When Nawal al-Rajabi stepped to the podium at the Ohev Sholom Synagogue in Washington D.C., the 24-year-old Palestinian refugee shared her remarkable and inspiring story with the audience. Now a student at the University of Maryland, Nawal was born in Syria and spent much of her life in Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine before coming to the United States for college.
In July of 2018, she attended the Gaza Freedom Festival in the Gaza Strip. On the final evening, rockets were fired from the nearby Israeli army base. The Festival dissolved into chaos as the organizers shouted for the attendees to evacuate. While Nawal was able to take refuge into a nearby building, one of the international volunteers was injured and two Gazans were killed. Nawal and the festival participants made it to a safe location and were then financially and emotionally supported by Gazans in the area.
Nawal’s story is one that speaks to the strength and resilience of Palestinians and their friends during a period of long-standing crisis in the region. The day following the attack, Nawal started a social media campaign to share her story and those of the other international volunteers. This campaign was contacted and supported by other activits, activists and organizations both in the Middle East and abroad. As the story went viral, it was featured in various international news outlets, often drawing attention to the ongoing violation of human rights in the area.
Nawal’s story was eventually heard by D.C. Pastor Dr. David Bailey, who invited her to speak at Ohev Sholom Synagogue in Washington D.C. in August of 2018. At her speech, Nawal thanked the congregation for the opportunity to share her story. The audience was captivated as she spoke of courage and community, of being able to have survived such an attack, and of the power of others to make a difference through the platform of the internet.
Nawal’s story has become more than just a personal experience, it has become a worldwide message of hope and resilience in times of struggle. She is an inspiration to many and is dedicated to using her voice to battle injustice and advocate for human rights.