Israel's Arameans are a small, indigenous Christian minority reclaiming their ancient Semitic heritage, preserving Aramaic in their liturgy and culture.
As founder and chairman of the Israeli Christian Aramean Association, Shadi Khalloul's life’s work has focused on empowering Israel’s Christian Aramean minority and reviving traditions lost to history. His experience as an IDF paratrooper, combined with deep cultural roots, gives him a unique perspective on coexistence and democracy in Israel. His mission is to build bridges between Christians and Jews and to promote military integration for young Aramean Christians.
Shadi’s leadership in achieving official Aramean Christian recognition, his ongoing language revival efforts, and his commitment to interfaith dialogue made for a thoughtful conversation.
[Full interview]