Palestine: Protecting Our Children and Supporting Our Community

With: 

Hannah Moushabeck, author of the children’s book Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine

Bahar Hashemi, MD, child and adolescent psychiatry specialist

Faten Hijazi, parent advocate

Samia Shoman, Teach Palestine Project of the Middle East Children’s Alliance

Join us for a discussion with Palestinian educators and parents about how to support our children and youth as they witness current events in Gaza and throughout Palestine; and how to work with schools to do the same. 

We are experiencing heightened levels of repression of our youth and educators. We need to be equipped to collaborate with districts on including Palestine in their diversity and equity initiatives; we cannot continue to be the exception. 

This event will be an opportunity to connect with other Arab and Palestinian families, in addition to others who care about Palestine and want their students to be in safe and inclusive learning environments. 

Our speakers:

Hannah Moushabeck is a second-generation Palestinian American author, editor, and book marketer who was raised in a family of publishers and booksellers in Western Massachusetts and England.  She is the author of the beautiful children’s book Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine (Chronicle Books, March 2023). 

Bahar Hashemi, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatry specialist based in Los Altos, CA. She initiated the Gaza Pediatric Mental Health Initiative in 2014, and has traveled to Gaza to train local community organizations. 

Faten Hijazi is a tech professional who works at the cross section of engineering, business, and social justice. She is originally from Palestine and many of her family are in Gaza right now. She is an active volunteer at her children’s school. She is passionate about education and helping students, parents, and teachers be more equipped to advocate for the needs of all students with empathy, equity, and social justice.

Samia Shoman, co-coordinator of the Teach Palestine Project, is a California native with Palestinian roots who has dedicated her career in public education to promoting racial and social justice in the classroom and in broader educational organizations. She currently works as a school administrator in the Bay Area and with teachers across the country. 

Host or Publisher MECA's Teach Palestine Project