Dear friends, supporters of the School for Peace,

After six years as director of the School for Peace, I have decided to step down from my position. These have been meaningful and tiring years, years in which I grew as a person and as a professional. Stepping down is not an easy decision, but I do so knowing the organization is strong and its work more necessary than ever.

These were not ordinary years. They began with a global pandemic, followed by the events of May 2021, the horror of the 7th of October attack, and the criminal annihilation war in Gaza. We lived through two wars with Iran, watched organized crime and murder spread through Palestinian society in Israel, and witnessed the forming of an ethnic cleansing process in the West Bank.

I am proud to have led an organization that addressed this reality in real time, with political honesty and resilience. Throughout this period we continued our binational dialogue work, bringing Jews and Palestinians together when almost no one else did, while supporting the activism and resistance of our participants and graduates. In the hardest moments, people kept coming to the room. I am proud of our ability to continue talking and continue thinking through all of this.

Despite the difficult reality around us, the School for Peace remains stable and continues to grow. The scope of our work is broad, our donor base diverse, our friends associations committed, and our partnerships with Palestinian and Jewish organizations firmly rooted, alongside an active network of graduates. The challenges ahead are real, above all confronting a reality of deepening repression and violence, but I have full confidence in the School’s ability to keep working, keep influencing, and come through this period.

I am glad to share that my replacement is Rawan Bisharat. Rawan is an experienced facilitator and manager in the field of dialogue and Jewish-Palestinian relations. As director of Sadaka-Reut, she developed innovative methodologies and steered the organisation through difficult periods. Her political awareness and educational perspective are a natural fit for the School for Peace. Rawan is also an alumna of the School for Peace: She graduated from the program of Change Agents in Mixed Cities 2016. I am also glad to call her a friend. Rawan will step into the role in mid-September, and we are working together closely until then to ensure a smooth transition.

I will always be a part of the School for Peace. I leave the position with gratitude to my colleagues, facilitators, participants, and supporters around the world.

Sincerely,

Dr. Roi Silberberg,

Director of the School for Peace