Parents Circle: Palestinian and Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace

American Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum

Palestinian and Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace

Sunday, November 3, 11:15am | Teresa of Calcutta Hall

Join in a powerful virtual dialogue, facilitated by the organization American Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum. This powerful non-profit provides forums for a one-hour virtual Dialogue Meeting in which one bereaved Palestinian and one bereaved Israeli share their stories of loss and personal journeys towards reconciliation. It includes an engaging Q&A with audience participation, thought provoking questions, emotional breakthroughs, and most importantly, hope.

The Parents Circle (parentscirclefriends.org) – Families Forum is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization made up of more than 750 bereaved families. Their common bond is that they have lost a close family member to the conflict. But instead of choosing revenge, they have chosen a path of reconciliation. Through their educational activities, these bereaved members have joined together to take tens of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis on journeys of reconciliation. It is often raw and always emotional. But out of these interactions, comes change. Not the kind of change that makes headlines, but a more personal and profound shift in perspective.

As a joint Israeli-Palestinian peace organization, the PCFF models constructive dialogue around shared values. Even since October 7th, 2023, its staff, members, and thousands of participants are still committed to peace and a way forward that centers around empathy and humanization. The PCFF focuses on the shared value of the sanctity of human life. This conversation brings our attention to the values that Palestinians and Israelis can agree upon even in the darkest of times.

Register

Please register to attend either in-person or Zoom. If you are registering for online you will receive a Zoom link in advance.

There will be time for questions at the end. Questions will only be accepted in person.

Speakers:

Miri Ben-Rafael lost her only brother, Amnon, when he was killed at the age of 26 in the Golan Heights in the 1973 war. Amnon believed Israelis should find ways for peace and coexistence with the Palestinians. In 2014, Miri joined the Parents Circle to work for hope and peace through a reconciliation process. She is an active member of the Women’s Group and a lecturer and facilitator on behalf of the organization.

Mohamed Abu Jafar lives in Jenin, in the Occupied West Bank, Palestine. He has been a member of the Parents Circle since 2016. On October 24, 2002, when Mohamed was 14, his 16-year old brother was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, who then opened fire around the body, injuring 10 others and preventing others from aiding Mohamed’s brother. This tragedy led Mohamed to study nursing. Today he works as a Quality Manager at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. He has taken part in the Parents Circle’s Young Ambassadors for Peace Program, and as a facilitator and manager for the organization’s Youth Summer Camp.