About MiA

For the first time ever, a full 8-week Arabic mindfulness course, free of charge, has been launched online, providing Arabic-speaking refugees vital tools for easing the trauma of facing and fleeing violence. Through offering mindfulness teachings in their native tongue, we hope to support a sense of clarity and heart in their daily life challenges; i.e. transition, communication and decision making in the foreign unknown.

MiA is currently in the process of manifesting a unique program for kids, after a request from the community, providing Trauma-sensitive Arabic Mindfulness to children.

Our vision is to manifest a Train the Trainer course in Arabic, for teachers and facilitators from the Arabic population. This is a first of its kind; to support our online Mindfulness in Arabic course, interactively, and to support courses in Arabic, at Refugee centers in vivo; in the Middle East, Europe, and of course our specialty over the net.

Uniquely Trauma Informed and Culturally Sensitive Mindfulness

Above is a MiA testimonies video supporting MiA’s cause and explaining how this program helped them.

Our Vision

The Mindfulness in Arabic project (MiA) is building a website that will offer Mindfulness courses in Arabic, designed for refugees and people in transition. Any person with internet access may enter the website, free of charge, anywhere around the world. The course provides practical tools and exercises tailored specifically to support a shaken population that suffered traumas of fear, death and extreme violence. Grown ups, families and children.

The website provides tools for therapists, social workers, welfare and volunteers who are currently working with refugee populations, so that they may use Mindfulness based tools and Trauma Stress informed knowledge. This for their own needs, in coping with work stress and related DP camp difficult experiences, as well as passing them on to their clients. In Arabic and English.

More is in the making, stay tuned.

Meet the Team

The MiA Family

This section is dedicated to all the people that have helped to create this wonderfully supportive community. It is also an ode to our supporters who have worked with us since our foundation.

Meet the Team

Juditta Ben David
MiA Founder and Director

MiA Founder and Director. A Trauma professional working at the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. A seasoned embodied Psychotherapist and International Lecturer in the field of Mindfulness-based knowledge of trauma therapy and resiliency building; SE, MBSE, CRM, DARe, EMDR, TSM, and IFS. A Meditator and senior teacher of mindfulness and compassion practices: MBSR, MMTCP, MSC, and more. Volunteered with Syrian and Kurdish refugees and their counselors since 2014. Also with Palestinian refugees and African displaced women even before.

Juditta is the ToWo group & MiA CEO and senior trainer, a humanitarian and a cross cultural group facilitator. Being the descendant of a family of refugees, the need to stop the circle of violence, find peace within, and cultivate kindness is part of her heritage. Trained hundreds of professionals in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East since 2000. Currently Juditta is a PhD candidate at the JCRS in Jena Germany, for reconciliation studies.

She is also a singer, an ecology lover, a grandmother, and an authentic movement facilitator.

Volunteers

Our Amazing Volunteers

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Shirin Ghandary-Elias

Meditation Narrator and Facilitator

Born in Rama Village, in the Upper Galilee of Israel/Palestine. Multi-disciplinary mind-body-spirit therapist, certified in the methods from the House of Access Consciousness. Director of Noral - A therapeutic spiritual center for individuals and families. My "mission" is to spread light and love in the world. Mindfulness has come to me in many places in my life - I studied Mindfulness in University and have incorporated it into my work and treatments. During the time that I ran a therapeutic boarding school for at risk teenage girls, I taught a Mindfulness course for school administrators while also bringing the practice more and more into my personal life. Today I facilitate group Mindfulness courses and include the practice in private sessions as well.

Nadia Mahmud Giol

MiA Translator and Meditation Facilitator

Former MiA project manager and Galilee Healing Sisterhood. Nadia is an experienced NVC (Non-Violent Communication) international certified trainer and group leader. She is a therapist for Reiki and Healing. She accompanies projects in process in multicultural groups. Manager & Principal facilitator in the Visitors center of Sindyanna of Galilee (Arab & Jewish women fair trade NGO). Nadia is 53 years old, married and a mother to two daughters. She lives in Nof Hagalil and is originally from Safuria village. Nadia has many years of experience with cross cultural group work.

Sevin Seda Güney

MiA’s connection in Turkey

An RDMP (Registered Dance Movement Psychologist), MA. S. Seda Güney is a professional member of ADMP, UK (Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy, UK) and a registered dance movement psychotherapist trained in London, currently based in Istanbul. She developed trainings and workshop programs in trauma rehabilitation for refugee children, co-authored a book chapter called "Holding Hope: Rehabilitation of Syrian refugee children through art, music and dance movement therapy" published by Routledge (2017, UK). Seda is a board member of Arts Psychotherapies Association in Turkey.

Dr. Jumana Milhem,

MiA Meditation Facilitator, and founding supporter

Jumana is a psychiatrist and researcher in the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. As part of her profession, she has volunteered in the West Bank with patients suffering from mental problems and with Syrian refugees in Greece. Jumana lives in the Galilee, and has been practicing meditation, and Mindfulness since about 14 years. She is also a painter.

