¶ … personality that I am most proud of, it is excruciatingly hard to single out one characteristic. However, given that I am Palestinian with mixed ethnic roots (Palestinian-Muslim father and Polish-Christian mother) living in a country that is torn by ethnic and religious divisiveness, I would posit that the character trait that I am most proud of is my ability to transcend all differences and see humans as humans regardless of their origin or personal makeup. It may be that it was the Lycee Francais de Jerusalem that helped me develop this valuable attribute. The Lycee Francais de Jerusalem exposed me to a variety of different ways of thinking and backgrounds: there were Israelis and Europeans as well as of course, Palestinians, and it was one of those rare environments where contradictory and hugely different backgrounds met and amiably converged. Despite political differences and surrounding oppositional forces, I was able to strike up some genuine and enduring friendships with Israeli...

In fact, I spent my Christmas holiday tutoring two Israeli students with their math examinations.
I reinforced my educational experience with voluntary involvement in a variety of peace programs such as the Peres Center for Peace, Peace Players Middle East, and Seeds of Peace.

It may be also be that other conditions in my life developed this ability too, particularly the fortunate situation of having cultured parents who gave me the opportunity (at least my mother) to pursue culture, specifically music, which broadens the mind. Music is a universalizing tool, and by engaging in it, I am transcending political categorizations by using a transcendental tool to appreciate and interact with our commonality.

It may be music and my background that has enabled me to look past externals and see the core of the individual as is.

As illustration of what I mean, I can do no better…