Jewish and Arab women promote coexistence through culinary experiences

Two women from northern Israel – Jewish-Israeli Eti Freiberger and Bedouin Arab-Israeli Sheherazade Bargut Sweidan – have transformed their personal friendship into Rolling, a grassroots initiative that promotes coexistence between Arab and Jewish women through food and shared culinary experiences.

The project places a particular emphasis on building stronger connections among teenage girls from both communities. Freiberger, who lives in Kibbutz Adamit, and Sweidan, who lives in the nearby Arab village of Arab al-Aramshe, now work side by side to bridge divides through the kitchen.

“We want to be a flag for communities that want shared living but are afraid. There’s nothing to fear – it is our duty to live together,” Freiberger said, adding that the shared experience of being women transcends ethnic, cultural, and religious differences.

“For me and Sheherazade, it’s not about Jew or Bedouin, we’re two women who want good, shared lives for our families and communities,” she explained. “We already live on the same mountain, so why not do it in the best, safest, most welcoming way?”

Freiberger noted the strong bond between Kibbutz Adamit and Arab al-Aramshe. “The closeness to Arab al-Aramshe is not only physical but also emotional. We started Rolling – at first we wanted to roll dreams, and later we rolled both dreams and food. They rolled grape leaves, we rolled sushi, and we would meet between the two communities. When one of our friends from the kibbutz passed away, all the women from the village came. That shows the bond,” she said.

Sweidan echoed her friend’s message of unity: “The girls of Arab al-Aramshe and Adamit share the same path home, and they should also share values, experiences and a way of life.”

Living in close proximity to the Lebanese border, residents of Adamit and Arab al-Aramshe face a daily threat from Hezbollah rockets and drones. But instead of letting fear divide them, women from both communities are working to turn this shared danger into a foundation for unity.

“The first activities were painting bomb shelters and recording a song in both languages in a studio,” explained Freiberger. “All our thinking is in two voices, in two languages, but along one path. Later, we will also hold a meeting with the mothers. There are many encounters between the people of Adamit and those of Aramshe, but not between the teenagers. I decided to make that happen. From the moment my initiative was accepted, I received full cooperation from the council. I am in constant contact with Doa, the director of the community center in Adamit, and with Sheherazade, who leads the project.”

While much of the world’s media remains focused on the war in Gaza, Freiberger and Sweidan have an inspiring and peaceful vision for the future.

“There is a clear message here in a time when we lack hope,” Freiberger said. “We want to establish a path between the village and the kibbutz, and it will be a path of hope, coexistence and partnership. The joint work we are doing here on the mountain should resonate across the country – in partnership between Arabs and Jews. We want to be a flag for those communities that want coexistence but are a little afraid. Not only is there nothing to fear, it is our duty to live together.”

For Sheherazade, the goal is deeply personal. "I come from a place of coexistence. I grew up in a mixed city, lived in the United States for several years, and I understand the importance of living together," she explained. "When we came back to Israel, we decided to enroll our children in the Ma’ayanot school and in the kindergarten at Moshav Bezet. I wanted my children to receive an integrated education.”

Sweidan emphasized that true friendships rise above ethnic and cultural divisions. “I have always lived together with Jews, and it always seemed like a duty in our reality. It doesn’t matter to me whether my friend is Jewish or Arab; we celebrated together, we marked the holidays together, we grieved together. We have nowhere else to go; we share the same destiny, we are in the same boat, and in our case, on the same mountaintop.”

At the heart of the project is a simple truth: women share the same hopes and fears, regardless of culture or religion. “We are all mothers, we all worry, we all want to raise our children in peace,” Sweidan noted. “We decided the children should know why one wears one kind of head covering and another wears a different one, why one fasts on Yom Kippur and another on Ramadan. I love connecting women from all walks of life. We can create change and make an impact. When we were together in Poland, as an Arab woman who grew up in Acre and studied in a Christian school, I realized the power of Jewish history. From that, I understood how important it is for each side to understand the history, religion and faith of every group.”

This spirit of partnership has also inspired contributions from others. In the weeks following the October 7 massacre, Arab-Israeli Bedouin businessman Sami Alkarnawi, who owns five hotels across Israel, offered free accommodations to around 3,000 displaced Israelis, demonstrating how shared humanity can break down barriers in times of crisis.