The Oasis of Peace Mourns the Loss of Abdessalam Najjar
On March 22, 2012, the community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam lost one of its earliest and most influential members, Abdessalam Najjar. Over the years, Abdessalam had traveled many times to the United States and helped spread Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam’s message of peace in the country.
Abdessalam Najjar was born in 1952 in Nazareth, North Israel, and came from a family of devout Muslims. Abdessalam became involved in peace education while he was studying at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, where his first meaningful encounter with Jewish students took place.
Abdessalam first met Father Bruno Hussar, who envisioned the creation of a Jewish-Arab village, in 1976. Two years later Abdessalam became the first Arab to join the community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the “Oasis of Peace.” He and his wife Aisheh raised their four children in the “Oasis of Peace,” where Shirin, Leila, Nur and Mohammed could learn the art of peacemaking from birth. Once the village was founded, Abdessalam, worked with other village members to develop educational institutions which would exert influence beyond the village itself. Since then the village has become home to fifty-five families, half Jewish and half Arab. Homes are now being built for the second generation and the village has plans to expand to accommodate ninety-one more families.
In the recent period, Abdessalam headed the Pluralistic Spiritual Center in NSWAS. He focused his efforts on providing peace education to Jews and Arabs in the mixed Jewish Arab town of Acre in northern Israel. Acre has become the site of tensions and violent clashes between the two peoples. With great success, Abdessalam facilitated dialogue and mediation workshops for Jewish and Arab community leaders of the town, to meet each other and find ways to cooperate together.
Abdessalam dedicated his whole life to peace education through his commitment to improving Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and the region. The community honored him on April 29, the 40th day since his passing, in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. Visit Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam's webpage for testimonials and condoleances.
2010/2011 Annual Report
The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam has released its Annual Report for fiscal year 2010/2011. You can download a copy and find additional information on our financial information page. Please contact us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (818) 325-8884 if you would like a hard copy of the report.
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:
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.
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, Hanan Ashrawi, Teny Pirri-Simonian, Galia Golan and Omer Schwartz
On March 22, 2012, the community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam lost one of its earliest and most influential members, Abdessalam Najjar. Over the years, Abdessalam had traveled many times to the United States and helped spread Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam’s message of peace in the country.
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 
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).
