Seema Dajani

Seema Dajani hails from the Dajani clan, which has a documented 500-year history in East Jerusalem. After 1948, the majority of the family settled in Amman, Jordan, where she was born and raised until the age of 9 years. Her family immigrated to America after the Six Day War to start a new life that offered hope and opportunity.

Due to her rich Middle Eastern heritage and her later faith conversion to Christianity, she developed a passion for a deeper understanding of the Holy Land and its diverse people. She dealt with her anger and bitterness and other issues as she came to understand the complexity of the Israel-Palestine conflict. She learned the art of forgiveness through the teaching of Christ Jesus and joined a Jewish-Palestinian dialogue group in Berkeley CA, where became a facilitator. She also co-founded and participated in a German-Palestinian-Jewish dialogue circle. Seema has presented the Palestinian perspective with a Jewish partner at Jewish community centers, clubs, and schools.

Seema has traveled to the Holy Land 10 times, where she volunteered as a nurse in the West Bank, and did a five-month biblical studies in Jerusalem. In addition, she has organized and co-led three church tours to the Holy Land, visiting both the Jewish and Palestinian communities.

Seema's passion is for reconciliation and to help bring a deeper understanding of the conflict: learning the art of not choosing sides but to hold both sides and see both peoples through the eyes of God. She became a Friends of Roots board member because it aligns with her passion and vision as a peacemaker. She is single, and lives in the East Bay area in California.