Civil Rights and Social Change: Jewish and Arab Perspectives

Join us for a fascinating discussion with NIF Law Fellows Reut Cohen and Muna Haddad. Their personal journeys, from student activists to civil rights lawyers, provide a unique glimpse into the struggles and victories of democracy in Israel. In a conversation moderated by Steven Chervin, Muna and Reut will discuss their experiences working for Jewish-Arab equality, current challenges in the field, and how they hope to use law to create social change. Rabbi Fred Greene will serve as host for the evening.

Now in its 30th year, NIF’s Law Fellowship invests in young Israeli lawyers to study civil rights law in the US and practice in Israel. Its more than 50 alumni form the core of Israel's civil rights bar and have been at the forefront of nearly all major victories in the field. Reut and Muna represent some of Israel’s best and brightest, committed to strengthening Israeli democracy for all its inhabitants.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Reut Cohen is a feminist, human rights activist and lawyer from Haifa. She has written extensively on legal issues related to gender, law and politics and served as the deputy editor of Law & Government, University of Haifa's Faculty of Law Review Journal. As a student at University of Haifa, she co-founded a Jewish-Arab group to challenge discriminatory student union policies and started a feminist blog Reuma to provide feminist perspectives on pop culture. She took a leadership role in the 2011 Israeli social justice protests in Haifa as well as in the local LGBTQ community's struggle for recognition and funding from the municipal government.

Muna Haddad is a Palestinian-Israeli lawyer from Nazareth. She studied law and psychology at the University of Haifa (2008). During that time she worked as a research assistant to the Dean of Research and worked at WAC-MA'AN, a workers' advice center. Muna interned at the civil department of the Northern DA's Office and then worked as an attorney at a private law office. She obtained an LL.M degree in Commercial Law from Tel Aviv University (2012) and volunteered at Aswat - Palestinian Gay Women. After realizing that human rights law is her true passion, Muna volunteered at a human rights NGO in Ghana.

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ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Steven Chervin is Director of The Jewish Encounter and renowned Jewish educator. He has taught Jewish studies at Emory University, The Weber School, and The Epstein School, the Marcus JCC's Florence Melton Adult School and founded The Goodman Institute, the adult education arm of Ahavath Achim Synagogue. An active leader in interfaith relations in Atlanta, he serves on the Board of Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, the Neshama Interfaith Center, and Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters. Steve spent a year living in Jerusalem as a Senior Educator at The Hebrew University, and has led numerous groups on tours of Israel, particularly interfaith couples.

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ABOUT THE HOST:

Rabbi Fred Greene is the Rabbi at Temple Beth Tivkah in Roswell, GA. He received an M.A. in Hebrew Literature and ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Prior to his ordination, Rabbi Greene worked for the New Israel Fund where he developed their New Generations program in New York, an outreach effort to build relationships with Jews in their 20s and 30s. Rabbi Greene has always been involved in issues relating to social justice and social change. He is a member of the Board of North Fulton Community Charities in Roswell, as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, where he also serves on the Disabilities Task Force and Camp Task Force.

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