But for UvA alumnus Boaz (26), this was not his first encounter with interfaith dialogue. Even before his studies, he became involved in Leer je buren kennen, an initiative of the Liberal Jewish Community in Amsterdam-Zuid. In this project, Jewish young people welcome secondary school students and secondary vocational education (MBO) students to the synagogue. 

‘It is not just about a guided tour; it is mainly about prejudices and what it means to be Jewish in the Netherlands. The young people who visit are usually not Jewish. That conversation is precisely what is incredibly valuable.’

Boaz eventually became project leader and helped expand the initiative to other cities. 

7 October as a turning point 

A few days after the Hamas attacks of 7 October, Boaz was invited to a meeting at the official residence of Mayor Halsema, organised by JALLA, a platform for Jewish–Islamic dialogue.  

There, he started talking with Noa, an acquaintance from Leer je buren kennen, and two young women with an Islamic background: Selma and Oumaima. 

‘We had a really meaningful conversation,’ he says. ‘We talked about how the past few days had felt for us. And what it is like now to wear a headscarf? Or a necklace with your name in Hebrew? That evening was so different from what you saw on television or social media, where people were only attacking one another.’ 

‘At the end of the evening we said to each other: “We have to do something with this, because it is so badly needed. You can see antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred increasing, including among young people, because of what has happened.”’ 

From talk show to classroom 

What began as an idea for a social media campaign soon developed into Deel de Duif. The symbol – a dove with the word ‘peace’ in Arabic, Hebrew and Dutch – was widely shared. Invitations from talkshows, schools and municipalities quickly followed. 

Teachers also started getting in touch. ‘They saw arguments breaking out in the classroom, children who no longer dared to come to school. They asked: “Can you show that things can be done differently?”’ 

That is what they did: by standing in front of the class together, as Jews and Muslims, and not debating but talking. ‘Simply by showing that we can have a normal conversation with one another, you already reduce the tension.’ 

Understanding, not arguing 

‘At school, you learn how to debate and argue your case, but you learn much less about how to have a real conversation. So we often start by asking: “What is a dialogue?” Because that is something different from a debate. In a dialogue you want to understand one another.’ 

‘Many people think it is all about arguments and facts,’ he explains. ‘But often it is about what something does to you. Why does this affect you? You cannot disagree about that.’ 

He describes how a Deel de Duif session was able to ease tensions during a meeting with staff members and the Executive Board at a university of applied sciences.  

‘A lot had happened there and you could feel the tension. One word was enough for someone to completely lose their composure. We had planned to talk about what we do with Deel de Duif, but instead we decided to have a dialogue with them there and then.

Everyone was given the chance to share something, and everyone had to listen. You were not allowed to interrupt the other person and could only ask curious questions. Afterwards, you could feel the sense of relief in the room,’ he says. 

Personal motivation 

For Boaz, his motivation is self-evident. ‘All my life, when I go to synagogue, the military police are standing at the door. As Jews, we live under a constant security threat,’ he says. 

He feels it is important to stay in contact with others. ‘Also because I have seen where antisemitism can lead. All four of my grandparents lived through the Second World War as young children in hiding. I have talked with them about this, and it inspires me deeply.

It makes me feel that our freedom here is not a given – but dialogue is a small link, for Jews, Muslims and other vulnerable minorities, in helping to preserve it. That is a powerful source of motivation for me.’ 

Polarisation on campus 

Boaz is realistic about polarisation at universities. ‘People need to learn to think along two tracks,’ he says. ‘Policy and relationships.’ 

You may clash hard over policy. But you must continue to invest in relationships through dialogue. ‘Many students do not need to make policy together. That makes it all the more important that they keep seeing one another as human beings.’ 

Additionally, he thinks it's important to act consistently 'Universities should have clear international decision making guidelines for partnerships and collaborations. Every country should be evaluated equally. Only then, you can truly act in a just and right way.'

Looking ahead 

In the meantime, Deel de Duif has become a foundation, with an advisory board and plans for long-term sustainability.  

And his personal dream? ‘That as a society we invest much more seriously in social cohesion,’ he says. ‘Safety does not start with defence, but with connection.’