An Evening with Givat Haviva - Creating a Shared Society in Israel

Tuesday, October 29
7:30 PM - Doors open at 7:00 PM

Ahavath Achim Synagogue
600 Peachtree Battle Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30327

Co-sponsored by Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Congregation Bet Haverim, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation B’nai Torah, Congregation Gesher L’Torah, Congregation Dor Tamid, Congregation Or Hadash, Congregation Or Veshalom, Congregation Shearith Israel, Interfaith Atlanta, Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Ma’alot, New Israel Fund, Temple Beth Tikvah and The Temple.

Please join a special in-person discussion at Ahavath Achim Synagogue with leaders of Israel's most veteran shared society organization, Givat Haviva. Michal Sella and Mohammad Darawshe, Givat Haviva's Executive Director and Director of Strategy, will discuss their experiences and work at Givat Haviva since the horrific attack of October 7 and ensuing Israel-Hamas War. Hear how they've been working to address fear and uncertainty between Jews and Arabs in Israel, particularly working in the field of education and providing training to teachers and facilitators. Givat Haviva's green campus also served as a safe space for evacuated families from the south where they received care, enrichment activities, and counseling.

SPEAKERS:

Michal Sella is the Executive Director of Givat Haviva – the Center for Shared Society, and an expert in Israeli politics and public policy. She has extensive experience working with governmental bodies both in Israel and abroad, working as the Director of the Center for Policy Change at Shatil - New Israel Fund, a parliamentary advisor at the Knesset; a journalist and co-editor at Channel 2; a co-founder of The Whistle (the Israeli fact-checking NGO) and a pedagogical coordinator at Hashomer Hatzair youth movement.
She holds a master's degree from Oxford University in public policy, as well as bachelor's degrees from Tel Aviv University in history and journalism. She lives in Tel Aviv with her partner and 2 kids.

Mohammad Darawshe is the Director of Strategy of Givat Haviva – the Center for Shared Society. He holds a masters' degree in Peace and Conflict Management from Haifa University, and is a Robert Bosch Academy Fellow and faculty member at the Hartman Institute. He previously worked as co-director of The Abraham Initiatives, elections campaign manager at the Democratic Arab Party and United Arab List, and was a leadership fellow at the New Israel Fund.
He is a member of the executive board of Darkenu, Pnima, and Aaron Economics Center and was previously an elected council member of his hometown Iksal. Darawshe has presented lectures at the European parliament, NATO Defense College, the World Economic Forum, Club de Madrid, US Congress, and Israel's Presidential Conference. He is a recipient of the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union and the Peace and Security Award of the World Association of NGOs. Finally, he is a member of the National Committee on Coexistence Education Policy; the Three-Sector Roundtable at the Prime Minister's office; and the Strategic Planning Authority for Economic Development of the Arab Sector.
is an Israeli civil society organization. They strive to create a model for Jewish and Arab shared society, anchored in principles of mutual respect, trust, pluralism, and intrinsic equality between citizens. Their activity focuses on the fields of education, language instruction, culture, and art. The Jewish-Arab partnership within the organization is the foundation of Givat Haviva's unique expertise and a central value underlying their worldview and practice.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue Northwest, Atlanta, United States