustafa is pursuing his PhD degree in psychology at the Bar Ilan University in Israel, his research explores the post-traumatic effects on Palestinian and Israeli toddlers exposed to political violence.
Hillel Cohen (2008 ISSRPL)
I am an angry person, though not always; I really don’t like many things that I see around in what is called Israel/Palestine. Sometimes it leads me to activity (was involved in a few Israeli-Palestinian direct-action groups) sometimes it leads me to passivity – and this, in turn, gives me time to study (got my PhD form the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2003), to enjoy my family (wife and 3 kids) to write (I’ve published a few books and articles, mainly on Jewish-Arab relations), and to teach Palestinian history at the Hebrew University.
Alex Khayo (Palestine) (2008 ISSRPL)
Alex Khayo was born and lives in East Jerusalem.
Nisreen Muzayen (Palestine) (2008 ISSRPL)
Nisreen lives in Gaza Strip / Palestine, married and has 4 children. She has been working with USAID in the democracy and governance office as Democracy and Governance Specialist since November 05 till now. Before working with the USAID she worked with CARE international in Gaza as a Civil Society Specialist in one of USAID funded projects for almost five years. Nisreen has worked at the UNDP as Project Manager for youth project and in UNRWA as Women’s Program Officer for almost ten years. She has MA in the field of Peace and Development Studies from Sweden, and a BA in Sociology from Bir Zeit University / West Bank / Palestine. Nisreen has participated in a large number of training courses regarding civil society, human rights, peace building and reconciliation, conflict resolution, adult education, leadership and refugees’ issues. In addition Nisreen has participated in designing and developing adult education manuals and post graduate modules and gender and participation training courses.
Mohammad Naamneh (2008 ISSRPL)
Mohammad Naamneh is the director of the educational program “Budding Leaders—Cultivating young leadership in the Bedouin Community” conducted by the Israeli Association of Community Centers. IACC’s after-school Budding Leaders program in Abu Basma, Hora & Lakia schools aims to create a cadre of Bedouin youth who will excel academically and become leaders and agents of social change in their communities. The program includes 230 ninth- twelfth grade students in the 5 participating schools who have potential for excellence and leadership qualities. The program works directly with students as well as with their schools and families. Budding Leaders includes two elements: Academic excellence; leadership development and social responsibility.
Avril Promislow (2008 ISSRPL)
Avril Promislow is Assistant Director of International Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee. In this position she works closely with Rabbi David Rosen, developing programs, researching the emerging and burgeoning world of interfaith relations in the region, and overseeing the administration of the IA Department’s Jerusalem-based office. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Avril has lived in Jerusalem for almost thirty years and over the years has been involved in a number of grass-roots efforts to bridge the gap between East and West. In addition to a liberal arts BA from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, she is also a registered tour guide in Israel since the mid- 1980′s.
Rachel Tal (2008 ISSRPL)
Dr. Rachel Tal has been working as head of English studies and educational projects for the Amal Network of colleges and comprehensive high schools for more than twenty years. The Amal Network operates 56 high schools in the Jewish, Arab, Bedouin and Druze sectors in Israel. She has initiated many projects such as STAR-Styles of Tolerance and Respect and a Jewish-Arab Debating Program which promote peace and understanding between Jewish and Arab students in Israel. She initiated and developed with colleagues the Tri-lingual Literacy Program: Arabic, Hebrew and English, which is a unique intervention program that advances reading comprehension and writing skills in three languages simultaneously. This program was implemented successfully in a number of high schools. Research conducted among high school students in the Negev proved the program to be highly effective. Currently, Dr. Tal heads a unique program for the advancement of Bedouin students in the south of Israel sponsored by the American Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Abdallah Tarabieh (2007 ISSRPL)
I work in Al-qasemi academy since 1997 as a lecturer of Hebrew literature, I research of middle ages literature in Andalusia and the relation between Arab and Jewish poetry currently I work as the coordinator of pedagogic instruction and advance educational Initiatives among Arab and Jewish schools.
Gila Yakov (2007 ISSRPL)
Gila Yakov received her Ph.D. from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Her research topic was Ethical Aspects of Elderly Oncological Patient Treatment. She has received training to be and Israeli-Diaspora dialogue leader. She is the Director of Instructions and Advanced Studies at the Yesodot Organization, and has given instruction at religious schools to clarify and strengthen the commitment to democratic values in the religious communities of Israel. She is also responsible for Budget allocations for cities of Yokneam, Migdal HaEmek and Rehasim, including responsibility for social, educational and community projects. She also worked for the Ministry of Education, and served as both teacher and principle at the Yigal Alon ORT junior high school in Yokneam, Israel. She is also the head of the Partnership 2000 sub-committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Haifa Sabbagh (Palestine) (2006 ISSRPL)
Haifa Sabbagh is the director of educational programs at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute in Israel.
Deborah Weissman (2006 ISSRPL)
Dr. Deborah Weissman, born in New York, settled in Jerusalem in 1972. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MA from New York University, both in sociology, and a Ph.D. in Jewish education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her main field of academic research is the social history of Jewish women’s education. Debbie has had extensive experience in both formal and informal Jewish education, both with Israelis and with Diaspora youth and adults. For nine years, she was the director of a teacher training institute for Israeli high school teachers. Prior to that, Debbie worked for 12 years at the Hebrew University, primarily in the Melton Centre for Jewish Education and the School for Overseas Students. Other affiliations in the past have included the Pardes Institute, the Hartman Institute, the Institute for Training Jewish Youth Leaders from Abroad, and the education branch of the Israel Defense Forces. Outside of the professional realm, Debbie was one of the founders and is still an active member of Kehillat Yedidya in Bak’a, a modern Orthodox synagogue that has excellent neighborly relations with its Reform and Conservative neighbors. Other interests include religious feminism and interfaith dialogue, both locally and internationally. She is currently Co-Chair of the Inter-Religious Coordinating Council in Israel.
Mahmoud Atiaeh (2005 ISSRPL)
David Atzmon (2005 ISSRPL)
Naama Dafni (2005 ISSRPL)
Salam Qudsi (2005 ISSRPL)
Ed Rettig (2005 ISSRPL)
Khalid Abu-Ras (2004 ISSRPL)
Afou Khalilieh (2004 ISSRPL)
Brigitte Milo (2004 ISSRPL)
Miriam Bar Josef (2003 ISSRPL)
Bracha Dvir (2003 ISSRPL)
Ghassan Manasra (2003 ISSRPL)
Diabat Nieman (2003 ISSRPL)