Israeli Chronicles — Connecting Israel & Cincinnati
Settler Rabbi and Palestinian Activist to Talk Peace at Mayerson JCC
How do Palestinians and Israelis move beyond the cycle of violence that engulfs them? The Roots Project, based in Israel’s West Bank, brings together Israelis and Palestinians who, despite living next to each other, are separated by walls of fear. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, Antwan Saca, a Palestinian Christian peace activist, and Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, an Israeli settler who has become an advocate for coexistence, will tell us their shared story of discovering the humanity and legitimacy of the other. They’ll discuss how they are working to move their communities past suspicion, fear, and violence, and towards lasting justice, freedom, and peace on that tiny sliver of land that they both call home.
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger is an Orthodox rabbi and teacher. He serves as the Director of International Relations for Roots. Rabbi Schlesinger is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and the International Rabbinic Fellowship, as well as Beit Hillel, an Israeli rabbinical association. His professional career has been dedicated to teaching Jewish studies in various colleges and seminaries in the Jerusalem area, as well as in different frameworks in Florida and Texas. Antwan Saca was born in Jerusalem to a Christian family from the city of Bethlehem. He has been working towards the dream of peace and justice in the Holy Land all his adult life. He previously worked for a number of organizations in programming, and has spent time as a research assistant in the area of urbanization and geopolitical monitoring.
“Roots of Peace: The shared story of a settler rabbi and a Palestinian activist” will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, at the Mayerson JCC. Visit jewishcincinnati.org/israelity to RSVP.
This presentation is part of the 2017 Israelity speaker series, “Coexistence.” This year’s featured speakers will bring different Israeli perspectives to Cincinnati to discuss their efforts in building Israel’s shared society. The series is brought to you by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati in collaboration with the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Mayerson JCC.
