Why A Young American Came to Israel for Shared Society

A Young American Jew Working for Shared Society at Givat Haviva

 

By Enno Ebersbach

 

In early 2026, central Tel Aviv filled with Israelis—Jewish and Arab alike—demanding action against rising crime in Arab communities and criticizing government inaction. Among the demonstrators was Sami Jinich, a young Jewish American working at Givat Haviva. The calls for equality and security for all citizens resonated deeply with him. “When minorities are safe, everyone is safe,” he says—an idea that felt instinctive to his American Jewish upbringing.

 

Israel had played an important role in Sami’s life from an early age. The son of Mexican-Jewish parents, he grew up in a pluralistic Jewish community in Washington, D.C., attending a Jewish primary school where he learned Hebrew, addressed teachers as Geveret and Adon, and sang the Hatikva, in addition to the pledge of allegiance, every week. “I was told from a young age that I had a stake in this country,” he recalls. Regular visits to Israel, where he has relatives, strengthened that sense of connection.

 

During middle school, however, he began encountering perspectives that challenged what he came to see as an overly simplistic narrative. “I moved to a more diverse secular school, so I was exposed to more critical views” he says. Seeking to better understand his relationship to Israel and Judaism, he joined a gap-year program at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem after high school. The experience deepened his attachment to Israel while also confronting him with realities he had not previously faced. “I saw issues my education had largely avoided—inequality, internal tensions, and the occupation.”

 

On one trip, Sami recalls meeting representatives of the Hebron Jewish community and then immediately meeting a Palestinian man nearby whose front door had been bolted shut by the IDF—his street now closed to non-Jews. “It was easy to find empathy with almost everyone I met, but certain realities were too difficult to accept.”

 

At Duke University, where he studied political science, these experiences continued to shape his engagement. In the fall of 2021, he founded a campus chapter of JStreetU to encourage discussion among Jewish students. “Many people quickly choose sides,” he says. “I felt there was a need for more conversation within the Jewish community.”

 

As graduation approached, Sami decided to return to Israel—not to remain in a familiar environment, but to engage more directly with the country’s diversity. “This time I wanted to step outside the Jewish bubble and meet other communities, including Palestinian citizens of Israeli,” he explains.

 

That goal led him to Givat Haviva, an organization focused on building shared society through education. He now divides his time between assisting the organization’s director of startegy and working as a community educator at Younited, an international high school on campus where Jewish and Arab students live and study together.

 

His time there has coincided with a turbulent period. Violence in Arab communities has reached record levels, regional tensions remain high, and political polarization continues to deepen. In this climate, Sami describes Givat Haviva as a rare but vital space for dialogue. Jewish students learn Arabic and encounter Arab cultures firsthand, while Arab students strengthen their Hebrew and navigate the realities of the wider society. For many, it is the first meaningful interaction with peers from the other community.

 

What stands out to him most is how quickly conversations move beyond politics to personal stories—experiences of conflict, language barriers, and daily life. These exchanges, he believes, are the foundation of a shared future.

 

“Shared society isn’t built through debates alone,” he reflects. “It grows when people learn to carry each other’s stories.”

 

That realization has reshaped his understanding of partnership. “I used to think allies were only those who agreed with me, but seeing people come to Givat Haviva for so many reasons—ideological, social, or simply to work—it’s clear that people with different views can still work toward the same goals.”

 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Israel and the region, Sami believes the work of shared-society initiatives is more important than ever. “A stable future depends on ensuring that every community feels it belongs,” he says. “Without that, lasting peace will remain out of reach.”

 

Enno Ebersbach is the Peter and Friedel Grützmacher Intern for International Partner Relations at Givat Haviva. He has lived in Israel in the past and came to Givat Haviva at the beginning of March 2026.