l was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel.    I hold a B.A. in political science and communication from Bar-Ilan University and studied law at the Ramat Gan Academic College of Law.  I also completed a Master’s in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, USA in 2006 as a Fulbright scholar.

Like most Israelis, l was required to serve two years in the Israeli Defense Force 1992-94.   From 1998 to 2004 I was a project manager, a facilitator and a trainer at the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv, directing projects using sports, drama, and culture to facilitate dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.  This work took me often into Palestinian areas, an experience which profoundly changed my worldview on the Israeli-Palestinian context. 
Long hours of conversation with Palestinians helped me realize that I had been misled most of my life by a combination of misinformation and lack of information. I knew nothing of the meaning of "Occupation" nor did I have an understanding of the plight of the Palestinian people. I went through a long and hard process of breaking down my private stereotypes and misconceptions.  Through these experiences I realized that I wanted to commit myself to advancing the situation of Palestinians and to bringing better relations amongst the Palestinian and Israeli populations.
While at the Peres Center, I produced and managed numerous projects in theatre and drama, film productions and projects that involved different arts and crafts. 
Part of my learning from this experience was that traditional top-down peace processes rarely work as expected.   The Middle East is a graveyard of failed peace efforts!  My own journey of change and the encouraging experiences I had working with groups of Palestinians and Israelis took my interest towards working with the hearts and minds of the people caught in conflict.  Until we make progress there, political talks are just that, talk.
                                                                                                 
As a Fulbright Scholar(2004-2007) I focused on expressive arts as a vehicle for conflict transformation and peacebuilding.  I did my practicum with a program doing trauma healing workshops for 9/11 survivors called STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience).  My particular focus was developing an arts-based approach to trauma healing.  During this time I came to see in a new way that deep trauma lies on both sides of most conflicts.  I am determined to find ways to work with traumatized people in situations of high conflict, and to do this as a recognized element of peacebuilding.
In 2006, I co-led (with Jeffery From) workshops in New Orleans, Virginia and Connecticut, based on a training manual we developed for using the arts for trauma awareness, healing and peacebuilding.  We were very encouraged by the response of the participants to our workshops.

Part of my learning from these experiences was that to gain acceptance for the arts-based approaches I use, I need credentials recognized by the therapeutic community.  In 2007 I began a Masters in Expressive Therapies in Lesley University for a Masters in Expressive Therapies, with a special focus on psychodrama, art-based therapy, and trauma/psychosocial healing.  I do facilitation, training, and consulting as time and opportunity allow.  I live in Jerusalem and with my husband, Ron Kraybill, run Riverhouse ePress, a web-publisher of conflict resolution materials. 

For further information please write me: Odelya@riverhouseepress.com