Ada and the pomegranate of peace

 For Professor Ada Aharoni, the new Memorial Day for Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands, on 30 November, is something of a personal triumph.

The Cairo-born academic, poet, peace campaigner and author was one of the first to advocate for such a Day.

Several of Professor Aharoni's books deal with the exodus of Jews from Egypt. Her book Not in Vain (Hachette), about the Jewish Hospital in Alexandria has been awarded the Testimony Prize.

On 30 November itself, Professor Aharoni will be launching the French version of her book, published by Le Manuscript, (Thea Wolf: La femme en blanc de l'hopital juif d'Alexandrie) at a Paris lunch organised by the ASPCJE organisation of Jews from Egypt.

Professor Aharoni's favoured message is that greater knowledge of the modern Jewish exodus will appeal to the Arab sense of honour. If Palestinians are made aware that they are not the only victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict, they are more likely to achieve a 'Sulha': permanent peace based on reconciliation. This is also the message of a video she has recorded  in Hebrew. Here is the trailer:  RIMON HASULHA VE HAKAVOD - THE POMEGRANATE OF RECONCILIATION AND HONOR.

She elaborates on this theme in this second 15- minute video, the Second Exodus and Peace: Professor Aharoni hopes that her videos will be used to spread greater awareness of the Jewish exodus.