Madison, WI
Madison, WI
This is PfP's most active chapter as they are continually working on a variety of projects and initiatives for PfP. For more up-to-date information, please visit PfP Madison's website at
http://pfpmadison.blogspot.com.
The below statement by Judith Siers-Poisson outlines how the Wisconsin Chapter was started:
"When Susan Abulhawa came to Madison for the Wisconsin Book Festival in Fall 2007, I was able to interview her on my radio program, A Public Affair, on community radio station WORT. Having read her novel, "Morning in Jenin," I felt moved to offer to help Playgrounds for Palestine. Susie invited me to come to Philadelphia to meet members of the PfP board, and to join the board as the founding member of a Madison chapter. I was able to add on a visit to Philadelphia onto a pre-existing work trip to NYC, and agreed to found a Madison chapter. Madison is a prime location for a PfP chapter since there is already a lot of activity and a high level of awareness on Palestinian issues. I look forward to engaging our active community on Palestinian issues and to engage them in working with PfP on various projects. We will also reach out beyond those existing networks to draw others in." -Judith Siers-Poisson
Board Of Directors
Jean-Marc Poisson
is a native of Paris, France and came to the U.S. in 1988. He holds a PhD in French Language and Literature from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He has previously taught at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and Madison Area Technical College and Edgewood College. He is a freelance translator and interpreter. His and Judith's daughter Ariane is also helping with the chapter.
Jennifer Loewenstein
is the Associate Director of the Middle East Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a member of the board of the Israeli Coalition against House Demolitions-USA branch, founder of the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project and a freelance journalist.
Judith Siers-Poisson
was inspired to found the Madison chapter of Playgrounds for Palestine when she interviewed PfP Founder Susan Abulhawa in Fall 2007. She has worked for a variety of non-profits as a fundraiser since 1996. She is currently the Associate Director of the Center for Media and Democracy. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and hosts "A Public Affair" on community radio WORT.
Samir El-Omari
is a Palestinian who moved to Madison from Montreal in August 2007. Samir is a licensed professional engineer of Ontario, Canada. He graduated from and did his master degree at Bauhaus university in Weimar, Germany and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Concordia University Montreal, Canada. He held, for a period of 15 years, several industrial posts in Egypt in construction engineering and management on building projects including hospitals, hotels, power plants, and residential and commercial buildings. In addition to being active with Playgrounds for Palestine, he is also a member of the association for one democratic state Palestine/Israel and the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project. His wife, Nevine El-Nossery, and their children Hana and Zayed, are also helping the with the PfP chapter.
Chapter Photos
(Clockwise from upper left): Judith, Jennifer, Samir, and Jean-Marc
(Clockwise from upper left): Judith, Jennifer, Samir, and Jean-Marc
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