Jewish Studies - Smith College: News/Events

Jewish Studies Program
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Last updated: Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Major and Minor

Back to Event Listings	Arava Institute Panelist Bios
	Amer Abdul-Aziz Sweiti was born in Amman, Jordan in 1980 within a family that has Palestinian origins. He has a degree of Bachelor of Science in Earth, Water and Environment from the Hashemite University. He attended the Arava Institute 2005-06. His interest in the environment extends to his understanding that a healthy environment is the basis for a shared cooperation across borders. He looks forward to working in the field of environmental sciences as a tool for peace in the region.
	Rina Kedem is a "citizen of the Earth" (though formally she has American and Israeli citizenship) and takes her personal enthusiasm for the individual and community deeply into her work. She has spent time in New Zealand and South America working on adobe housing construction and organic gardening, and has done a lot of counseling and leadership work with youth. Rina has traveled extensively and guided hiking tours in the American West, India, New Zealand as well as Israel, where she worked on trail marking and maintenance. As part of her work in Camp Tawonga, CA, Rina worked on Jewish environmental education and was Assistant Director for a weekend retreat for Israeli-Palestinian-American Peace-Making and Dialogue for 140 participants. Rina has completed her first semester at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
	Ofer Margalit was born in Kibbutz Mishmar HaSharon, near the city of Netanya. At 14, his family moved to a small village near the Sea of Galilee, where they still live, even with the Katushyas falling nearby. After the army and some travel in the US, Europe and India, he studied Philosophy and Classics at Bar Ilan University. Ofer worked for three years in carpentry before attending the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in 2005-2006. His future plans include the creation of an environmental education and coexistence center in the north of Israel, close to where his family lives.
	Mohammed Atwa was born in 1981 in Gaza, Palestine. Throughout his childhood years he has lived in many different counties. He attended the Islamic University in Gaza and graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature. In spring of 2000 he studied at the Arava Institute. Since studying there he has participated in different environmental programs with people from Palestine, America, and Israel, including helping with the first community garden built between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Presently he is a student at University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) studying Politics and Foreign Affairs. He wants to go back to Gaza after he gets his PHD and work for the government to improve the conditions of Palestinians, and move the reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians forward.
	Rabbi Michael M. Cohen, Director of Special Projects for AIES/AINA is a graduate of the University of Vermont where he received the History Award, and graduated in 1980 with honors for his work on Lenin’s Theory of Self-Determination and the Muslims of the Soviet Union. Rabbi Cohen received ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990. He was the Rabbi of the Israel Congregation in Manchester Center, Vermont from 1990-2000. He has also served at the President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. Rabbi Cohen was a founding faculty member of The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (www.arava.org) located on Kibbutz Ketura in 1996 while on sabbatical from the Israel Congregation. He returned to the Arava Institute in 2000. From 2001- 2006 he served as the Executive Director of The Arava Institute North America. In 2002 he co-founded the Green Zionist Alliance, the first Environmental Zionist party to run in the World Zionist Congress elections. He has returned to the Arava Institute for 2004-06. At the Institute he works on student recruitment, development, and other projects. He also teaches two classes: Genesis As a Key to Environmental Thought and Moses: A Study of Leadership and Environmental Wisdom. He is the author if numerous articles and he is completing writing a novella, "Einstein's Rabbi."