Holding Identity, Grief & Solidarity in a Time of Genocide with Nancy Kreimer & Samah El-Haj Ibrahim

In this episode of Provoking Peace, we sit down with two remarkable women doing interfaith justice work in one of the most painful political moments of our time: Rabbi Nancy Kreimer, founder of the Department of Multi-Faith Studies & Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and Samah El-Haj Ibrahim, a Palestinian refugee, scholar, and professor of political theory.

Samah shares the lived reality of being born a stateless Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, with no political or civil rights — unable to vote, own property, or even travel freely. She describes how Palestinian culture survives through family, food, language, art, and the yearning for a homeland that “lives in us, rather than us living in it.”

Rabbi Nancy reflects on growing up in post-Holocaust America, how her understanding of Jewish identity shifted over decades, and why she now speaks out against white Christian nationalism and the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Jewish bigotry.

Together, they share how they met, how they grieve all children lost — Israeli and Palestinian — and why building an interfaith group during a genocide is both painful and necessary. Their collaboration models what it looks like to refuse enemy narratives and instead choose shared mourning, shared humanity, and shared action.

Key Takeaways:

Cultural identity survives in diaspora through language, food, art, family stories, and intentional teaching across generations.
Being a Palestinian refugee means inheriting statelessness — no citizenship, no political or civil rights, and constant barriers to work, travel, and belonging.
Identity evolves over time. Rabbi Nancy’s understanding of Jewish identity shifted as she witnessed the rise of white Christian nationalism and the politicization of “anti-Semitism.”
White Christian nationalism poses a profound threat to both Jewish and Muslim communities in the U.S.
Interfaith solidarity during genocide is painful but healing. Creating spaces to mourn all lives lost — without false equivalences — is radical and restorative.
Interfaith work matters. Both women have seen moments of hope through community building, shared vigils, and witnessing each other’s grief and humanity.
About the Guests

Rabbi Nancy Kreimer

Rabbi Nancy Kreimer is a pioneer in interfaith dialogue and multi-faith education. She founded the Department of Multi-Faith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, where she served for nearly 30 years.

She is co-author of:
Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim, Christian, Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace. Her work centers on justice, shared humanity, and challenging nationalist or supremacist interpretations within faith traditions.

Samah El-Haj Ibrahim

Samah is an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art & Design specializing in political theory, citizenship, statelessness, and the Middle East. Born a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, she brings personal and academic insight into questions of identity, displacement, and belonging. She is currently writing a book on citizenship in unrecognized states.

Notable Quotes:

“Palestine has always lived in us, rather than us living in Palestine.” — Samah
“I can mourn my people and still mourn the Israelis. I can do both.” — Samah
“White Christian nationalism is a much greater threat to Jews than anti-Zionism.” — Rabbi Nancy
“Anti-Semitism is a ridiculous term… I’m a Semite too.” — Rabbi Nancy
“We are not enemies. We can grieve together, suffer together, and work together.” — Samah

Resources Mentioned:

Books

Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim, Christian, Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace by Rabbi Nancy Kreimer & co-authors (https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Neig...)

Organizations / Groups Referenced

Department of Multi-Faith Studies & Initiatives (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College) - https://rrc.edu/multifaith-studies-an...
Sisters Waging Peace (interfaith group formed by Nancy, Samah, and others) - https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/
Standing Together (Jewish-Palestinian grassroots movement; Philadelphia chapter noted)