Episode 30

bonus
Published on:

29th Jan 2021

BONUS Episode #30 - Jewanced LIVE! Meet the Emiratis, co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation & Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis

Join us on Jewanced for a very special BONUS EPISODE of Jewanced – MEET THE EMIRATIS - where Benny and Dan host a panel of truly amazing Emiratis to learn about life in the UAE and their feelings about their country’s new normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. 

This episode of the podcast was produced as a Jewanced LIVE! event, co-sponsored by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Agency for Israel Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis.

 

Together with our Emirati panelists, we dive into the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE which occurred under last year’s monumental Abraham Accords and explore what we can anticipate for the people of Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, as well as for the broader Middle East.

 

Topics covered include:

-A day in the life of the average Emirati

-Emirati culture and cuisine

-Household economics and the cost of living in the UAE

-The business environment in the Gulf

-Islam in the UAE and its integration with a dazzlingly modern society

-The significance of the Abraham Accords for the young generation of Emiratis

-Emirati values of tolerance and how they relate to Israeli and Jewish visitors and residents in the UAE

-Emirati excitement to learn about Israel and the Jewish People

-And more!


About our panelists:

Dr. Majid Al Sarrah, DBA

A true Emirati patriot, Majid uses his strong, dynamic activist voice to build bonds between young Gulf Arab and Israeli leaders to strengthen peace, trust, and cooperation between our societies. He believes this is crucial to create a brighter future for our nations and all the peoples of the region.  Majid recently participated in the first-ever delegation of young Gulf Arab leaders to Israel where he had a chance to experience the country and meet with Israelis from all walks of life.  He is a founding Board Member of Sharaka, a platform connecting young leaders from Israel and the Gulf to turn the vision of people-to-people peace into a reality.  He is also a legal adviser specializing in international law and a public policy expert trained at the London School of Economics. Follow Majid on Twitter @DrAlsarrah and on Instagram @dralsarrah


Sumaya Harib

Sumaya is a Dubai-based electrical engineer.  Actively engaged in peace and co-existence dialogue, she participated in the first-ever delegation of young Emirati leaders to Israel in December, 2020 facilitated by Sharaka.  Sumaya is passionate about people-to-people connections between Emiratis and Israelis and is learning Hebrew.


Al Anoud Al Hashmi

Al Anoud Al Hashmi is an entrepreneur working in the field of innovation, business, media and events. She is the Founder and CEO of 'The Futurist Company' established after putting together a team of experts in innovation and technology from all around the world to consult, research and execute future facing projects in MENA. Al Anoud is also the Marketing & Events Manager for Dubai Media City. A passionate film enthusiast and filmmaker herself, she has directed short films, several TV shows, advertisements, and campaigns in the region. Follow Al Anoud on Twitter at @ThinkerAlanoud and on Instagram @thinkeralanoud


Omar Al Busaidy

Omar Al Busaidy is an optimistic opportunist, entrepreneur, author, and futurist. He is also a very proud Emirati Global Shaper, speaker for the World Economic Forum, member of the US and UAE Public Affairs Committee, and member of The Arab Youth Pioneers Program. Full Bio Buy Omar’s book, Just Read It Follow Omar on Twitter at @omaralbusaidy and on Instagram @omaralbusaidy


We are proud to collaborate with our partners:

Minneapolis Jewish Federation

For over 90 years, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation builds community, cares for the welfare of Jews everywhere, and maximizes participation in Jewish life in Greater Minneapolis, Minnesota and beyond. Visit jewishminneapolis.org


Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis

Partnership2Gether is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) that:

-Provides opportunities for 500 Jewish communities worldwide to participate in cultural, educational, and social exchanges with Israeli communities -Strengthens the bonds between Israel and Diaspora Jewry through ‘sister city’ pairings -Offers Diaspora Jews a hands-on vehicle to assist in Israel’s economic and community development

The Minneapolis Jewish community is paired with the city of Rehovot.  Located about 12 miles south of Tel Aviv, Rehovot has a population of around 115,000 and is one of the first communities founded in the modern State of Israel. 

Partnership2Gether Rehovot-Minneapolis’s mission is to develop and strengthen their respective Jewish communities by creating revitalized, ongoing, and meaningful engagement between their members, based on mutual endeavor and shared Jewish identity.  Visit the Partnership’s webpage and Facebook page for ongoing updates regarding programming.


Be sure to watch our LIVE RECORDING of this special event on our Facebook page.


As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel.


For more information, visit us at www.jewanced.com

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About the Podcast

Jewanced
A nuanced exploration of Israel, the Jewish world and beyond
Jewanced is hosted by Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder, two guys who grew up in America and live in Israel.
They're curious. They want to discuss. They want to challenge popular conceptions, they want to think critically, examine independently, and most of all, they crave nuance.

Each episode features a different guest. All interesting and original people who strive to break boundaries. Together with Dan and Benny, take a deep dive into politics, foreign affairs, religion, science, technology, food, the arts, business – you name it. Explore the nuanced crossroads of Israel, the global Jewish experience, and beyond.

What's the goal? To create a daring platform where people share their stories, insights, creations, and visions. Jewanced has no talking points, no script, no agenda...just a deeper nuanced understanding of our existence.

Join them on a journey as they explore, think, debate and discuss …. And most of all, listen.

About your hosts

Benny Scholder

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With over a decade of experience in Israel's tourism industry, Benny has managed sales, marketing, travel content, digital content, and the operations aspects of tour companies and travel agencies. Today, he is the Director of Sales-North America at Kenes Tours, Israel's leading provider of incoming tourism services, where he is proud to deliver transformative, custom-crafted Israel travel experiences designed to exceed expectations.
Originally from Minneapolis, Benny fell in love with Israel as a young adult, moving to the country in 2004. He has an extensive background in everything Israel-travel related, having completed Israel's intensive tour guide course in 2010. His career spans both logistical, content-related, and sales management positions with major and boutique Israeli tour companies alike. Benny lives with his amazing wife Maayan and two incredible children in the charming village of Gedera. In addition to his passion for transformative travel experiences, he's super passionate about food, modern & ancient history, politics, addictive TV, and game-changing podcasts. Contact him at Benny@jewanced.com

Dan Feferman

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Dan Feferman is a Major (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces. For almost a decade, he served as a foreign policy and national security analyst, strategist and adviser in the IDF General Staff; as a special assistant to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff; and a commander in an elite intelligence unit of AMAN's Research and Analysis Division.

He is a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a think-tank focusing on issues of importance to Israel and the Jewish people, where he researches religious pluralism in Israel, trends in Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations. He is also a political and strategic consultant and publishes and speaks widely on the Middle East and Israeli defense and political matters.

He is the author of Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, and of a soon-to-be-published book on the changing face of American Judaism.

Dan holds a BA in International Politics and Middle East Studies from the American University in Washington DC and an MA in National Security Studies from Tel Aviv University.

Originally from Indiana, Dan moved to Israel in 2005. He is married to Elisheva, has three amazing kids, and lives in Rehovot. When taking a break, Dan stays busy with Crossfit, martial arts and cooking.