UPDATE
Thank you for the opportunity to facilitate a 3-part education series on Peacebuilding in the Holy Land. We’d like to invite folks to continue engaging in CMEP’s work by taking one or more of these next steps:
- Give a donation to help sustain CMEP’s peacebuilding & advocacy work: DONATE
- Sign up for CMEP’s mailing list to stay up to date on current news from the Middle East and upcoming events: SIGN UP
- Raise your voice for peace and justice at CMEP’s upcoming Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. April 20-21st: SPEAK UP
Contact Len Scales (email)
February 5 – 19, 2023
9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room
We are delighted to welcome our long-term mission partner, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), to Adult Education in February. Leaders from CMEP’s headquarters in Washington DC, CMEP partners from the Holy Land, and Nassau member Lina Genovesi, originally from Lebanon, will guide us through the history of the long-standing, complicated conflict in the land, multi-faith perspectives on peace building, and the biblical foundations for advocacy.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class title.
February 5
An Introduction to Israel and Palestine Today
Kyle Christofalo
Kyle serves as the Senior Director of Advocacy and Government Relations for Churches for Middle East Peace. Kyle holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from Messiah College, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He was first introduced to Middle East advocacy work during a semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt. After graduating from college, Kyle spent 10 months serving with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he was seconded to work with Bethlehem Bible College. Most recently, Kyle served as the Program Assistant for Middle East Policy at the Friends Committee on Legislation where he helped coordinate lobbying work on Middle East policy and trained grassroots advocates on how to lobby their Congressional representatives.
February 12
Multi-faith Perspectives on Peace Building from the Holy Land
Lina Genovesi, moderator
Lina is a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. As a child of war in Lebanon, Lina was sensitized to the importance of peace in the Middle East, having experienced first-hand the negative impact warring political factions can have on the lives of ordinary people subjected to pain and suffering they have no control over. Lina is inspired by CMEP’s message of justice and peace in the Middle East and is excited and honored to be part of CMEP’s effort. Lina is employed as an attorney and is blessed with a husband and a daughter.
Panelists:
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Leora Ezrachi-Vered grew up in a Reform family in Jerusalem. She has worked in the Israeli Reform movement as an educator and leader- leading Noar Telem (Israeli Reform youth movement) and the Mechina Kdam-Tzvait (pre-army gap year). She is active in interfaith dialogue and many shared society initiatives, fighting for a more just and equal Israel. |
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Shireen Awwad Hilal is Director of Bethlehem Bible College Community and Development Outreach, where she was previously the Dean of Students and a lecturer in education and leadership. She is also an active leader in Musalaha’s reconciliation programming, facilitating and leading women’s groups in the Bethlehem area. |
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Ata Manassra is a certified tour guide in the Holy Land. He is also a farmer and the Founder of the Narjes Group which works with the Friends of Wadi Fouqin USA. While he was unable to join us for the class, we were pleased to welcome his son, Adam, a 25-year-old civil engineer, born and raised in Palestine. |
February 19
Biblical Foundations for Christian Peace Building and Advocacy
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon
Mae Elise is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). She holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received a PhD from the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine, and a second PhD in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and is the editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land.