Irene Friedland is a Jewish American who has spent several years in Israel/Palestine as a student and community artist working with both Israeli Jews and Palestinians. A non-profit professional, she is currently completing her Masters of Social Work at Fordham University. Irene is drawn to the Dialogue Project as a way to connect with her Muslim and Arab neighbors. She hopes that her ongoing training will further allow her to develop communication and conflict transformation skills that she may apply in her life and on the ground among Israelis and Palestinians.

Marcia Kannry is a Jewish American who lived in Israel for six years. A former Executive Director of The Jewish National Fund, Marcia traveled throughout Israel and the occupied territories during the first intifadah. Her own experience with dialogue at that time began the journey that has led to the creation of The Dialogue Project. Marcia earned her B.A. in religious studies from the University of Pittsburgh and has pursued master studies at New York University. She has created inter-group/interfaith organizations for more than 20 years. (President of the Board)

Karen Rockwell El-Badry is recently retired after working at the United Nations Recruitment and Administrative Officer in NY for 35 years. She was responsible for hiring project personnel for technical assistance programs. Karen lived in the Middle East and now resides in Westchester County, New York State.

She is a Board member of the United Nations Association for the USA, Westchester Chapter, and also a coordinator of for a Yonkers public school program, (third grades) entitled, "Peace Makes the World a Better Place.". The goal of this project is to introduce students to the United Nations and the concept of peace-making. Karen serves on the board of Center for Jewish- Christian-Muslim Understanding and is a Westchester Dialogue Circle participant.

Judith Scheuer is a teacher by training and has worked in special and standard education as a reading teacher as well as a teaching conflict resolution. Before becoming an educator, Judith worked in community organizing.  Inspired by the Dialogue Project, Judith also created a reading/discussion group in her home on the subject of Israeli and Palestinian issues, for parents at the Jewish school that her children formerly attended.   

Rev. Charles "Chick" Straut is a retired member of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. A tireless organizer, he has worn many hats throughout his long career of social justice and ministry. Rev. Straut has served as the Consultant to Mission and Social Justice Ministries of The Riverside Church in the City of New York, and as the New York Annual Conference Disaster Response Staff Coordinator. He is considered a good friend to all the city's residents, and through his work has had opportunities to work with many of the city's diverse immigrant communities. He has served as Pastor for congregations from New Jersey to Connecticut to upstate New York. Rev. Straut has also devoted his energy to the city's homeless population through his involvement with the Interfaith Assembly of Homelessness and Housing. Rev. Straut received his Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from Drew University.

DIRECTOR AND BOARD MEMBER

Marcia Kannry (see Board bio)

DIALOGUE PROJECT STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

RAMI EFAL is a Program Associate and participant Brooklyn Mid East Dialogue Circle. He is an Israeli fine artist and illustrator living and loving in New York City. His graphic novel "The Lantern And The Wave" about war and forgiveness was nominated for an Ignatz Award. He is a board member of and a field director at the Inkwell Foundation, leading art activities with children in the city's hospitals. Rami is also a Brooklyn Dialogue Circle participant.

INTERFAITH EVENTS COMMITTEE (Volunteers)

RABBI SIMKA WEINTRAUB is a founding member of Brownstone Brooklyn’s Speaking Across Differences interfaith/inter- ethnic neighbor to neighbor dialogue program, representing the Kane Street synagogue. A resident of Cobble Hill, Simkha hosts small intimate dialogues in his own home around texts and traditions and has served as an Interfaith Teach-In leader for several years. Rabbi Simkha is a licensed social worker and is the Director of the National Center for Jewish Healing in New York.

OUTREACH AND FACILITATION LEADERS

Haifa Bint Kadi is a first-generation Palestinian-American educated with an M.F.A. from Istituto d'Arte per il mosaico in Ravenna, Italy. She has been fabricating and installing public art mosaics since 1997. Haifa is also a teaching artist for Citylore in NYC and is a single mother raising two teenage daughters in the NYC area. Haifa is an active member of the Westchester Dialogue Circle. Ms. Bint-Kadi recently completed the design and fabrication of a series of public art sculptures for the State of New York at Suny Oneonta symbolizing SUNY Oneonta's commitment to diversity and inclusion "This sculpture symbolically represents Pangaea, the seven continents once being connected," says Bint-Kadi. "I love the idea of thinking about what it would be like to inhabit one land force where you could move about easily and what the development of culture would look like." Haifa has been creating public art mosaics since 1993 and has received several awards including a Nations in Neighborhoods Federal Grant Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bronx Museum of Art's Action Lab Award, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Award.

Paula Pace is a mediator/attorney and facilitator in private practice. She has a family mediation practiceand mediates EEO cases for the US Postal Service and the Transportation Security Administration. A former public interest lawyer, Paula served as an Assistant Attorney General and as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society. Paula is an Associate of the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Executive Service Corps. (Chairperson of the Board).

WEB AND GRAPHICS DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Ahmed Elabd maintains our website and designs newsletters and event materials. He is an Egyptian/American, who has recently moved back to New York City after attending the American University in Cairo. Ahmed also works as a film editor on documentaries  covering  events in the Middle East, from Tahrir Square to the West Bank.