Building Peace Through Dialogue: A Conversation with Hana Bendcowsky

What does peacebuilding look like in a place marked by fear and trauma?George Mason speaks with Hana Bendcowsky, Program Director at the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue in Jerusalem. Hana describes the Rossing Center’s work fostering understanding and shared society among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Israel through mindful listening, trauma awareness, and relationship building. Reflecting on the aftermath of October 7, 2023, she shares how the war has intensified polarization while making dialogue more essential than ever.Their conversation closes with reflections on religious identity, nationalism, and compassion, as Hana and George recognize the parallels between Jewish and Christian struggles to uphold faith-based values amid political and social division.Hana Bendcowsky holds an M.A. in Comparative Religion from the Hebrew University and has nearly three decades of experience in interfaith work in Israel and abroad. She teaches in seminaries, academic programs, and government settings, and leads educational tours in Jerusalem focused on the Christian Quarter and Jewish-Christian relations in the Israeli context.