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| September 2026 Newsletter |
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Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer.
As we head into the fall, I am especially excited to share Mohammad Darawshe’s upcoming speaking tour across the United States. Over the next several months, Mohammad will be traveling to communities, speaking at synagogues, universities, Jewish Federations, policy forums, and other gatherings about Givat Haviva’s work and the importance of building a shared society between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.
Beginning with this September newsletter, we will share Mohammad’s upcoming schedule so that you can follow his travels and, whenever possible, attend an event in your community. At the beginning of each month, we also plan to provide updates from the previous month’s events, including photographs, highlights, and any press coverage generated in the communities he has visited.
I hope you will help us make the most of Mohammad’s time in the U.S. If you have friends, family members, or colleagues in a community where he will be speaking whom you think would be interested in attending, please let us know. And, of course, please reach out if you have any questions about a particular event.
This month’s newsletter also includes exciting recognition for Givat Haviva’s Through Others’ Eyes program, as well as recent news and media coverage highlighting our work and mission.
Finally, as we approach the High Holy Days, I want to wish each of you and your families a Shana Tova. My hope for 5787 is that it will be a year of health and happiness, but also a year of greater peace, understanding, and hope for Jews and Arabs alike.
Thank you, as always, for your continued friendship and support of Friends of Givat Haviva and for believing in the importance of this work.
L’Shalom,
Jonathan Lack
Executive Director
& Board Member
Friends of Givat Haviva
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| Mohammad Darawshe in the U.S. |
Nancy Pinter, Max Samson, Bonnie Joseph,
Mohammad Darawshe, Gina Samson (l to r)
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Givat Haviva Director of Strategy Mohammad Darawshe arrived in the United States in late August. After meeting with donors in Milwaukee, he has begun weekly meetings and speaking engagements scheduled through mid-December.
The November and December events list will be in the October 1 newsletter. For further information, contact Steve.levine@usfogh.org
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| September Events with Mohammad Darawshe |
| Date |
Location |
Event |
| Sept. 4 |
The City Club of Cleveland
Cleveland, OH |
“Israel at a Crossroads: Charting the Path Within and Beyond” — Register or watch the livestream |
| Sept. 4 |
Mishkan Or Synagogue
Cleveland, OH |
Friday evening Shabbat service |
| Sept. 5 |
Congregation Shir Shalom
Williamsville, NY |
Selichot Service — Watch livestream |
| Sept. 6 |
North Presbyterian Church
Williamsville, NY |
Sunday morning service, 9:30 AM — Watch livestream |
| Sept. 21 |
Washington Hebrew Congregation
Washington, DC |
Yom Kippur service |
| Sept. 24 |
Amherst, MA |
Meetings with the Jewish Community of Amherst and the UMass Amherst Hillel |
| Sept. 25 |
Temple Beth El
Springfield, MA |
“Arab Citizens of Israel Post Oct. 7” , 6 PM |
| Sept. 26 |
Congregation Knesset Israel
Pittsfield, MA |
Shabbat morning service. Rabbi David Weiner is a member of the FOGH National Rabbinic Cabinet. |
| Sept. 28 |
Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life
New York, NY |
Evening event with students, faculty, and staff |
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| October Events with Mohammad Darawshe |
| Date |
Location |
Event |
| Oct. 10 |
Temple Emanuel
Newton, MA |
Shabbat service |
| Oct. 13 |
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA |
Evening program, 7:30 PM |
| Oct. 15 |
Congregation Emanu El
Houston, TX |
Program with Congregation Emanu El and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston |
| Oct. 19 |
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Houston, TX |
Mohammad in conversation with Baker Institute Director Ambassador David M. Satterfield |
| Oct. 24 |
Kane Street Synagogue
Brooklyn, NY |
Community program |
| Oct. 24 |
Romemu
New York, NY |
Evening services |
| Oct. 25 |
Atlanta, GA |
J Street National Leadership Summit |
| Oct. 30 |
Congregation Beth Sholom
San Francisco, CA |
Friday evening service |
| Oct. 31 |
Congregation Etz Chayim
Palo Alto, CA |
Luncheon |
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Through Others’ Eyes in Prestigious
Belgian Contest |
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A photograph from Givat Haviva’s Through Others’ Eyes (TOE) program has been selected as one of 16 photographs in the King Baudouin Foundation’s 2026 photography competition in Belgium.
In the photograph a group of Jewish and Arab youth participants in TOE are seated together around a table in a composition reminiscent of The Last Supper. Their gathering around one table is an image of partnership, encounter, and the possibility of creating a shared space even within a complex reality.
“We are proud to be among the projects selected,” says Jenan Halabi, coordinator of the TOE program. “For me, the selection of this photograph is an opportunity to bring to an international audience the story of Jewish and Arab young people who choose to meet, get to know one another, and create together.”
An independent jury selected the 16 photographs from more than 600 submitted by projects supported by the foundation.
The TOE photograph will be displayed alongside the other 15 selected works as part of “Stories That Warm the Heart,” an exhibition at the BELvue Museum in Brussels, from September 1 to October 17, as part of the King Baudouin Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
The public is invited to vote for the photograph and help bring the story of Through Others’ Eyes to an even wider audience. Add your support on Instagram and Facebook.
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| Givat Haviva Live Briefing September 16th |
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Please join Friends of Givat Haviva on Wednesday, September 16th, 1:00pm-2:00pm (ET), for a live update from the Givat Haviva campus. CEO Michal Sella will provide an insider’s look at educational initiatives for the new school year. Director of Strategy Mohammad Darawshe and Sella will discuss why the upcoming elections in Israel are pivotal for Givat Haviva’s mission.
During the live briefing we will also hear from Eden Mamon, Alumni Program Coordinator, on outreach to thousands of Jewish and Arab citizens who have participated in Givat Haviva educational programs, and from Sami Jinich, coordinator of the Through Others’ Eyes tour of American Jewish camps.
Register Here
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| FOGH Welcomes New Staff Members |
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Sami Jinich is the new Friends of Givat Haviva Community Engagement & Program Associate. He recently returned home to the Washington, DC, area after living and working for a year at Givat Haviva. He was the New Israel Fund’s Shatil Fellow, working in Givat Haviva’s strategy department and at the Younited international high school. Sami also wrote regular feature articles about Givat Haviva staff for the FOGH website and newsletter.
Sami can be reached at Sami@usfogh.org.
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Brenna Trembone serves as Operations and Development Services Associate at Friends of Givat Haviva. She is the organization’s central point of contact for day-to-day operations and donor services - processing gifts and acknowledgements, maintaining donor records and reporting, coordinating logistics for events and speaking tours, and producing the newsletters, invitations, and website updates that keep FOGH’s supporters informed.
Donors, board members, event hosts, and partner organizations are encouraged to contact Brenna at brenna@usfogh.org with questions about contributions, upcoming events, mailings, and scheduling.
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Friends of Givat Haviva
Building Israeli Jewish-Arab Shared Society
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