As the famous passage from Pirke Avot tells us, “We are not required to finish the work of justice; nor are we free to desist from it.”  This piece of Jewish wisdom is an ethos for me and compels me to work for justice.  As a doctoral student in a program that stresses the connection between scholarship and activism I focus my work in Jewish-Palestinian alliance building movements.  This focus is one way I can commit myself to the work of justice.  The Haas/Koshland Memorial Award is giving me the incredible opportunity to conduct my dissertation fieldwork in Jerusalem working with and researching both Jewish and Palestinian communities.

This year in Jerusalem will help me realize my aspiration to be an educator who integrates scholarship and activism by enabling me to conduct my dissertation fieldwork. I am committed to scholarship geared towards justice and this year in Jerusalem will give me the opportunity to learn with and from Israeli and Palestinian scholars and activists who integrate scholarship with issues of social justice. Additionally, I aspire to improve both my Hebrew and Arabic speaking skills to enable my research and help me connect to the peoples and the cultures that I study.

I am extremely excited to embark on a journey of academic and personal growth. Though I know that it is not my responsibility to finish the work of justice, I also know that I cannot abstain from the work. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the Haas/Koshland Memorial Award for giving me the opportunity.