The Veritas Forum and International Students, Inc. are sponsoring a dynamic panel discussion you won’t want to miss!

What: God in the Middle East: Faith and Palestinian / Israeli Reconciliation
When: February 17, 2005 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: University of California, Santa Cruz · Performing Arts M110 (Media Theater)

Continue reading to find out about the exciting panelists which will take part in this discussion.

Shalom Bochner serves as the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Hillel Foundation: The Jewish Resource Center for the Campus.  He has a BA in Jewish Studies and Sociology from the State University of New York at Albany, an MS in Education from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, and received ordination as a Rabbi in Jerusalem after studying with an orthodox yeshiva program in addition to studying with the Jewish Renewal movement and at a non-denominational center for Jewish studies.  Rabbi Bochner has taught Jewish Studies for 12 years to elementary school students, high school students, and adults, and currently teaches a weekly Torah and Kabbalah class on the UCSC campus. He has worked as a summer camp director, youth group director, and teacher.

Taysir Abu Saada was born without a homeland in the Gaza Strip, in1951. His parents immigrated to Saudi Arabia where he was raised as a Muslim. With a hatred of Jews and Israel’s existence, Mr. Saada joined the Fatah Forces (PLO under Yasser Arafat) after the 1967 war. He was trained as a sniper to kill Jews and also trained children to fight and kill Jews. In 1974, he came to the United States where he married and worked in the restaurant and hotel industries, becoming a successful executive. He became an American citizen in 1979. After a profound spiritual experience in 1993, Mr. Saada became a believer in Jesus, resulting in a change of heart that led to actively pursuing friendship and reconciliation with Jewish people. Currently, he travels extensively sharing a message of hope and peace in classrooms, churches and other venues.

Souleiman Ghali is the cofounder and current President of the Islamic Society of San Francisco, an umbrella organization established in 1991 administering the largest Mosque and Islamic School in San Francisco. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon of Palestinian parents and came to the U.S. in 1979 as a college student. Mr. Ghali advances the understanding of Islam as a tolerant and just religion through his prominent public speaking and advocacy for American Muslims. He has been featured in many articles in the San Francisco Chronicle and hosted on many radio and TV programs (KGO, KPFA, KQED, NPR, CNN, BBC, German, and French TV). Mr. Ghali is a regular speaker and lecturer about Islam to churches, universities and business people. He has spoken at the common wealth club, World affair council and is one of the most active Muslims in the Bay Area working tirelessly to make a better community for all.

Noad Asaf Shapiro was born in the city of Naharia, located in northern Israel.  He was raised on Kibbutz Adamit, a commune that was widely used in the early phase of Jewish settlement in Israel.  In 1989, Mr. Shapiro’s family moved to Los Angeles, where he finished high school.  He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a BS in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and later a Ph.D. in Material Science. During his years at Berkeley, Mr. Shapiro, previously an atheist came to believe in the existence of God and placed his faith in Y’shua. As a youth, he was cautious and suspicious of his Arab neighbors, but later found his faith leading him toward greater sensitivity of Palestinian concerns.

Questions?
Contact Pam at 831.475.5157. The sponsors wish to make this event accessible to people with disabilities.  If you need an accommodation, please call SOAR at 831.459.2934.