Atidna International
Jadd Hashem is the Vice President of Atidna International and also the Palestinian Head of Dialogue. Born in Dallas as a Palestinian-American, Hashem has been active in local politics while campaigning for the total equality of Palestinians in Israel/Palestine. He believes in the total equality of all people in the Holy Land.
Elijah Kahlenberg is the founder and current leader of Atidna International. Leading both the Atidna International non-profit and an individual Atidna chapter at the University of Texas at Austin, Elijah has personally overseen and led various joint dialogues and peace events between Jewish/Israeli and Arab/Palestinian students. Elijah hopes to dedicate his life to the mission of unity and reconciliation between Jews/Israelis and Arabs/Palestinians, two peoples that he truly believes are one family.
Miriam is an Israeli-American public health and global economics student dedicated to advancing health equality. With a deep belief in the power of dialogue and shared experiences, she advocates strongly for human rights and equity. Please feel free to reach out about any topics and events!
Rawan Albdeiri is an enthusiastic senior member of Atidna with Arab roots. She serves as the President of Arab affairs. She holds a passion in politics, peacemaking, society, and balancing it all with a cultural landscape that values humanity above all. She is graduating a year early in 2025 with a major government and minors in Middle Eastern Studies, American Sign Language, History, and Women’s Studies.
Email: rawan.albdeiri@gmail.com
Shalom aleichem! My name is Olivia Zelling. I’m proud (and honored) to be one of the founding members of Atidna International alongside serving as the Jewish Affairs Chair. I believe that the work we have started on college campuses is vital for what will become a brighter and more inclusive future, and I’m grateful to be part of such a passionate group of leaders.
Email: oliviazelling@utexas.edu
Hello, I am Simon Marina. I am the Head of Palestinian-American Affairs for Atidna. As someone who champions dialogue as an integral form of progress, I am happy to join a movement where I can share my story to the masses. Look forward to speaking with you all!
Email: simonjmarina@gmail.com
Devon Schwartz is the Head of Interfaith Affairs for Atidna International. Devon was born in Houston, TX, and he comes from Jewish and Muslim descent. He grew up celebrating the culture and holidays from both religions. He believes that communication between people of both faiths is important for a peaceful and prosperous future.
Email: devon.s.schwartz@gmail.com
Maryam Zoweil is an Egyptian-American Canfield scholar at UT Austin, pursuing majors in business honors and data science and minors in entrepreneurship and public policy. She is also the Director of Data Analytics at the Institute for Youth in Policy, a youth led nonprofit advocating for the implementation of a student-designed discourse-based curriculum to tackle polarization in classrooms. Outside of her role at YIP, Maryam has actively contributed to several initiatives promoting intercultural understanding and equity-centered innovation. She is excited to continue that work with Atidna International.
Atidna International