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Recent Updates

AFNSWAS Executive Director, Perrine Vaillant, talks with show host Ninon De Vere De Rosa about Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam:

Video starts at 1:40

The Oasis of Peace featured on PBS' Religion & Ethics

PBS' Kim Lawton visited Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam and talked with Abdessalam Najjar and Nava Sonnenschein:

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Support the 1st grade class this year and follow the children through our blog

The American Friends of NSWAS has launched a new campaign this school year to support the 1st grade class at the Primary School. These 25 Palestinian and Jewish children represent a new generation that will be raised in a spirit of mutual respect and equality. You can read more about this campaign on our dedicated page, support the children by donating and follow their life at the Primary School on our blog!

Read donors' comments on the Oasis of Peace

Our donors often share why they support the Oasis of Peace. You can read them on our dedicated page and you can also share your own experience on our online guestbook.

Follow the American Friends on Jumo

The American Friends now has its page on the new Jumo platform. Check our page out and follow us.


The "Oasis of Peace" celebrates 40 years

On November 6, 1970 the lease on the village lands was signed with the Monastery at Latrun. The village arranged a gathering for members and residents to mark the anniversary. Together they watched a film on the history of the village and invited some of the veteran members to speak about the early years (and younger ones to give their impressions).

"After making fruitless inquiries and having our hopes dashed on several occasions, forty hectares of land came to us out of the blue in a most surprising way.  The Trappist monastery of Latrun offered us a hill.  Before the war in 1967, it had been a demilitarized area, a no man's land between Israel and Jordan.  In return for a peppercorn rent of three pence a year and a 100 year lease renewable after forty-nine years, this hill became the place where the dream of Neve Shalom could come true." - When the Cloud was Lifted  by Father Bruno Hussar, founder of the Oasis of Peace.

You can learn more about the history of the village here and see a few pictures of the 40th anniversary festivities in the village here.

Ralphs stores customers: register your Rewards card to support the "Oasis of Peace" when shopping

Please consider supporting the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam when shopping: Ralphs will donate up to 4% of your bill to support the educational programs of the "Oasis of Peace."

Simply go to www.ralphs.com and register your Reward Card with our organization's number: 92526.

Log in to your account (you might need to create an account), under My Account, go to Community Reward Information and edit your Community Contribution Program Information.
Use our organization number -92526- to link you Reward Card to the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you encounter any problem. Thank you for your support!

"Before it's too late: moving from protest to persistent activity": NSWAS mobilizes Israeli and Palestinian NGOs

On July 22, 2010 Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam organized a major conference, “Before its too late: Moving from protest to persistent activity”, which brought together some 90 activists from a broad spectrum of Arab and Jewish organizations dealing with human rights and peace activities.

The first part of the conference included presentations that highlighted both the siege on Gaza following the flotilla incident, and the erosion of human rights and democratic freedom in the country and the Occupied Territories. The second part gave the participants the opportunity to propose ideas for a joint Jewish-Arab initiatives for change.

Before it's too late Conference  working group

Before it's too late Conference audience

Young People who grew up in "Oasis of Peace" visit Chautauqua Institute, NY

Maram Higazi and Omer Schwartz grew up in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. Today, Maram is a nursing student at the Hebrew University and Omer is studying film at Tel Aviv University. In July, they are visiting the Chautauqua Institute in New York discussing daily life in the "Oasis of Peace" and dialoguing with hundreds about Jewish-Arab relations. They joined esteemed activist, professor and author Galia Golan for a public dialogue on current relations in Israel.

You can find an article about their visit on the Chautauquan Daily website. You can also watch them as they address the Chautauquan audience on our video page.

Maram Higazi, Omer Schwartz, Hanan Ashrawi, Galia Golan and Teny Pirri-Simonian

Maram Higazi, Hanan Ashrawi, Teny Pirri-Simonian, Galia Golan and Omer Schwartz