Vivian Silver Explained

Birth Date:2 February 1949
Birth Place:Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Death Place:Be'eri, Israel
Death Cause:Be'eri massacre
Burial Place:Be'eri
Employer:Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (1998–2014)
Organization:Women Wage Peace
Known For:Peace activism
Children:2

Vivian Silver (; February 2, 1949 – October 7, 2023) was a Canadian-Israeli peace activist and women's rights activist.[1] She was killed in the Be'eri massacre, a part of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[2]

Early life and education

Silver was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[3]

Silver first visited Israel in 1968, during her junior year of college.[4] She studied abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she studied psychology and English literature.[4] Silver was also heavily involved in the North American Jewish Students Network, where she was the administrator of the Jewish Student Press Service.[1] In this capacity, Silver began publishing articles about Israeli–Palestinian relations.[1] In her senior year of college, Silver co-founded the Student Zionist Alliance on her campus and was subsequently invited to the Student Zionist Alliance national conference in Montreal that year.[4]

In 1973, Silver and Shifra Bronznick organized the first National Conference of Jewish Women.[1]

Activism

Silver immigrated to Israel in 1974 and became a member of kibbutz Gezer as part of the Habonim Dror movement.[1] [3] [5] At Gezer, she became the kibbutz's secretary, one of the few women to do so;[5] later, she became chairperson of the community.[6] Silver's early activism focused on women's rights and gender disparities in Israeli society.[5] To this end, she founded the United Kibbutz Movement's Department to Advance Gender Equality in 1981.[4] [5] She also worked within the Knesset on the sub-committee for the Advancement of Women in Work and the Economy,[5] for the New Israel Fund, and on the Steering Committee of Shatil.[4]

She moved to Be'eri, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, in 1990, along with her husband and two sons.[1] [3] During this time, she became better acquainted with the local Bedouin community and Gazans. She served as executive director for the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED) beginning in 1998.[3] [7] Silver worked within the kibbutz to organize programs to help Gazans, such as job trainings, and ensured that Gazan construction workers at the kibbutz were paid fairly.[3]

In 1999, Silver and Amal Elsana Alh'jooj co-founded the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation, an off-shoot of NISPED.[1] Silver served as the center's director prior to the second intifada.[8] [9] [7] The center organized projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.[8] [9] In 2010, Silver and Alh'jooj received the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East, an annual prize given by the Institute of International Education to pairs of Arab and Israeli activists working towards peace.[5]

Before the closure of the Gaza border in 2007, Silver worked with Gazan residents in cross-cultural projects.[1] [10] One group she founded, Creating Peace, focused on fostering business connections between Palestinian and Israeli artisans.[1]

Silver was a former board member of B'Tselem, a Jerusalem-based human rights organization.[7] She was also involved with Alliance for Middle East Peace, as well as a number of their member organizations.[11] As part of this work, she helped organize and lead tours of the Israeli side of the Israeli–Gaza border, as a way to raise awareness about the struggles of Gaza residents.

Silver officially retired in 2014.[1] Following her retirement, and the 2014 Gaza War, Silver co-founded Women Wage Peace, an interfaith grassroots organization.[8] [9] Silver also began volunteering with Road to Recovery and Project Rozana to transport Gazan patients who were traveling to Jerusalem for treatment.[1] [3] [10]

On October 4, 2023, Silver helped to organize a peace rally in Jerusalem, which attracted 1,500 Israeli and Palestinian women.[12]

Disappearance and death

On October 7, 2023, Irwin Cotler reported on Twitter that Silver had been abducted from her home in Be'eri during the Hamas attacks which incited the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[7] [9] [13] Silver's sister said that when she spoke to her sister on the phone on October 7, Silver reported hearing Hamas militants outside her home.[3] Silver also messaged friends on WhatsApp with a similar message.[12] Her home was found burned and gutted when Israeli responders arrived,[14] but because there was no body or signs of struggle, Silver was assumed to have been abducted.

Silver's family and friends created a Facebook page "Missing Vivian Silver" to try to collect more information about her possible wherabouts[1] and asked the Red Cross and the Canadian government for assistance in finding Silver and securing her release.[1]

Silver's remains, which had been found in Be'eri, were identified five weeks after the attack, and she was confirmed dead on November 13, 2023.[15]

Following the announcement of Silver's death, tributes to her were shared by B'Tselem, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, and Women Wage Peace.[16] [17] Online tributes to Silver were also posted by Canadian politician and human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler, Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly, Canadian ambassador to Israel Lisa Stadelbauer, and Israeli politician Tzipi Livni.[18] On November 14, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also recognized Silver's death at an event, saying that she would "be deeply missed".[19]

Silver's funeral was held at the kibbutz of Gezer, where she had lived from 1974 until 1990, on November 16.[20] Approximately 1,500 people attended her funeral.[21] She was buried in Be'eri at a private service.[22]

Recognition

In 2011, Haaretz named Silver as one of the "10 Most Influential Anglo Immigrants" to Israel.[23]

