Allan Fisher, resident of Santa Cruz, is an active member of the Palestine Justice Coalition and the Panetta Vigil for Human Rights in the Middle East. He is the son of Holocaust survivors from Germany. Now retired, he taught ESL for 37 years at City College of San Francisco.
Dr. Rolla Alaydi is an educator, teacher, and author of the book NORAH: From My Grandmother’s Kitchen: Palestinian Recipes and Memories. Born in Almaghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, she now resides in Pacific Grove, where she is an active member of the community. As a single mom, Rolla is tirelessly working to raise awareness and funds to help rescue 21 family members trapped in Gaza. Tragically, she has lost 52 relatives, including her aunt Zainab, who was killed in Israeli bombing of her home in Gaza. Rolla’s mission is deeply rooted in advocacy and support for her family. There is a gofundme campaign to raise funds to help the survivors of her family get out of Gaza to safety.
Dianne Monroe is a former journalist, playwright, arts educator and workshop facilitator, now in her elder years. She is inspired by her work as part of Rolla Alaydi’s family support team, and eager to share from her experience. Her longstanding commitment to Palestinian freedom, equality and dignity is rooted in her origins as the child of a Jewish family that was fortunate to escape the Holocaust.
References cited:
https://www.qasimrashid.com/p/one-year-after-107
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-war-gaza-numbers-hamas-palestine-b2623961.html
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2024/10/8/one-year-of-israels-war-on-gaza-by-the-numbers
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-806634
Image credit: Al Jazeera
