(Photo credit: Shay Markowitz)
Over 325 people came together to listen to both Israeli and Palestinian voices campaigning for peace at the sold-out In Her Voice: The Vivian Silver Legacy Event, held in Toronto on June 4. NIFC was immensely proud to be a partner in this event planned by an incredible group of Jewish and Palestinian mothers in Toronto and benefiting the Vivian Silver Impact Award.
The event was a moment of hope after more than 600 days of bloodshed and destruction in Gaza and Israel, featuring people close to Vivian Silver as well as Canadian peace and dialogue activists from the Jewish and Palestinian communities. It featured powerful personal reflections, an interactive art installation, live music, a photography exhibit, and film clips from the upcoming documentary Missing Silver by Israeli filmmaker Hilla Medallia, chronicling the life and work of the late Vivian Silver (z”l). Vivian was a lifelong peace activist, CEO of the Negev Institute for Peace and Development Strategies, founder of the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment, and Cooperation, and a former NIF board member. A friend to many in our community, she was a beacon of light and hope, a reminder that while disagreements and challenges on the road to peace are unavoidable, living by the sword is not. She dedicated herself completely to uplifting women and fostering Israeli-Palestinian peace until the moment she was murdered by Hamas on October 7th in her home in Kibbutz Be’eri.
“Vivian [lived] purposefully, seeking meaning, advancing a general good … We should be inspired by her determination, her extreme kindness and fierce capabilities – and remember what causes she dedicated herself to: equality and peace,” said Yonatan Zeigen, keynote speaker together with his brother Chen.
Speaking later to the Canadian Jewish News, Chen said his mother’s biggest lesson was that “only through partnership can you truly acknowledge the humanity of your counterpart and start to understand their fears, hopes and desires.”
The inaugural Vivian Silver Impact Award winners last year were Dr. Rula Hardal and May Pundak, co-CEOs of A Land For All, in recognition of their contributions to promoting Arab-Jewish partnership and peace.
One of the most poignant moments came when a video clip of Vivian speaking at a symposium of Israelis and Palestinians recorded her saying, “Look at what is happening in this room compared to what is happening outside.”
(Photo credit: Shay Markowitz)
Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, a former NIF board member, paid tribute to Vivian while making a moving appeal for the war in Gaza to end. She formerly co-directed NIF grantee AJEEC-NISPED with Silver for over a decade and is now an associate professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work. Since October 7th, Amal has spearheaded a Jewish-Palestinian dialogue program.
“I miss her [being] with me, because I hear her saying there is no middle ground between right and wrong,” said Amal in reference to innocent lives lost on all sides. “Wrong is wrong. Starving children is wrong. Killing civilians is wrong. Killing children and women is wrong. Slaughtering babies is wrong. Burning kids alive is wrong. Blocking aid is wrong, and we need to stand for these things and name them to be able to do something about them.”
Other speakers included Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum followed by Reem Hajajra via video message, representing the Palestinian peace organization, Women of the Sun, as well as Wesam Abuzaiter and Ari Zaretsky from the Sunnybrook Hospital dialogue group, and Palestinian peace activist Bashar Alshawwa. The welcoming speech was given by Lynne Mitchell, co-chair of Women Wage Peace’s Canada East chapter. A musical combo that included vocalists Erez Zobary and Aviva Chernick performed some of Silver’s favourite tunes, including Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me to the End of Love and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Said one attendee, “I haven’t stopped thinking about In Her Voice and the panelists. It was such a thought-provoking evening that struck the appropriate chord of challenging and giving space, but also making me feel safe and validated. I also recognize the controversy around this event in our community at this time and think it took a lot of bravery to push through.”
“This bittersweet evening is a triumph of compassion over fear,” said NIFC Executive Director Ben Murane. “As said by Vivian Silver’s sons and close friends on that stage, Vivian would want us to fight for an end to this war, for partnership between Jews and Palestinians, and for feminist leadership. The incredible group of Toronto moms, both Jewish and Gazan, who found each other in the midst of enormous tragedy and decided to make this event happen, have provided this city with a sorely-needed example of hope and determination. I am so proud that NIFC helped make this gathering happen and is the home of the Vivian Silver Impact Award.”
View photos from the event here and read Vivian Silver’s sons in the CJN, CJN North Star podcast, and interviewed by Matt Galloway on CBC Radio.
Donations to the Vivian Silver Impact Award can still be made here.