Dear friends, I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. Yesterday, we met with our Israeli and Palestinian staff via Zoom. All of our staff members and their families are safe and healthy. Both the Israeli and Palestinian offices have been closed, and remain closed until further notice. We were so glad to … Continue reading Israeli and Palestinian team “meet” amidst COVID-19
We knew the upcoming novel, Apeirogon, based on the stories of bereaved members, Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin, would be a big moment for the Parents Circle, but we didn’t realize it would be THIS big. Just this week, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners acquired the rights to Apeirogon, written by National Book Award winner Colum McCann. Oprah Magazine called Apeirogon, a “profound prayer for … Continue reading Steven Spielberg and Oprah are talking about us…
Have you ever heard the word Apeirogon? It means an “infinite” and “boundless” shape. And it is the title of a new novel by National Book Award winner and bestselling author, Colum McCann. But this is more than an acclaimed novel. It is the story of our very own heroes, bereaved members and PCFF co-Directors, Rami Elhanan and … Continue reading Apeirogon Book Tour
A true story about a Palestinian father and Israeli father who join the Parents Circle to grieve their daughters and advocate for peace.
by Robi Damelin Bereaved Israeli mother Parents Circle – Families Forum It’s simple to make a personal New Year’s resolution, which you inevitably break by January 2nd. But it’s another matter entirely to make resolutions on behalf of an organization, especially an organization made up of Palestinian and Israeli bereaved families. Imagine the trust involved and the goodwill from both sides when … Continue reading My 2020 Resolutions
We have been blessed this year with many new enterprises, events, and accolades, but the Parents Circle’s Breaking Bread Benefit Dinner remains one of the highlights of our year. So we are happy to be penning this letter in which we share a brand new recipe, created especially for the occasion. Although the United States … Continue reading A gift from Michael Solomonov and Reem Kassis
WATCH NOW
“We had an amazingly moving meeting. This is one of the moving moments we had in which one of the Palestinian women asked all the women to stand in a moment of silence to commemorate victims of violence on both sides.” We hit our first goal in our campaign to save the Parallel Narrative Experience … Continue reading You can keep hope alive in 2020
Join us for our upcoming webinar: The Next Generation of Peace Leadership: Dialogue Meeting with Yigal Elhanan and Arab Aramin Thursday, December 12th at 2:00 PM EST Registration required Yigal Elhanan is 27 years old and Israeli; Arab Aramin is 25 and Palestinian. Both have lost their sisters to the violent conflict. They should hate one another, but … Continue reading Webinar: The Next Generation of Peace Leadership
We wish everyone celebrating a happy Rosh Hashana. May the coming year be more peaceful and full of light.
I am Kholoud Houshiya and I live in the village of Al Yamun near Jenin. Originally my family is from Haifa. I wasn’t able to experience childhood due to the occupation, which forcibly displaced my family to Jenin under oppression and humiliation.
Later, I married and I gave birth to my first child, whom I named Mohammed. I raised him with all my love and effort.
Mohammed was a young man who loved life dearly, and he loved me even more. He was both my son and my friend, thanks to our close bond.
Mohamad was 23 years old. He worked in Israel and helped his father.
On January 2, 2024 Mohamed took a picture of the Israeli army tearing down my neighbor’s house. The army thought otherwise and they shot him. Just because he was Palestinian.
I always dreamed of seeing my son as a groom, just like any mother. But now, I am left with him buried in my garden. I had hoped to see him, his wife, and his children in my house, but now, every day, I look at his grave from the window in my room.
My message to the world is this: Enough. Enough killing, enough injustice, enough destruction, enough oppression. Enough violence on both sides.
It is not easy for a mother to recount the story of her son’s death—the pain is indescribable. I cannot bear the loss of another child. This is why we must raise the voice of the mothers for a better future for all children and young generations – Palestinians and Israelis.
I am Hala Al-Bukhari, living in Jerusalem.
My daughter, my sister and her large family, children and grandchildren live in Gaza. Despite the distance, before the war, I used to communicate with them daily, checking on their health via video call.
On the morning of October 7th, my son told me to watch TV to see what was happening in southern Israel. From that day, fear has overwhelmed my heart.
Then came the morning of October 18th, bringing the harsh news: My sister’s house was bombed, and she, her husband, her children, and grandchildren were in the house—33 innocent lives lost in this horrific massacre. Since then, my fear for my daughter has grown. I have pleaded with human rights organizations, seeking any means to get her out of the hell of war and the horror of the massacres. Eventually we succeeded to get my daughter out of Gaza.
With every word I write, I struggle to express the extent of my pain. Our hearts bleed with grief for those we have lost and continue to lose. Our sorrow is profound, and our souls yearn for the peace we all dream of.
Let us all live in peace and build a better future for our children. War brings only destruction and ruin to everyone involved, whether Palestinian or Israeli. It is always the innocent people who suffer the most.
I am Liat Atzili from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
My partner, Aviv and I built a life and a family in Nir Oz. We were an inseparable part of this little community, which fulfilled our aspirations and needs. Mine as an educator, and Aviv’s as a farmer and an artist.
On October 7th, our kibbutz was attacked, conquered, and destroyed by Hamas. A quarter of the residents were either killed or kidnapped, including me. The time I spent as a hostage in Gaza was of complete despair, unending fear for my friends and family, and long days. I was nervous that I wouldn’t survive.
After 54 days in captivity, I was returned home. The following day, my family and I were told that Aviv was killed on October 7th. Aviv had hundreds of friends, he traveled and created, and made the most of every opportunity; he truly loved life.In his final year, Aviv fulfilled many dreams, the greatest being to share his art publicly. While managing the kibbutz’s agricultural garage, he painted on tractor parts and scrap metal, blending his love for metals and the Negev fields into his creations. Our children looked up to him and I feel like I had the greatest privilege to share my life with him.
I always believed that war is not our destiny, and that any conflict, including ours, can be solved. This war has proven to me beyond a doubt that we cannot continue fighting, that we have no right to impose the continued suffering of war on future generations on either side. I am ready today, more than ever, to do everything in my power so that our children can live here in peace and security.
I am Mazen from Bethlehem. Many of my family members live in Beit Lahiya, Gaza. They lived in a beautiful house and went on about their lives, despite the siege.
It all stopped on October 10, 2024, when, my uncle, his three sons, and his son-in-law were outside near the house. Israeli aircraft targeted them with bombardment and gunfire. My aunt managed to bring their bodies into the house. With trembling hands, she was forced to gather what remained of them, unable for over a week to lay her husband and three sons to rest.
I cannot believe that so many of my family are dead, and that I cannot go there to help them and cry with them.
The depth of pain in Gaza is beyond description and cannot be fathomed by the human mind. How much longer will this hatred on both sides continue? How much longer will we endure this nightmare? All the Palestinian people desire is a dignified life free from occupation—a fundamental right, just like that of any other people in the world.
The suffering will not cease until we collectively seek pathways to peace and understanding. Revenge will not forge a shared future; we must strive to find common ground and solidarity. Let us unite for a brighter future for the generations to come, and let us raise our voices for peace, so that together we may end this cycle of violence and finally live in safety and harmony.
