Eliaz Cohen
Poet and Editor of Mashiv Haruach
A) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?
Eliaz Cohen, a well-known Israeli poet, editor and a social and peace activist ,52, is leading for 30 years the renewal of Jewish-Isreali poetry, especially by the 'Mashiv Haruach' poetry Magazine. For these 30 years, Eliaz is bridging between all diversities and gaps in the Israeli communities, including all kinds and streams.
Especially in this last year of the war, Eliaz had the privilege to lead, volunteering, special efforts of bridging and bringing together people and communities from the whole spectrum, in Israel and abroad, by writings and arts.
B) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?
As a social worker, a poet and a group's moderator and mentor, from the first days of the war, Eliaz started with the 'Hineni' project, which called for writings and poems around the war, and with joint efforts with the IDF, became a real national project, with dozens of creative-writing workshops among soldiers (reservists and regular duty service), uprooted communities from the South and North of Israel, bereaved families and others.
The poems from the 'Hineni' call and workshops were published and spread out in 9 different updated collections during this last year, and by teams of the educational corps became also a stage-show and short animated films
C) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?
In addition to the 'Hinneni' project, Eliaz led the 'Writing Together' project, from the second week of the war, that brought together thousands of people from all over Israel and Jewish communities from abroad, around writing, listening and sharing, trying to strength and heal eachother in this so hard year.
A link for the 'Hineni' project: