Ben Ben Ami is a spring 2017 alumnus of the Arava Institute. He was born to a Moroccan Jewish family in Kiryat Atta, near Haifa. He is currently studying Jewish-Arab Culture and Middle Eastern Studies at Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva. Ben worked with Friends Forever International as a youth leader for Palestinian-Israeli and British-Irish groups. He enjoys playing music, juggling and clowning in his spare time.
The Dialogue Project
Beyond Borders: Environmental Cooperation in Israel and Palestine
From the month of October 2018, Arava Institute alumni will be visiting universities and communities throughout the United States. They will speak about their experiences growing up in Israeli and Palestinian families, their decision to study environmental cooperation together at the Arava Institute, and answer any questions raised by members of your community.
The itinerary below is subject to change. Please contact Sarah with questions about individual visits or events.
The Friends of the Arava Institute will also be hosting an alumni tour in spring 2019. Please contact Sarah to book a date during the spring tour!
The Dialogue Project: Fall 2018
October 8-10: Greater Boston Area
October 11-13: Upstate New York
October 14-16: Georgia
October 17-18: North Carolina
October 19-21: Washington, DC
October 22: Indianapolis, IN
October 23-24: Greater New York City Area
October 25-26: Connecticut and Western Massachusetts
The Dialogue Project in the News
“Arava Brings Stories of Coexistence to Athens,” The Atlanta Jewish Times, February 15, 2018
“Amidst hostility of Israel-Palestinian conflict, environmental concerns transcend borders, speakers say,” The Badger Herald (University of Wisconsin, Madison), February 6, 2018
“Arava Institute Alumni Discuss Israel-Palestine Conflict,” The Dickinsonian (Dickinson College), October 26, 2017
“Israeli, Palestinian visit MSU to discuss conflict, encourage cooperation,” The State News (Michigan State University), October 24, 2017
“Israelis and Palestinian find common ground in the environment,” Pitt News (University of Pittsburgh), October 20, 2017
“Speakers discuss Israeli-Palestinian environmental cooperation at Lunch & Learn,” Tufts Daily News (Tufts University), October 13, 2017
“Former students of Israel’s environmental Arava Institute visit CU Boulder, promote peace,” CU Independent (University of Colorado, Boulder), January 31, 2017
“Environmentalists talk societal relations amidst Middle East conflict,” BU Pipe Dream (Binghamton University), September 16, 2016
Hasan Ebdah studied at the Arava Institute during the spring and fall of 2016 and currently lives in Amman, Jordan. He was born to a Palestinian family living in Irbid, Jordan. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Al Balqaa University in 2015. Apart from his work as a Mechanical Engineer in Amman, Hasan volunteers as a coach for a youth football team and is a community organizer for the “Keep Irbid Clean” campaign.