Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony
Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony
Sponsored by the New Israel Fund, American Friends of the Parents Circle-Families Forum,
and Americans Friends of Combatants for Peace
Tuesday, April 17th
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I St. NW
Washington, DC 20001
This year, communities across the US will gather to honor the annual Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony. For the past thirteen years, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have stood each year to acknowledge the pain of those living on the “other side” and envision a better future together.
Join us for a special memorial event based upon the values of recognition, hope, solidarity, and non-violence. We will hear from Palestinians and Israelis who have committed themselves to these values, watch inspirational clips from the Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony taking place on the same day in Israel. Joined by musicians from Heartbeat youth band, we will sing, reflect, connect, and renew our community’s call to end the conflict in a just and peaceful way.
The DC event is in partnership with Americans for Peace Now, Mosaic Theater Company of DC, Am Kolel, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Temple Micah, and the Alliance for Middle East Peace.
Sponsors
The New Israel Fund is the leading organization advancing and defending democracy in Israel. Widely credited with building Israeli progressive civil society, NIF has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to Israel since its inception in 1979. More about NIF here: www.nif.org
American Friends of the Parents Circle-Families Forum shares the human side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the American public in order to foster a peace and reconciliation process. The Parents Circle – Families Forum is a joint Israeli and Palestinian organization made up of more than 600 bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families all of whom have lost a loved one to the conflict and have chosen a path of reconciliation rather than revenge. The Parents Circle operates educational and public awareness activities among Israelis and Palestinians using the power of their narratives to promote reconciliation. More about American Friends of the Parents Circle-Families Forum here: www.parentscirclefriends.org
American Friends of Combatants for Peace serves as the fiscal sponsor of Combatants for Peace in the USA and an education and fundraising arm to support their work. Combatants for Peace is a grassroots organization of Israelis and Palestinians who have fought in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have laid down their weapons. Founded in 2006, Combatants for Peace shares their stories of reconciliation and works nonviolently to secure peace and justice for both peoples. Combatants for Peace was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. More about American Friends of Combatants for Peace here: www.afcfp.org
Speakers
Nizar Farsakh is a trainer and consultant focusing on leadership, advocacy and negotiations. He was the General Director of the PLO Delegation in Washington DC from 2011 to 2013 and before that was an advisor to senior Palestinian leadership including the President and Prime Minister. Nizar is involved in several non-violence initiatives in Palestine and the U.S.
Noa Baum is an award-winning performer, author and public speaker, presenting internationally from the World Bank and prestigious universities to inner city schools and congregations. Born and raised in Israel, she was an actress at Jerusalem Khan Theater, studied with Uta Hagen and at NYU in New York. Noa offers a unique combination of performance art and practical workshops focusing on the power of narrative to heal divides of identity and build bridges of peace. Her new memoir A Land Twice Promised – An Israeli Woman’s Quest for Peace is a Winner of the Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award, a Storytelling World Award and the 2017 LDS Publishing Professionals Association Award.
Huda Abuarqoub has been the Regional Director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace since 2014. Previously, Huda worked as a teacher, trainer, and consultant for the Palestinian Ministry of Education for fifteen years. Huda has years of experience in conflict resolution, NGO leadership, and social change education and activism, as well as a lifelong commitment to building strong people-to-people Israeli-Palestinian relations. She is a well-known speaker on issues related to Middle East politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Huda is a co-founder of the Center for Transformative Education (CTE) and has taught and trained hundreds of students in Israel and the US. She is the 2017 recipient of the Laudato Si’ Award for Individuals for her lifelong commitment to peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
Ori Nir joined Americans for Peace Now in 2006 following a 24-year career in journalism, which was mainly focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nir covered Palestinian affairs for Haaretz Daily, Israel’s leading newspaper. He also covered Israel’s Arab minority for Haaretz, and was the Washington correspondent of Ha’aretz and of the Forward. Earlier in his career, Nir worked at the Arab Affairs desk of Israel Television’s (Channel One) news department, following a 4-year service in the IDF. Nir earned a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also taught journalism (1997-2000). His Bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern history and Arabic literature is from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.
Performers
Heartbeat creates spaces and opportunities for Palestinian and Israeli youth musicians to build critical awareness, respect, and trust while harnessing creative nonviolent tools for self-expression and social change. Engaging in a sustained music, dialogue, and empowerment process, Heartbeat youth musicians become agents of change; harnessing the tools of creativity to imagine possibilities, ask questions, and publicly address systemic problems such as violence, oppression, and inequality — partnering to create a safe, equitable future for all.