Give Hope

We are working to build bridges between Jews, Muslims, Christians and others across the Holy Land, based on tradition and culture without any political agenda. 20,000+ people have already joined. Will you?

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Endorsed by the President of Israel

President Herzog: Your efforts to reach beyond the divides, and heal rifts, are not only moving, but also very much necessary for our society... Please be assured of my regard for the work of your organization, which I was pleased to be able to express in awarding the Interfaith Encounter Association with the Presidential Award for Voluntarism

Meeting the President

How It Works

The IEA invites people from different traditional and cultural backgrounds and faiths, from across the Holy Land and beyond, to join our groups.

Within the groups participants have meaningful encounters which bring them closer to each other and build the bridges.

Prejudice, hostility and suspicion are transformed into direct acquaintance, mutual respect and friendship.

Our groups are both a model for inter-communal relations of appreciation and care, and vehicles to promote them.

The IEA in 2 Minutes

Our Activity In Numbers

23
Years
125
Groups
5.2K
Encounters & Events
4K
Participants Each Year

Awards

2022 Israel's Presidential Award for Volunteerism
2015 IIE Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East
Prof. R. Bergman Prize for Creativity in Nursing (2014)
2008 Entrepreneurial Projects that will Change the Face of Tomorrow
                       
Commendable Effort award by the World Movement for Global Democracy (2008)
INTR°A-Project Award for the Complementation of Religions (2007)
Women’s Peace Initiative Award of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding (2007)
Immortal Chaplains Foundation's 2006 Prize for Humanity
UNESCO recognition of the IEA as an organization that is contributing to the culture of peace

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Academic Research About Us

Interfaith Encounter Association and its groups are constantly attracting researchers from various universities and disciplines. Below are some published papers about our work.

"This study used ethnographic methods to examine the efficacy of the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) in promoting peace in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict… interfaith encounters do not negate or ignore the complexities inherent... between the Jewish and Arab people... rather, these challenges remind participants of the political background and the hostility among people that this organization seeks to overcome… the IEA’s endeavors in peacemaking demonstrate the efficacy of religion in establishing a common ground for peaceful interactions between Jewish and Arab communities"
Yanqing Cao, Harvard Divinity School, 2024 Link to paper
"…results of a pioneering course in Jewish-Arab Interreligious Dialogue involving both Jewish and Arab students undertaken at Bar-Ilan University… Based on qualitative and quantitative results, in two course cycles, the efficacy of the intercultural approach for promoting perception change, and relationship building and transformation between Jews and Arabs was affirmed"
Dr. Ben Mollov, Bar-Ilan University, 2021. Link to paper
"Based on qualitative and quantitative results the efficacy of the intercultural approach for promoting perception change, transformation and relationship building was affirmed... "
Dr. Ben Mollov and Dr. Chaim Lavie, Bar-Ilan University, 2020. Link to paper
"It proves that the inter-religious encounter made participants more open to the “religious other” while often making the particular identity of the participants stronger and more positive... "
Dr. Ben Mollov and Ms. Gili Rozen, Bar-Ilan University – Qualitative research, 2014. Link to paper
"The results indicate that the work of the IEA has important implications for maintaining “peace willingness”, which is not to be taken for granted nowadays... "
Dr. Ben Mollov and Dr. Chaim Lavie, Bar-Ilan University – Quantitative research 2014. Link to paper
"The results show that for the participants, stereotypes have been broken and enemies have been re-humanized and are now perceived as people who also face the difficulties of the conflict... "
Prof. Frida Kerner Furman, DePaul University, 2011. Link to paper
"The influence of the encounters improved the attitude towards the other in a significant way. Groups were active at the peak of the Intifada and managed to cope with suicide attacks, IDF retaliation activities etc... "
Ms. Laya Schwartz, Bar Ilan University, 2010. Link to paper

How can YOU make the difference

  • Help spread the word by sharing this with others.
  • Become involved - build bridges yourself. If you’d like to contribute your time and skills and attend encounters, please send us a note at office@interfaith-encounter.org.
  • Please make a financial contribution. We need your help to keep going! Please use the button below to donate via PayPal (tax-deductible in the US) or see our donations page for additional options

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Visit Us @ 2 HaSoreg Street, 2nd floor, Jerusalem.

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