UJA-Federation of New York Donates $1M for Center Honoring Slain Peace Activist
The UJA-Federation of New York has contributed $1 million to the Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality, and Cooperation – Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development (AJEEC-NISPED) to establish a center named after Vivian Silver, a Canadian-Israeli peace activist. Silver, who was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, co-founded AJEEC-NISPED in 2000 with Amal Elsana-Alh-jooj, an Arab Israeli peace activist. The organization, which is the largest shared society entity in Israel, operates under a co-CEO model with one Jewish and one Arab leader. The new center, part of the larger AJEEC-NISPED House, will be located in Beerheva’s Science Park and is expected to open next year. It will feature classrooms, training spaces, and a hub for Arab-Jewish cultural events, aiming to support thousands of young adults annually.