'Towards a Shared Future; A Jewish and Palestinian Perspective' - Panel Discussion with Janan Najeeb & Rachel Ida Buff

Ms. Janan Najeeb is the Founder and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and the Islamic Resource Center, Founder of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival and the Wisconsin Muslim Journal.  A lifelong activist, Najeeb is the most prominent Muslim spokesperson in Wisconsin. She serves on a dozen boards and commissions, including WPR, Wisconsin Historical Society, Dr. MLK citywide birthday celebration and the Governor’s task force. A proud Palestinian American, Najeeb convened the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine on October 8th, 2023 and is currently the co-chair.

Rachel Ida Buff is a writer and working historian. Currently, she teaches history at the University of Wisconsin-MIlwaukee. In addition to her most recent book, A is for Asylum Seeker: Words for People on the Move/A de Asilo: Palabras para Personas en Movimiento, she has words in many places, including The Boston Review, Jewish Currents.Jacobin, Truthout, The Nation, and Jewschool. A founding member of Jewish Voice for Peace-Milwaukee, she is also co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine.

In Towards a Shared Future: Jewish and Palestinian Perspectives, Janan Najeeb and Rachel Ida Buff discuss their backgrounds and personal histories and how they came to the work of Palestine solidarity. We consider the history of the founding of the state of Israel and resulting nakba  and how this history continues to affect Palestine as well as our diasporas, and how to construct communities of solidarity and relationship.