CRS Speakers' Tour — BEHOLD Peace in the Holy Land

Rami Elhanan

Rami Elhanan. Photo by CRS Staff

Rami Elhanan is a 58-year-old graphic designer in Jerusalem. He was born in Jerusalem to an Auschwitz survivor on his father's side and a seventh generation Jerusalemite on his mother's side. Rami's daughter Smadar was killed on Thursday, September 4, 1997, on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem.

Instead of seeking revenge, Rami and his family turned their energy toward peace.

Rami's wife, Dr. Nurit Peled-Elhanan, has been honored in Israel and abroad as a spokesperson for peace. In 2001, she was awarded the Schakharov Prize for Human Rights from the European Parliament. Their sons Elik, age 31 and Guy, age 29, are among the founders of the "Combatants for Peace" movement. They describe their youngest son, Yigal, who is 15 as "a comfort to our souls."

Rami and his wife are proud members of Parents Circle — Families Forum and believe that the time has come to end the Israel-Arab conflict through dialogue and listening to each other's pain. People from both sides have paid the highest price. These victims of the conflict wish to break the spiraling violence: instead of an endless cycle of revenge and retaliation, they are determined to pursue a different solution. As Rami says, "If we can do it, then everyone else should.