Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, and American Friends of the Parents Circle invite you to a Dialogue Meeting with bereaved Israeli daughter, Meytal Ofer, and bereaved Palestinian mother, Laila Alsheikh.
Join us to hear their stories of loss, of reconciliation, and of hope. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Parents Circle’s transformative peace and reconciliation activities.
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Laila Alsheikh lives in Bethlehem in the West Bank. In 2002, her 6 months old son, Qussay, became ill and Israeli soldiers prevented Layla from taking him to the hospital for more than five hours. Qussay soon died from the lack of timely treatment. Layla joined the Parents Circle in 2016. Following her son’s death, she never thought of revenge, but rather has devoted her time and energy to ensuring a better, more peaceful future for her children.
Meytal Ofer is Israeli and grew up on a moshav. In October 2013, Meytal’s father, Sraya “Yaya” Ofer, a former senior officer in the Israeli Defense Forces, was brutally murdered by two Palestinians as a gift to Hamas prisoners for Eid al-Adha. A year later, Meytal sought to come to terms with her grief and anger by joining the Parents Circle – Families Forum, in the hopes that no one on either side of the conflict will experience the pain of loss.
