Newsletter #3 - December 2024
Dear friends,
As we approach the end of 2024, it is an opportune moment to take stock of Abramundi's progress and the current events in the MENA region that fuel our commitment.
In this period of reflection and gratitude, we celebrate not only our collective progress, but also the hope that overcomes our differences and unites our ambitions.
The Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations, which symbolise hope and light, serve to remind us of the importance of our mission, namely to work for a lasting union between all the descendants of Abraham and to build a narrative centred on coexistence and Mosaic dialogue.
The year 2024 was characterised by significant challenges. The ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon highlight the fragility of the peace process in our region. Against this challenging backdrop, we intensified our efforts to build bridges and promote a vision of coexistence. Despite the difficulties, we have made significant progress, notably by expanding our community and forging partnerships with six NGOs that share our vision of peace and prosperity.
As we look ahead to 2025, we have a number of impactful projects in the pipeline.
We are pleased to announce that our website is becoming multilingual. Going forward, our publications will be available in Hebrew and Arabic, allowing us to reach a wider audience.
A series of podcasts, entitled "Abratalks", will feature interviews with prominent figures from civil society, offering insights into their perspectives on the future of the region.
We are confident that our work will continue to succeed with your ongoing support. We encourage you to follow us on social media, share our publications and participate in our initiatives. Every gesture of solidarity reinforces our message of hope and helps to share our vision of a united MENA region.
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, we remain optimistic about the future. With your continued support, we will continue to develop this new chapter.
By working together, we can build bridges between cultures and promote the values of peace, coexistence and prosperity for all.
Let us continue to collaborate to create a promising future for future generations.
May this holiday provide inspiration and guidance for each of us, and may it lead us to a future where Abraham's descendants can coexist harmoniously.
Co-Founder
The Dubai International Dance Festival is a vibrant celebration of global dance culture. Featuring workshops, performances, and competitions, this event attracts dance enthusiasts and professionals from around the world. It’s a unique opportunity to witness the fusion of artistic expression, from Latin and ballroom to modern and traditional styles, all in the heart of the UAE.
Christmas is celebrated with warmth and joy, particularly in areas where local Christian communities and expatriates come together. This holiday serves as a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ, a symbol of hope and salvation, while embodying a spirit of inclusivity and cultural exchange that brings communities together in harmony.
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is a time of reflection, celebration, and community for Jewish populations in the region. Marked by lighting the menorah, singing traditional songs, and sharing meals, this eight-day event celebrates resilience and faith, echoing its historical significance and cultural relevance today.
Experience the festive spirit with us by exploring our dedicated articles on Christmas and Hanukkah at Abramundi.org. ✨
Sharing our winter lights
“The fire is so delightful, Since we have no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”
This winter, while Frank Sinatra and Mariah Carey are spinning in our heads, the streets are lit up to welcome the festive season. As we plunge into the cold and darkness, the three monotheistic faiths give pride of place to lights. Each community enhances the illumination of street lamps and wall decorations with candles, ancestral rites and traditional dishes… Christmas, Mawlid, Hanoukka ...
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
Christmas, a holiday that brings people together in the Middle East
An unmissable event at the end of each year, Christmas is celebrated in most of the Christian world on the night of December 24 to December 25. Throughout this winter month, the so called "Advent" period enables believers to prepare spiritually for the birth of Jesus, which, according to the New Testament, took place in Bethlehem.
A major holiday for Christians, Christmas has a universal scope, as proved by the festivities that surround it in the Middle East.
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
Find below a selection of our best articles of the month, to be read fully on our website Abramundi.org.
Turning deserts green
(by Salomé Nabeth )
In the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, governmental initiatives are multiplying to green the desert through new agricultural and scientific techniques.
After having bestowed hydrocarbons and an invaluable oil windfall over the past two centuries, the vast expanses of sand, covering more than 2,330,000 square kilometers, are proving fertile ground. Convinced of this hypothesis, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are redoubling efforts to make the desert “blossom”. These two Gulf states, along with Lebanon and Egypt, are launching renewed programs of planting and micro-irrigation. This phenomenon lies at the heart of an environmental transition movement. Indeed, regional euphoria stemming from years of oil revenue is now giving way to skepticism.
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
Leaven and the Levant : How did bread mold the Middle East?
(by Salomé Nabeth)
Can we still indulge in dishes that are 4000 years old ? One bite into the soft, chewy crumb of a good pita is all it takes to answer this question. A culinary heritage of the Levantine peoples, the shaping of this bread originated in the second millennium BC. The same is true of manakish from Lebanon, challah from Jewish culture, and khobz, which is as popular as ever in Morocco... Breads in the Middle East have carved out an identity as rich as the land in which they were born. There's a loaf to suit every taste and, above all, every ritual.
From one country to another, bread takes on different meanings according to events and seasons. For Jews, unleavened bread, or “matzah”, is eaten with bitterness at Pesach, while for Muslims, pide bread is savored with joy at dusk during the month of Ramadan.
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
Air Doctor: the Israeli success story that is revolutionizing travel health
(by Sam Sadroleslami )
Founded in 2018 by Jenny Cohen Derfler, Yam Derfler, Efrat Sagi-Ofir and Yegor Kurbachev, Air Doctor is a platform that was born with the ambition of filling a crucial need in the healthcare field: offering travelers fast and secure access to local doctors anywhere in the world. Thanks to successive fundraisings, including $7.8 million in 2021 and $20 million in October 2024, this Israeli start-up has established itself as the key player in digital health for travelers.
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
The House of Wisdom: a lighthouse of knowledge and tolerance in Baghdad
(by Sam Sadroleslami)
The House of Wisdom, or Bayt al-Hikma, founded in early 9th-century Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasids, is one of history's greatest symbols of the quest for knowledge and the desire for religious coexistence. This illustrious library perfectly reflects an era when science and philosophy flourished at the heart of Islamic civilization.
In the beginning: Baghdad. Founded in 762, the city was a prosperous metropolis and a hub of commerce, attracting intellectuals from all over the world. Its size was such that it already had over 1 million inhabitants, compared with 50,000 in Rome, then the largest city in Europe.
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🔗 Read the full article on our website.
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The Abramundi.org Team ✨