The Branch

Can the arts help heal Jerusalem? Two of the women behind Mekudeshet think so. Through concerts and performing arts events, they're creating spaces where Jews and Palestinians can feel at home, finding culture and new connections.

Singers in the Rana Choir of Jaffa are Jewish, Christian and Muslim, from different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds and different political outlooks. Note by note and song by song, the choir proves that different voices and views can still join together in harmony.

Palestinian physiotherapist Rasha Ghaith has a seemingly bottomless bag of tricks. Blending Arabic and Hebrew, knowledge and warmth, she helps her Jewish and Arab patients at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus move forward -- one step at a time.

Israeli author Yossi Klein Halevi and Mohammad Darawshe, a founder of the Arab Israeli Ma'an party, are longtime friends. As intellectuals, they've both been shaped by their many conversations -- and occasional disagreements -- about the country they both call home.

Through cross-cultural dialogue and a personal friendship, powerhouse duo Ola Najmi-Yousef and Ruth Lewin-Chen are empowering local Arab leaders, working with officials, and building trust to make Arab neighborhoods safer. "If we fight together, we can succeed."