Born in Israel at the beginning of the 1960s, I grew up in the States through my early childhood, which set the stage for my longing for peace. Trained in Fine Metalwork in Bezalel Art Academy my work reflected a spiritual seeking for harmony through weaving together of materials and symbols. Constantly looking to expand my spiritual awareness, I practiced Yoga and Meditation, but my life took a major turn at the beginning of 2000 when I embarked on the transformative journey as a new mother of twins, a moment I had eagerly awaited throughout my youth.

My fervent desire was to parent in a way that resonated with me – one defined by profound attunement to my children's needs. Scanning the early days of the internet for resources, led me to an enlightening article titled "Compassionate Connection’ in Mothering Magazine, authored by the remarkable CT Inbal Kashtan (may her memory be a blessing) formerly the head of the Parenting Division in CNVC. In that very instant, I experienced an epiphany, an awakening. I knew I had to pursue this. A week later I was in my first NVC course with Inbal’s sister CT Arnina Kashtan, marking the inception of my profound NVC journey.

The term "Empathy" struck me like a revelation. It was a word previously unfamiliar to my vocabulary, and its true essence had yet to be experienced. Initially, I believed it to be primarily a way to connect with my children. As I began to practice it, I witnessed how it brought relief and deepened connections in myriad situations, including my relationship with myself.

Two decades have passed, and I have since brought the transformative process of NVC to both personal and societal levels by delivering numerous training sessions in education, welfare, and mental health groups, as well as couples and families, and an ongoing Free Empathy Space Community on Zoom I founded in 2019. Living in Israel, I have had opportunities to build a bridge and create steps to peace by mediating between Jews and Arabs living in Israel as well as other polarized factions in our society.

My goal is to continue doing this work. I am active in peace movements in Israel and Palestine and have mediated and taught in various groups, including The Peace Academy (a project bringing together teenagers from Arad and Jewish schools), Women Wage Peace, and Standing Together—a joint Jewish and Arab-Israeli movement.

I firmly believe in the family unit as a place where peace begins, and most of my day-to-day work is counseling couples and individuals. Working in my home and on Zoom. NVC has been and will continue to be, healing for me on a deeply personal level of much-needed self-acceptance and relief from the debilitating self-judgment I suffered from all my life. It has shown me the way to self-compassion.

I am thrilled to be part of the larger CNVC community and to continue the work of healing for all in need in the troubled and traumatized region in which I live. I look forward to collaborations that will bring more of NVC’s vision to Israel/Palestine.