Dan Feferman

Last updated
Dan Feferman
Born1982
Occupation(s)speaker, author, security analyst
Organization Sharaka
Website danfeferman.com

Dan Feferman is a speaker, author, and analyst of Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world. He is the chairman of Sharaka, a non-governmental organization that promotes cooperation between Israeli and Gulf leaders based on the Abraham Accords.

Contents

Biography

Dan Feferman was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1982. He attended Penn High School, then went on to Indiana University and the American University. He moved to Israel in 2005 and served for eight years in the Israel Defense Forces as an intelligence officer. As a reservist, he holds the rank of Major. He earned an MA in Security Studies from Tel Aviv University. He lives with his family in Rehovot. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Career and activism

Feferman is a former fellow of the Jewish People Policy Institute and has worked with advisory, research, and public relations firms in Israel. [5]

He was named Sharaka's executive director when the organization formed in 2020. Speaking on behalf of the organization, he has told the press that Hamas "has no positive vision for our society." [6] In 2024, addressing an audience at Brandeis University, he said of Israeli, Arab, and other regional moderates that it is “now more important than ever for us to find common enemies: ISIS, climate change, Iran.” [7]

Feferman was part of a 2021 delegation that toured the United States to speak to audiences about the Abraham Accords. The delegation included Emirati Fulbright Scholar Omar Al Busaidy, diplomat Lorena Kahteeb, journalist Hayvi Bouzo, peace activist Fatema Al Harbi, and artist Chama Mechtaly. [8] [9]

Feferman was one of the principals of the Partners for Peace initiative, launched in 2025 as a joint project between Sharaka and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. [10]

He has appeared in numerous news outlets as an expert on Israel and the Middle East, including The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, [11] Ynet News, [12] [13] Fox News, [14] The Jerusalem Post, [15] The Times of India, [16] and TV7 Israel News. [17] He reported to the Wilson Center on a 2023 trip organized by Sharaka that brought 23 Moroccans to Israel for their first visit. [18]

Feferman is the author of Rising Streams, Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel (2018) [19] and In Search of Authenticity: New Expressions of Jewish life in North America (2022). [20] He is the host of the podcast Juanced. [21]

References

  1. Dits, Joseph (2023-10-26). "Peace? South Bend native talks from Israel. Palestinian here connects with family in Gaza". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  2. Cole, Diana (2021-08-10). "Sharaka Delegation Discusses The Abraham Accords". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  3. Bookspan, Asher (2023-10-11). "Living in Terror: Indiana native describes life during Israel attacks". KOMO. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  4. Bergeron, Ashley (2023-11-21). "Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley hosts panel discussion of Israel-Hamas war". The Preface. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  5. "Sharaka: Building peace in times of war, Middle Eastern delegation to speak at URI on April 1". Rhody Today. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  6. Reyes, Ronnie (2024-03-28). "Exclusive | Israel-Arab group members work to 'humanize each other' as it bridges differences in wake of Gaza war". The New York Post. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  7. Chan, Owen. "Nonpartisan peace start-up, Sharaka, discusses post Oct. 7 mission". The Justice. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  8. Starr, Michael (2021-12-09). "Can Middle East activists get US Democrats to join the Abraham Accords? | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  9. Berman, Lazar (2021-11-22). "Young peace activists promote Abraham Accords in California". The Times of Israel. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  10. Bell, Zoe (2025-03-21). "JCRC Launches Partners for Peace". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  11. Feferman, Dan (2021-12-10). "How the Abraham Accords Can Also Help Restore Israel–American Jewry Relations". The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  12. Grave-Lazi, Lidar; ILTV (2025-03-24). "Houthis seeking relevance as Middle East tensions boil over, expert says". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  13. Hoffman, Maayan; ILTV (2025-03-12). "Can Palestinians go from destroyers to builders?". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  14. "U.S. launches strikes against Iran nuclear facilities". Fox News. 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  15. Feferman, Dan (2025-03-06). "Gaza's leaders push for destruction. UAE leaders build for the future | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  16. "'Send Uranium To Russia': Ex-IDF Advisor's Message To Tehran As US Hits Iran Nuclear Sites". The Times of India. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  17. "Writing the next chapter of the Abraham Accords". www.tv7israelnews.com. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  18. Feferman, Dan (2024-09-19). "Building Ties at Times of War: Bolstering the Abraham Accords through People-to-People Engagement | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  19. "JPPI Report: Significant Rise in Identification with Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel". Alberta Jewish News. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  20. "In Search of Authenticity: New Expressions of Jewish life in North America - The Jewish People Policy Institue". JPPI. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  21. "Jewanced podcast". jewanced.captivate.fm. Retrieved 2025-08-11.