Reem Othman

Translator and Meditation Facilitator

Reem is a student counselor. M.A in Human services from university of haifa. Research student of marriages between minors at the time of the Ottoman Empire at the University of Haifa.

Maya Leshkowitz

Researcher, Writer

I am a Phd student at the Cognitive Science department in the Hebrew University with background in mathematics and computer science. I am interested in understanding how people form opinions and make decisions, and how unconscious mechanisms affect these processes. I also enjoy painting, dancing and meditating.

Mazin Ahmad Ayub

For 48 years was a high school principle in ShefarAm

a group work facilitator. Long time spritual student. Now a Mindfulness instructor in the jail system, a cross cultural civic society activist, & an Arabic teacher for peace and reconcilliation. A dedicated MiA volunteer.

Arafat Naamneh

Healer and Translator

Arafat has a M.A degree in political sciences, lives in Arrabah city and works as a freelancer in translation between Hebrew and Arabic in several fields. In addition Arafat is working with energy washout healing according to the Dr. Nader Butto method. He has been practicing meditations for many years now and is self taught.

Hider Shaaban

Psychotherapist, Translator

Hider is a therapist and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA, USA. He is originally from Iraq, and moved to the United States as a refugee in 2009. Hider has a special interest in treating adults with trauma and anxiety disorders, identity development, and other issues related to multiculturalism, using mindfulness, among other therapeutic styles.

Ilana Meallem

Project Manager, Ceremonial Leader

Ilana has been active for 15 years in connecting people with one another, with the Earth and with themselves. She has worked throughout the Middle East, initiated and co-led retreats on personal growth, earth based spirituality, environmental sustainability, leadership and outdoor adventure. She is one of the co-founders of the EcoME Center for Peace and Sustainably, Jericho area.

Elias Bitar

Strategy and Product Analyst

Elias studied Business Administration with a specialization in Finance, and has worked in a wide variety of analytical roles. His curiosity about how the world works and our existence led him to dig deeper into Eastern philosophy. Consequently introducing him to powerful practices and tools like yoga, mindfulness and meditation. Elias has many different interests and creative pursuits in life, and a passion for technology, psychology, economics, and social innovation.

Afrayem “Fry” Morgan

MBBCh, MD.

Fry is a psychiatry resident at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, USA. He received his MBBCh from the Cairo University School of Medicine, Egypt. He implements mindfulness extensively with his patients, both in the hospital and the outpatient settings, and works in research on the involvement of mindfulness in brain mechanisms of pain and health at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Fry has been practicing mindfulness meditation for the past three years, and is an outspoken advocate for its efficacy and benefits.

Meir Jean

MiA Webmaster and Meditation Practitioner

Meir has been introduced to insight meditation some 21 years ago. He's grateful for its positive effects in his own life & is keen on helping apply it for the good. Meir lives and works in Nigeria as an IT manager for a local company there.

Julia Battah,

MiA’s Resource Development Assistant

Julia is currently finishing up her B.A. studies in English Literature and German Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has been an Arabic teacher at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem for two years and a Project Manager in a project called “Tayf” based in the Open House. Julia joined MiA because wants to join in helping people find their inner peace as she is a huge mental health advocate. Julia also volunteered at “Beit El-Meem,” a hotline centre for the LGBTQ+ Arab community, as well as at “1202” - The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.

Hamzeh Fakhoury

Meditation Narrator and Facilitator

Hamzeh Fakhoury, throughout his life has demonstrated a strong commitment to the development of the human person. Hamzeh believes that this is only possible through a wholistic approach to life-improvement. Not only does Hamzeh hold a Master of Public Health from Tel Aviv University (with a specialisation in Emergency and Disaster Management), he has also been a volunteer with the Mindfulness project since 2020. Volunteering with MiA allows Hamzeh the opportunity to understand real issues faced by people — people like him — and you, people who have similar hopes, dreams and ambitions. Hamzeh is deeply gratified knowing that he is helping others create a better future for themselves and the world.

Supporters

Our Supporters

Individuals

John Kabat-Zinn

Christopher Titmus

Tara Brach

Jack Kornfield

Shinzen Young

David Treleaven

Organizations

MUDA – Center for Science, Mindfulness, and Society, IDC

Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University

Mindfulness Center

Mindful Magazine

The Institute for Creative Mindfulness

Headspace – meditation made simple

Embodiment in Arabic

Testimonial

Mindfulness in Arabic, in addition to doing critical community support work, is setting an inspiring example for all who are doing mindfulness training work anywhere in the world today. You are demonstrating how mindfulness is not just for the privileged few but for everyone, and how it serves as a foundational skill enabling our world’s most challenged communities to work with stress and build resilience.

I’m particularly inspired by your methodology of training Arabic community leaders as program facilitators and thus showing how mindfulness respects the inherent wisdom in all human beings no matter their race, color, or culture.

Please keep up this important work; it’s important for those you serve and also important to inspire others throughout the world to follow your example.