Justice and Human Rights Israel Project #71210

Achvat Amim Scholarship Campaign

by Achvat Amim - Solidarity of Nations

Project Report | Apr 6, 2026
Spring Cohort Update: Pesach in Wartime

By Miriam Alexander | Resource Development & Operations Director

Painting a sign with the kids of Umm Al Khair

This year’s Pesach falls under the harsh realities of war. Many of us cannot ignore the profound dissonance of centering concepts of freedom and liberation while navigating global disorder and brutality perpetrated by our states and their leaders.

Our Spring Cohort of 11 participants are living and learning in Jerusalem in the midst of this protracted US-Israel war with Iran. They are volunteering with partners at Tent of Nations, Rabbis for Human Rights, The South Hebron Hills Storytelling Project, Gisha, and newer partners: the Sotna Music Project, which engages Palestinian youth through music and community-building, as well as Satyam, a Palestinian women-led center that brings Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals together for nonviolent activism. The cohort is learning about systems of power, violence, and resistance as they are navigating them in real time, in close relationship with those most directly impacted. In their shared apartment they manage air raid sirens and take shelter together, caring for their own safety while deepening their understanding of the far greater risks faced by the communities they're working with—most of whom have no shelters at all.

Our Spring Cohort describes the odd disorientation of standing in solidarity with Palestinian friends in the West Bank, then returning to Israeli society where the violence they witnessed is minimized or ignored. I am moved by these warm, thoughtful, and wise folks who join this program; the emerging activists determined to stay engaged in solidarity, who seek truth and compassionate service, and who are truly dedicated to building a future of joy and safety for all peoples—from the river to the sea, between continents and oceans, encompassing state powers, local actors, and dear friends and neighbors.

This weekend we will meet with Izzeldin from Sacred Cuisine to learn about the history of Palestinian cuisine and go on a tour of Abu Tor with The Good Neighbors Jerusalem project. Then we will spend Shabbat together at Neve Shalom - learning about the history of the village - and partake in Kabbalat Shabbat, meditations and yoga, and nature walks led by the Spring participants.

We thank you for your commitment to Achvat Amim and belief in a more just future in this land - wishing us all better days ahead.

In solidarity,
Miriam

Spring Cohort Learning Day

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Dec 7, 2025
The impact of your support

By Becca Strober | Director

Over the past season, your generosity made it possible for 14 young adults from around the world to join our Fall Cohort— many of whom could only participate because of scholarships funded through this campaign. These scholarships ensure that financial barriers never determine who gets to engage deeply with the realities on the ground in Israel-Palestine. Since our last update, participants have been immersed in intensive learning, hands-on organzing, activism and volunteering, and relationship-building with community partners across Jerusalem and the South Hebron Hills.

This fall, scholarship recipients have been placed in a wide range of communities and organizations doing thoughtful, justice-oriented work across Jerusalem and the West Bank. Participants are joining Rabbis for Human Rights in long-standing on-the-ground support for Palestinian farmers; supporting Jerusalem Youth Chorus in building shared musical spaces for Israeli and Palestinian teens; working with Satyam, a Palestinian-women-led center for unity, trauma healing, and non-violent peace activism; contributing to Hand in Hand’s bilingual, shared society school network; assisting the Storytelling Project in documenting personal narratives in Masafer Yatta; and collaborating with journalists at +972 Magazine to strengthen independent reporting. These placements allow participants to contribute meaningfully while learning directly from practitioners engaged in grassroots solidarity, cross-community connection, and long-term social change.

Since the start of the year, scholarship-supported participants contributed over 7,020 hours of direct action and volunteer accompaniment and engaged in 144+ hours of structured learning. Your support expands who gets access to this kind of learning, and ensures that emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds can contribute to shared work for justice and dignity. Thank you for helping us build a community rooted in responsibility, curiosity, and connection.

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