About Yalla

Yalla began in Canada in 2003 by six Arab and Jewish Canadians who wanted to create a forum in which young people could express their feelings about the conflict and explore the feelings of others as well. Two editions of the journal were published in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

We are a collaborative project in that our board, contributors, funding, and guidance comes from individuals of various backgrounds with a vested interest in the conflict. We provide a space for youth between the ages of 18 and 35 to come together through creative expression, rather than solely traditional dialogue structures. Our project empowers youth to express themselves creatively and openly. Our project also encourages them to engage with the thoughts and opinions of others without fear of retribution.

Yalla is not affiliated with a specific University, cultural center, political party or organization. We are a small, independent youth initiative from different backgrounds (religious, ethnic, academic, and regional).

 

 

Director

Asher Greenberg was born in Toronto, Canada. He recently graduated form the University of Toronto with a BA degree in political science and human biology. He has been immersed in Israeli-Palestinian politics his entire life - attending a Jewish day school until the age of eighteen and then actively participating in Israeli advocacy at the University of Toronto. Asher has come to believe in the inherent complexity of the political situation and for the need to engage in deconstructing myths on both sides.

Board Members

Ahmed Mahmoud is an Egyptian mechanical engineering student at the University of Toronto. Though generally not inclined toward politics, he is an avid reader on topics relating to human rights in the Middle East, and a strong advocate of Palestinian statehood. He is also a regular contributer to the Varsity newspaper, especially on the topic of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since arriving in Canada two years ago, Ahmed's opinion on the conflict has shifted from hardened antipathy towards Israel to a more reconciliatory view, which has helped him learn a lot about the Jewish community and its own stance on the conflict. Through Yalla, Ahmed aspires to see a paradigm shift in both communities that could help foster the understanding necessary before any peace negotiations can take place

Daniel Adler was born in Toronto to an Egalitarian-Conservative Jewish family. He is currently pursuing a BA at the University of Toronto, with a specialist in Peace & Conflict Studies and a minor in Writing & Rhetoric. His interest in the Arab-Israeli conflict grew out of a desire to understand the roots and meanings of Zionism and its relationship to Jewish identity. He hopes that through Yalla, Jews and Arabs will be able to better understand the breadth of opinion on each side of the conflict. This not only allows each community to clarify the goals and meanings of their own national movement, but also helps break down the ingrained image of the other side as a homogeneous entity.

Justine Katz was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to Canada at the age of 12. She is currently completing her undergraduate degree in psychology at York University. As a Jewish person, very much proud of her heritage, Justine has always felt a connection with Israel, visiting there on numerous occasions, but has only recently begun to examine the conflict and its impact on the North American Jewish and Arab communities. Justine believes that the first step toward bridging the gap formed between these communities is through dialogue, and views Yalla as a wonderful opportunity for both sides to express their views and have a chance to learn from each other and understand one another.

Najat Abdel Hadi is a Palestinian from the West Bank city of Nablus. She has been living in Canada for the last 4 years and is specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto. Starting September 2009, she will be a Journalism Masters student at Ryerson University. Najat is passionate about resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and is keen on exploring initiatives and projects that aim to build dialogue between young people on both sides; simply because she thinks this is the most effective way to reach a stable and lasting peace settlement.

Naomi Kramer was born of Romanian parents and raised in Toronto. During University at McGill, Naomi took half a year to study Hebrew and intern with an Arab-Israeli Feminist Organization in Haifa, Israel. Upon completing her BA in International Development Studies, she took a full time position at the New Israel Fund of Canada and has dedicated her professional and personal life to educating the Canadian community about real challenges in Israel.

Tarab Abdel hadi was born and raised in Nablus, the West Bank, Palestine. She moved to Mississauga at the age of 14, earned her high school diploma and is currently enrolled at York University, majoring in Political Science. Since childhood, Tarab has felt a deep connection with her city’s culture, art, people and politics. Yalla Journal has helped change Tarab’s views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and hopes that through dialogue, expression and art the journal will humanize the ideas of the youth living and related to the conflict.