Ms. Amal Elsana Alhjooj is the director of AJEEC – the Arab Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation - a division of NISPED.

 

Amal was born in Laqiya, an Arab Bedouin village in the northeastern Negev, to a family with 13 children. She began her career as a community organizer when she was 14, and at the age of 17, established the first Arab Bedouin women's organization. Amal completed her high school education in the village of Tel Sheva and went on to study Social Work at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. She received her MA in Community Development from McGill University in Montreal Canada. 

 

Amal is one of the key shapers of public opinion in the Arab community in Israel, in general, and in the Negev, in particular, regarding the status of the Arab minority and the status of women in Israel. She is a sought after lecturer and participant in numerous conferences devoted to these issues, in Israel and abroad, and the recipient of a number of awards:

 

2005: Candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize within the framework of the "One Thousand Women" submission.

2004: WASME – World Association of Small and Medium Businesses – Special Honor Award

2004: Israel Women’s Network: Citation "Advancement of the Status of Bedouin Women"

2004: Israel Small & Medium Enterprise Authority: "Initiative of the Year" Award

2003: Lady Globes "Career Women of the Year" Award

 

Amal is married to Anwar Alh’jooj, a lawyer, and the mother of three-year old twins.