Personal life

Silver was Jewish.[13] She had two sons and four grandchildren.[1] [3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lin-Sommer . Sam . October 11, 2023 . This 74-year-old peace activist, grandmother, and friend is feared abducted by Hamas . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231014010559/https://forward.com/news/564226/vivian-silver-peace-activist-grandmother-abducted-hostage-hamas/ . October 14, 2023 . October 14, 2023 . The Forward . en.
  2. News: November 13, 2023 . Canadian Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, feared to be held hostage, confirmed killed in Hamas attacks . CBC News . November 13, 2023 . November 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231113233658/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/israel-gaza-vivian-silver-1.7027333 . live .
  3. Web site: Sarick . Lila . October 9, 2023 . Vivian Silver, a Canadian who dedicated her life to peace, is feared kidnapped by Hamas terrorists . October 9, 2023 . The Canadian Jewish News . en-US . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009091915/https://thecjn.ca/news/vivian-silver-a-canadian-who-dedicated-her-life-to-peace-is-feared-kidnapped-by-hamas-terrorists/ . live .
  4. Web site: August 13, 2018 . Vivian Silver – a Woman Waging Peace . October 9, 2023 . Women Wage Peace . en-US . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009030651/https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/vivian-silver/ . live .
  5. Web site: Gingold . Barbara . September 28, 2011 . Vivian Silver: An Anglo in Israel . October 9, 2023 . Lilith Magazine . en-US . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009182451/https://lilith.org/2011/09/vivian-silver-an-anglo-in-israel/ . live .
  6. Web site: Burston . Bradley . 2023-11-16 . For Vivian Silver, whom we failed — remembering a lighthouse of a human being . 2023-11-16 . The Forward . en.
  7. Web site: Masarwa . Lubna . October 9, 2023 . Prominent Israeli peace and human rights activist missing after Palestinian attack . October 9, 2023 . Middle East Eye . en . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009170240/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-peace-activist-missing-after-attack . live .
  8. Web site: Norlian . Allison . November 24, 2021 . Living on the Border of Gaza and Israel: How an Israeli Woman Fights for Peace . October 9, 2023 . Forbes . en . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009182416/https://www.forbes.com/sites/allisonnorlian/2021/11/24/living-on-the-border-of-gaza-and-israel-how-an-israeli-woman-fights-for-peace/ . live .
  9. Web site: Kampeas . Ron . October 9, 2023 . A peace activist, a soldier, a son: Americans missing, wounded, dead in Hamas attack . October 9, 2023 . www.timesofisrael.com . en-US . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009112937/https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-peace-activist-a-soldier-a-son-americans-missing-wounded-dead-in-hamas-attack/ . live .
  10. News: Harvey . Adam . October 11, 2023 . Volunteer for sick Palestinian children believed to be among Hamas' hostages . en-AU . ABC News . October 14, 2023 . October 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013153612/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-11/vivian-silver-peace-activist-believed-kidnapped-by-hamas/102964870 . live .
  11. Web site: Pagliaro . Jennifer . November 13, 2023 . Canadian Israeli peace activist, who was believed to be kidnapped, now confirmed dead: consulate . November 14, 2023 . Toronto Star . en . November 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231114050210/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/canadian-israeli-peace-activist-who-was-believed-to-be-kidnapped-now-confirmed-dead-consulate/article_9171c248-460a-5457-a244-ae4134e5bae2.html . live .
  12. News: Cymerman . Henrique . October 9, 2023 . "I Hope My Mother is Kidnapped in Gaza" . Agenda Publica El Pais . October 9, 2023 . October 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231010031951/https://agendapublica.elpais.com/noticia/18854/hope-my-mother-is-kidnapped-gaza . live .
  13. Web site: Searle . Tyler . October 8, 2023 . Winnipeg woman reportedly held hostage by Hamas . October 9, 2023 . Winnipeg Free Press . en-US . October 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009023955/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/10/08/winnipeg-woman-reportedly-held-hostage-by-hamas . live .
  14. News: Bowen . Jeremy . October 13, 2023 . Missing peace activist Vivian Silver – son awaits news, good or bad . en-GB . BBC News . October 14, 2023 . October 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020004035/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67090491 . live .
  15. News: Sieff . Kevin . Vinall . Frances . Parker . Nick . and . November 13, 2023 . Canadian Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver was killed in Hamas attack, son says . November 14, 2023 . . November 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231114040116/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/13/canada-peace-activist-vivian-silver-dead-hamas/ . live .
  16. Web site: Masarwa . Lubna . November 14, 2023 . Israelis and Palestinians pay tribute to peace activist Vivian Silver killed in kibbutz attack . November 14, 2023 . Middle East Eye . en . November 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231114170157/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-vivian-silver-peace-activist-killed-kibbutz-attack . live .
  17. Web site: Sharma . Shweta . November 14, 2023 . Israel peace activist who advocated for Palestinian rights confirmed dead . November 14, 2023 . The Independent . en . November 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231114123416/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/vivian-silver-peace-activist-dead-hamas-attack-b2446843.html . live .
  18. Web site: Woods . Allan Woods . November 14, 2023 . 'A mighty legacy of peace building': Tributes are pouring in for Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver . November 14, 2023 . Toronto Star . en.
  19. Web site: November 14, 2023 . 'She will be deeply missed': Trudeau responds to death of Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver . November 15, 2023 . Global News . en-US . November 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231114234522/https://globalnews.ca/video/10091912/she-will-be-deeply-missed-trudeau-responds-to-death-of-canadian-israeli-peace-activist-vivian-silver/ . live .
  20. News: Dayan . Linda . November 16, 2023 . Thousands Attend Funeral of Slain Canadian-Israeli Peace Activist Vivian Silver . en . Haaretz . 2023-11-16.
  21. Web site: 'Hamas did not murder your vision': Fellow peace activists eulogize Vivian Silver . Times of Israel.
  22. Web site: Winsa . Patty . 2023-11-16 . Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver recalled as a role model at funeral . 2024-02-02 . Toronto Star . en.
  23. News: The Year's 10 Most Influential Anglo Immigrants . en . Haaretz . David . Sheen . Raphael . Ahren . September 28, 2011 . October 9, 2023 . October 19, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231019062254/https://www.haaretz.com/2011-09-28/ty-article/the-years-10-most-influential-anglo-immigrants/0000017f-dbb9-d3a5-af7f-fbbf25310000 . live .

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