The family of Canadian-Israeli Vivian Silver z”l, a life-long peace activist killed on October 7, has announced the winners of the second annual Vivian Silver Impact Award, created in her honor and supported by NIFC. The award honours two women–one Arab and one Jewish–who demonstrate a deep commitment to the values that she believed in and lived by: empowerment of women, shared society, and peace between Israel and Palestine.
This year’s Vivian Silver Impact Award will go to Attorney Quamar Mishirqi-Assad and Dr. Yofi Tirosh.
Dr. Yofi Tirosh is professor of law and an influential activist, dedicated to advancing Israeli democracy, defending the right to equality for various groups in Israel and worldwide, and particularly promoting women’s rights and the inclusion of women in decision-making, especially in matters of peace and security. Her work in recent years has focused on two main areas: leading the struggle against the exclusion of women from government and the public arena, and the war on women’s, LGBTQ+, and Palestinian rights. At a time when the public discourse is increasingly polarized and acrimonious, Yofi Tirosh’s unique voice stands out in its insistence on maintaining continuous dialogue characterized by mutual respect between opposing parties.
Quamar Mishirqi-Assad is a Doctor of Law, and human rights lawyer. After serving as the director of the legal department of Rabbis for Human Rights, in 2016 Quamar founded Haqel: In Defense of Human Rights, working in the Occupied Territories. NIFC is proud to have previously partnered with Haqel. She brings her legal skills and a comprehensive, collaborative approach to defend Palestinians in the West Bank against settler violence, home demolitions, and land confiscation. In recent years residents of more than nineteen pastoral Palestinian communities across the West Bank have been forced to leave their homes and lands following extremely violent threats and attacks by settlers. Israeli security forces did not protect the Palestinians. Against all odds, Quamar Mishirqi-Assad’s leadership and persistence have achieved results and her work has enabled the residents of several villages in the South Hebron Hills to return to their homes after a decade-long struggle.
The following message is from Vivian’s sons, Chen and Yonatan Zeigen:
“We are excited to share with you the news of recipients of the second annual Vivian Silver Impact Award. We received fifty (!) nominations of worthy candidates, women with a deep commitment to the values that Vivian believed in and lived by: empowerment of women, shared society, and peace between Israel and Palestine.
In making their decision, the members of the jury considered a number of factors – the impact of the candidate’s work and activism, her commitment to Vivian’s spirit and work, how those values are reflected in the profile of the candidate herself, and whether the award would shine a light on and elevate the work of the winners.
Vivian’s commitment to the participation of women in decision making was unwavering throughout her life. From the early days at Kibbutz Gezer where she served as Secretary-General of the kibbutz and founded the Department for Advancement of Women at the national kibbutz movement to her deep involvement in Women Wage Peace in recent years, Vivian fought to secure a seat for women at the tables of power.
She was similarly relentless in her pursuit of justice, particularly for the most marginalized members of Israeli society, the Bedouin communities of the Negev, and for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Where there was injustice, Vivian showed up. In the unrecognized Bedouin villages of the Negev, at the border crossing of the Gaza Strip to drive Palestinians to health care in Israel, she persisted in righting wrongs.
The winners of the 2025 Vivian Silver Impact Award both embody those passions.
We are proud to award the Vivian Silver Impact Award to these two women. They continue Vivian’s life’s work: their activism embodies her spirit and unceasing efforts toward a fair, inclusive, and equal future for all residents of the region.”
The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at at the Tel Aviv Music Centre in Jaffa. This year’s ceremony will be emceed by Rula Hardal and May Pundak, co-directors of A Land for All and the recipients of the 2024 Vivian Silver Impact Award. The ceremony will be live-streamed starting at 1 pm (EST)/8 pm (IST). Please reach out to info@nifcan.org to receive a link.