Dear Friends,

After a month-long break for the Jewish holidays, we return to our second series on Expanding the conversation on Israel/ Palestine,  with a renewed commitment to engage in a deep and respectful conversation as we learn from our speakers and from one another.   

We hope you will all join us for the talk by Nadia Sa’ah, the second speaker in the series of Palestinian voices,  who will speak about The Nakbah: Palestinian History Through Testimonies and Images,  this coming Tuesday, evening, October 18, at  8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. CST, and 5:00 p.m. PST. 

Click here for the zoom registration link for the session.  

Here is a short description of her talk: 

The Nakba (Catastrophe), began in 1948 when Israeli troops forcibly expelled over 700,000 Palestinians and destroyed over 500 Palestinian villages.  It continues to this day.  Sa’ah argues that a sustainable future in Palestine/Israel can only emerge in the presence of justice and that a first step toward that future is facing the realities of the Nakba and its impact on Palestinian lives.  She will review evidence using eyewitness accounts, images, and testimony of the descendants of Palestinians who were forced into exile.  She will also demonstrate the ongoing Nakba that Palestinians endure. 

Nadia Sa’ah founded and directs Project ’48, a cross-platform initiative to advance awareness of the Palestinian Nakba.  She has served as campaign director and strategist for media companies, rights organizations and foundations.  She also produces and consults on Palestine-themed film and television projects and on campaigns that seek a just, sustainable future in Palestine/Israel.  She was Deputy Director of the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), and she currently serves on the boards of Jewish Currents, UNRWA USA, and the Adalah Justice Project. 

Please reach out to friends and members of your community who may be interested in our series.  You can send them this letter and if they fill out this Zoom registration link, they will receive these emails and links to all the talks in this series.  There is a list of all the upcoming talks at the bottom of this letter.  

Please consider making a donation to advance these conversations and the future of this project.

This series is organized independently and co-sponsored by several Reconstructionist congregations – Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Havurah Shalom Israel/Palestine Committee, Kadima Reconstructionist Community, Kol Tzedek, Mishkan Shalom, and Or Haneshamah.

L’shalom,
Joel, Diana, Marcy, Sue, Rebecca, Brian, and Laurie

PS. We are pleased that many of you heard the extraordinary presentation in September by Professor Rashid Khalidi, the first speaker in our series. If you were unable to attend, we encourage you to watch the recording by clicking the following link and entering the access passcode. 

September 14 Recording – Professor Khalidi Access Passcode: U23#TJXb

Here is the list of future talks; click here for descriptions and bios.

Our programs begin at 8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. CST, and 5:00 p.m. PST. On November 1 we will open the room at 7:30 pm for an optional screening of the short film “The Present.”

• November 1:  Yafa Jarrar, “The West Bank: Life under Apartheid”

• November 15:  Basma Fahoum, “Palestinian Citizens of Israel”

• November 29:  Jehad Abusalim, “Light in Gaza: Reflections on Gaza’s Past, Present, and Future”

• December 13:  Sa’ed Atshan, “Jerusalem: The Politics of Coexistence”