Our Impact
The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam directly impacts daily life in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam by supporting education and youth programs, arts initiatives, humanitarian aid work, and more. In doing so, we stand in solidarity with this inspiring community and shine a light for the world on an achievable, sustainable model for peace.
What did your contributions fund in 2023-24?
$310,000
to the Primary School
Now educating a third generation of children, the Primary School continues to be a cutting-edge model for intercultural exchange, inspiring the creation of several other schools across Israel. Jewish and Arab students learn side-by-side in Hebrew and Arabic while becoming confident and knowledgeable in their own identities, cultures, and traditions.
$188,000
to the School for Peace
For more than 40 years, the School for Peace has provided change-making and peace-building courses to hundreds of professionals in a variety of fields, from journalists and city planners to healthcare professionals. School staff have worked with groups in conflict all over the world, including in Costa Rica, Cyprus, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the United States.
$65,000
to the Spirtual Center and the Oasis Art Gallery
The Spiritual Center and the Oasis Art Gallery uses the arts as a touchstone for exploring the roots of conflict and its effect on individuals and communities. Acccompanying public programs and artist talks give visitors a space to share insights and exchange ideas.
$70,000
to the Humanitarian Aid Program
The Humanitarian Aid Program is a lifeline in Gaza and the West Bank. Since 2002, the program has brought free medical care and supplies—including examinations, medicines, and surgeries—to hospitals, refugee camps, and isolated villages. The program also supplies aid to emergency responders working in conflict zones.
$40,000
to the Nadi Youth Club
The Nadi brings Arab and Jewish youth together to connect with each other through activities centered on social and creative enrichment. Offerings include studio art classes, a theater program, community volunteering, and more.
What People Are Saying
“In these discouraging days, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam determinedly forges ahead with its mission of peace, and of peaceful coexistence. More than ever before, the villagers need, and surely deserve, our maximum support.”
— Samuel W. Lewis, Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel
“It is not a week’s program, or a weekend’s experiment. It is Arabs and Jews living their ordinary lives together, sharing the same school, the same town, the same problems. Their experience teaches us much about the challenges of coexistence in environments of conflict."
— Shibley Telhami, Professor for Peace and Development, U. of Maryland
“A peaceful solution will never be achieved by violence or imposed by outsiders. Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam has persevered when so many others have faltered in maintaining its vision of peace and instilling it where it counts most, among the young.”
— Richard Murphy, Senior Fellow, U.S. Council on Foreign Relations
“The Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation has proudly supported Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salaam for more than two decades. Founded by Rabbi NM Cohen and Naomi Halperin Cohen, both born in Jerusalem in 1890, the Foundation believes that shared living and integrated, bilingual schools are essential to building a shared and equal society in Israel.”
— Alison McWilliams a friend since 1999
“In the midst of incredible obstacles, WSNS has stayed true to its founding vision and has already produced a generation who witness that living in peace is possible. Onward with the next generation!”
— Carolyn Osiek a friend since 1999
“The Oasis of Peace changed the conversation in the Jewish Palestinian conflict. Rather than viewing one side as being right and the other wrong, both sides have validity and are entitled to equal status. In this model village, there is no place for dominance of one culture over another. Living together with mutual respect offers the rest of us a road map to peace.”
— Marlene Goldheimer a friend since 1988
“For over 30 years I have admired the visionary, pioneering founders and residents of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam who chose to establish this community of co-existence as an example of something very great. By living together and enthusiastically teaching their children, and the children of the world, that it is possible to build trust, respect, and friendship, great accomplishments will come about. When people of the world recognizes this, peace in the Middle East and beyond will happen! I am proud, as you must be too, to support this effort.”
— Elaine Rubenstein a friend since 1984
“Thank you for all of your efforts to repair the world and to see the potential in education to not only bridge gaps, but, perhaps in the end, create the connections of peace, justice, and respect which make those gaps seem like afterthoughts. Your teachers, parents and students are heroes, our hope for the future, and we look forward to continuing with you on that journey.”
— Dr. Peter H. Hoffenberg, Chair, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, a friend since 2010
“Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam is the most direct and, therefore, most powerful expression of the “shared society” ethos in Israel-Palestine. Its guiding vision is of different peoples who despite residing in a zone of bitter enmity and high-conflict come together to dwell in constructive harmony. This vision is achieved through the committed acts of living together in intentional community. The diverse projects and ongoing work of The Oasis of Peace is, in fact, existential praxis of such a high order that, in these dark times, it ably serves as a beacon of possibility for all humans.”
— Eliezer Margolis a friend since 2001
“My visit to Neve Shalom in the 1980s was the highlight of a memorable trip to Israel. I left feeling that the only hope for Israel is at Neve Shalom. Over the years, I’ve come to see my thinking then was too narrow: that Neve Shalom is the beacon of hope for all of our divided world. It’s not merely the Middle East that falls into “us” and “them” thinking, intensifying rivalries and demonize the “other.” It’s all of us. The Neve Shalom community reminds us that we’re all in this together. They show us how to live according to the Better Angels of our nature— if only we pay attention”
— Carol DeChant a friend since 2000
“Since my first visit to the village in 1983, I have admired the founding families of NSWAS and their deep passion for creating peace. Their unswerving commitment to a life of co-existence and dialogue is a vital beacon of hope that inspires people around the globe.”
— Jennifer Kane a friend since 1990
“In these troubled times across our globe, a light that shines our way forward towards justice and peace has never been more essential. It has been a long -time honor to support the Oasis of Peace and a blessing to move together in keeping hope alive.”