Join us for a profound and powerful conversation with Ali Abu Awwad, a distinguished Palestinian peace activist and founder of Taghyeer, a movement advocating nonviolence for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Born in 1972 in Halhoul, his journey from a politically active family, through imprisonment in an Israeli jail for four years, to a peace advocate, reflects a profound transformation.

Initially involved in the First Intifada, Awwad's perspectives shifted during his imprisonment, leading to his engagement in nonviolent resistance. This change was catalyzed by personal tragedies, including his brother Yousef's killing by an IDF soldier, which deepened his commitment to nonviolent activism. Awwad's efforts are recognized globally, including his portrayal in documentaries and honors for promoting nonviolent, civic engagement in Palestine. His work includes collaborating with Israeli peace activists, emphasizing reconciliation and understanding.

Taghyeer, under Awwad’s guidance, organizes large-scale demonstrations and community projects, striving to establish a Palestinian nonviolent identity and advocate for peace. Awwad's upcoming memoir, "Painful Hope," encapsulates his experiences and vision for a peaceful Palestinian future.

Join me in conversation with renowned psychoanalyst Merav Roth, who speaks about her experience driving down to the Dead Sea on October 8 to be with the survivors of Kibbutz Beeri; families who were going through the worst horrors imaginable, and the guidelines she created for therapists dealing with the ongoing trauma. She ended up staying there for weeks and has since been working to help bereaved families and children, hostage families, and hostages who have returned from Gaza. She also speaks about her own resilience ingrained in her by her famous father as well as her brother Yair Lapid, and we speak about the obligation to continue to live life from a place of deep compassion, and self-compassion.

Prof. Merav Roth (PhD) is a clinical psychologist, a training psychoanalyst and an interdisciplinary researcher of psychoanalysis and literature. Merav is at the University of Haifa and the former head of the “Psychoanalytic psychotherapy program”; former founder and chair of Melanie Klein’s advanced studies; and former chair of the Interdisciplinary psychoanalytic Doctoral unit, all in the School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. Merav wrote many psychoanalytic papers and chapters, including on the life and death instincts, on the interdisciplinary interface of psychoanalysis and literature and on trauma and bereavement. Her first book in Hebrew (carmel, 2017) was translated into English, titled “A psychoanalytic perspective on reading literature – Reading the reader” (Routledge, 2020). Her (Hebrew) book “True love as the love of truth” was recently published (Alma publishing house, 2024).

Join us in a stirring narrative as Gidon Lev, a Czechoslovakian-born, former Israeli dairy farmer, and Holocaust survivor, opens up about his harrowing childhood in the Theresienstadt ghetto and his path to becoming an inspiring figure on social media. Gidon reflects on the pain of losing 26 family members during the Holocaust, his journey to Israel, service in the Six Day War, and finding the strength to foster tolerance and hope in a war-torn region. Discover how Gidon's legacy transcends trauma, turning a history of darkness into a beacon of light for future generations.

Born in 1935, Gidon Lev was interned at the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Holocaust from the ages of 6 to 10, where Gidon lost 26 family members and only he and his mother survived. They moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1949, where Gidon became actively involved with the Zionist youth organization HaShomer HaTzair. In 1959, he immigrated to Israel and served in the IDF, standing guard on Mt. Scopus in 1962 and later engaging in combat during the Six Day War and the War of Attrition.

Gidon has six children from two marriages. He now resides in Northern Israel with his partner Julie, who was the guiding force behind Gidon's social media ascension.

Join us for an intimate and eye-opening conversation with Prof. Anat Brunstein Klomek, Dean of Reichman University’s School of Psychology. Dive into the heart of resilience amidst the Israel-Gaza war, the pervasive impact of trauma and PTSD, the challenges of social media toxicity, and learn how to communicate with children about the complexities of our reality. We also hear about Anat’s personal journey of navigating through a profound tragedy six months prior to October 7, and her experiences with anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric at Columbia University, as well as insight into her own strategies for maintaining resilience in the face of adversity.

Prof. Anat Brunstein Klomek is the Dean of Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at Reichman University and a clinical psychologist. Anat completed her post-doctoral fellowship and was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York. In the last years she has been the academic advisor of the Israel Ministries of Health and Education as part of the national suicide prevention program. Anat is the Israeli representative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), and the assistant editor of Archives of Suicide Research and a member of editorial board of Lancet Psychiatry. Her primary research interests include depression, suicidality, bullying/cyber bullying, interpersonal therapy, learning disorders/ADHD and eating disorders.

Amidst the horrors of war, meditation guru Stephen Fulder finds redemption in being present with both joy and sorrow; in dancing with his dog during his walks in the beautiful village he helped found; in the close communal life with his Arab neighbors; and in his unwavering devotion to compassion and humanity. Join us for a profound conversation with Stephen as he reminds us of what truly matters in this world.

Stephen Fulder is the founder and senior teacher of Tovana, the largest meditation society in Israel. Stephen was born in London in 1946, educated at Oxford University and has a Ph.D in molecular biology. He has been practicing Buddhism and meditation for 45 years, including years in India. Stephen has been teaching classes, groups, and retreats intensively for 30 years. He has had 16 books published including the best seller ערות בחיי היומיום (English version: What’s Beyond Mindfulness: Waking Up To This Precious Life) and The Five Powers. He is the founder of the Middleway organization and has been active in peace and ecological work in the Middle East. He’s also one of the founders of the ecological village of Clil in the Western galilee.