Sharaka's Tolerance Promotion through Holocaust Education Program

Our mission is to foster understanding, tolerance, and coexistence by teaching the powerful lessons of the Holocaust. Join us on this transformative journey, as we work together to create a brighter future for the Middle East and the broader Muslim world.

Learning from the Past to Promote Tolerance and Coexistence

Inspired by our participation in the March of the Living in 2022, Sharaka, together with the Claims Conference, offers participants from around the region the opportunity to learn the tragic lessons of our past in order to promote tolerance and coexistence today and in the future.

Sharaka is facilitating the first-of-its-kind broad program for Holocaust education in the Middle East and the broader Muslim world.

The tolerance program is conducted with Assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against  Germany Sponsored by the Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance.

The Concept

We believe the best way to prevent violent social conflicts, hatred, civil wars and atrocities is by learning the lessons of the past.

The Holocaust is the horrific mass genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany against the Jewish people, in which 6 million Jews and millions of others were tortured, enslaved and murdered.

The Sharaka program allows participants to learn, and see first-hand how intolerance today can lead to such atrocities later. Participants will take these lessons to their home countries to educate about the Holocaust and to promote the values of tolerance and coexistence, becoming Ambassadors of Tolerance and Peace.

The Need

The Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, and the renewal of Israel - Morocco ties, opened a historic window of opportunity to create real change in the Middle East and North Africa.

Due to the centrality of the Holocaust in the Israeli and Jewish experience, it is imperative to gain an understanding and appreciation of this. However, due to politicization, the Holocaust is at often minimized, ignored or denied throughout the region.

This reality is an impediment to true people-to-people peace. Moreover, intolerance, sectarianism, ethnic, religious and political violence, and extremism are still prevalent throughout the region.

The Inspiration

In March of 2022, Sharaka organized a historic delegation of Arabs and Muslims, to visit Auschwitz and partake in March of the Living.

We learned about pre-war Jewish life, Nazi Antisemitism and the Holocaust, including visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Together, we vowed “Never Again”, and that each would use their platforms to speak up and educate on the Holocaust, antisemitism and the need for tolerance.

Videos

In the News

US Muslim leaders explore Israel: ‘The Abraham Accords give hope’

Organized by Sharaka non-profit, group focuses on women’s empowerment in Bahrain before arriving in the Jewish state
Read more

Abraham Accords-focused NGO plans to combat Jew-hatred with Holocaust education

“If we don’t stop anti-Semitism at a certain point, it will spread,” said Ahmed Khuzaie, director of U.S. affairs at Sharaka, calling the Shoah “a human story. It’s not just about the Jews.”
Read more

In groundbreaking step, Muslim delegation participates in 2022 March of the Living

“This is crazy what we’re doing. We’re in Auschwitz, a delegation of Arabs and Israelis. I hope that in 10 to 20 years’ time, this won’t be news,” said Rawan Osman.
Read more

Arab delegates join the March of the Living for the first time

Delegates from Arab states have travelled to Poland to take part in the March of the Living for the first time.
Read more

Muslim influencers visit Auschwitz in hopes to uncover truth behind the Holocaust

Poland: Shakara organization collaborates with young leaders from Muslim countries including Lebanon, Syria, and the Gulf states to strengthen ties between Israel and the Arab world.
Read more

Muslim influencers visit Auschwitz, seek to bring truth of Holocaust to Arab world

A group of young leaders from Lebanon, Syria, Gulf countries join the Sharaka organization to strengthen the bond between Israel and the Arab world following the Abraham Accords
Read more

March of Living fights to prevent Holocaust from becoming distant memory

Along with the survivors, this year's march will be accompanied by various delegations, including one comprised of Ukrainian refugees, another comprised of victims of antisemitism, and for the first time, a delegation from the UAE.
Read more

From Bahrain to Yad Vashem: Gulf State Delegation Visits Holocaust Memorial Center

The visit was the first by an exclusively Bahraini delegation, which also became the first group to receive the Holocaust Center's new teaching guidelines in Arabic
Read more

'To our Jewish brothers – Never Again!'

Dozens of online messages from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Arab countries have been sent by people in the region in solidarity, ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Read more

Citizens from the Arab world join the virtual March of the Living

Dozens of messages from the Arab world have arrived as part of the memorial sign campaign that the March of the Living is organizing for the second consecutive year. These messages, which arrived from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Arab countries, came due to the participation of Sharaka (Arabic for ‘Partnership’) organization, headed by Amit Deri (Israel) and Dr. Majid Al Sarrah(United Arab Emirates) the co-founders of the new organization which was established thanks to the Abraham Accords.
Read more

In a first, Arab-initiated event commemorates the Holocaust in wake of Abraham Accords

Participants from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Saudi Arabia joined viewers from North America, Europe and Israel in more personal kind of diplomacy.
Read more

‘Never again’ in Hebrew and Arabic as Gulf states mark Holocaust Memorial Day

In wake of Abraham Accords, Auschwitz survivor Vera Kriegel gave testimony to young people from the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, who recently visited Yad Vashem
Read more

Arab Gulf Initiative to Promote Holocaust Awareness, Combat Anti-Semitism

In December 2020, interfaith group Sharaka brought to Israel the first ever delegation of young leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Sharaka, which translates to partnership in Arabic, was founded last year by social activists from Israel and the Gulf, in the wake of the historic . The initiative aims to strengthen the bonds between young people in the region, build greater trust and promote a real, warm and enduring peace.
Read more