Washington DC: Sixth Annual Community Education Day on Arab ...

The discussion at the Sixth Annual Community Education Day on Arab Citizens of Israel in DC kicked off with the incisive and powerful documentary, Women in Sink. It is the story of a little hair salon in the heart of the Arab community in Haifa; it is the story of a friendship between Arab and Jewish women in the city, which is considered a model of coexistence; and it is the story of Iris, the film director, who worked as a hair washer at the salon so she could get to know women of the neighborhood.

The documentary was followed by a panel discussion between two leading shared society advocates from Israel. Reem Younis, co-founder of Nazareth-based global high-tech company Alpha Omega and role model for Israeli Arab entrepreneurial success, was joined by Tziona Koenig-Yair, Israel’s first Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner. Conversation moderated by Rabbi Sid Schwarz, co-chair of the Greater Washington Forum on Israeli Arab Issues.

Sponsored by the Greater Washington Forum on Israeli Arab Issues and the Washington DCJCC

Lead Support provided by The Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation and The Lois and Richard England Family Foundation

Event Details:
Sunday, February 28th 
12:30pm - 4:30pm
DCJCC
1529 16th Street NW
Washington, DC
 

Speakers

Tziona Koenig-Yair just completed an 8-year term as the national commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission in Israel. Since passing the bar in 1996, she has spent the better part of her legal career addressing equality issues from various aspects. Beginning as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in Tel Aviv, Tziona later worked in the legal department of the Israel Women’s Network, Israel’s foremost advocacy group for women, eventually becoming head of the legal department. In 2007, Tziona was appointed executive director of IWN and managed the organization for a year until being appointed the first national commissioner of the EEOC, establishing and creating the new government entity. Tziona was chosen in 2011 as one of the 100 most influential people in Israel by The Marker, due to her work in promoting and implementing equality in the labor market in Israel.

Reem Younis, co-founder of Nazareth-based Alpha Omega a global high-tech company, is a role model for Israeli Arab entrepreneurial success in Israel and now works to support others to follow in her footsteps. Sitting on the boards of various non-profit organizations, Reem is working with business, civil society and government to create opportunities for this important part of Israeli society. Reem is an expert at the challenges of integrating Arab-Israeli citizens in the Hi-tech workforce, some of the most innovative and successful models that are in place, and how Israel’s government is investing in this area which it defined as a priority.

Rabbi Sid Schwarz has been a congregational rabbi, a social entrepreneur, the CEO of several non-profits and an author. Currently, Sid serves as a senior fellow at Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership where he directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI) program which trains rabbis across the denominational spectrum to be visionary spiritual leaders with the skills to transform American synagogues. He is also deeply involved in interfaith work with a particular emphasis on co-existence efforts in the Middle East. Sid has also been instrumental in the 2012 launch of the René Cassin Fellowship Program which he now directs.