SabbaticalHomes.com is proud to highlight our newest Notable Member Edward “Edy” Kaufman. Edy is a recognized scholar of Israel who has spent much of his life working with human rights and peace organizations, teaching, and lecturing in more than 40 countries.

One of his favorite endeavors is teaching his annual summer class at the University of Maryland Center for International Development and Conflict Resolution entitled Conflict Resolution: The Israeli-Palestinian Experiment.

His passion for this class is shared by his partner in teaching, Manuel Hassassian, as he is a distinguished scholar of Palestine, equally dedicated to working toward peace between Israel and Palestine.

The duo began teaching together in 1993 when Kaufman approached Hassassian to create the course together. They initially bantered over the direction of the course, the syllabus, readings and even what vocabulary to use, but settled into an easy partnership that soon became a deep friendship. Each summer, the two share a home together and use SabbaticalHomes.com to seek out housing in the Maryland and DC area. Kaufman also lists his home within Haifa while he is teaching with Hassassian.

Over the years, the class has adapted to changes every year, adapting to the changes in the region, and the political climate. The class offers students the narratives of both sides of the conflict, what they have learned about conflict resolution and their reflections on whether a peaceful conflict is possible.

Kaufman and Hassassian have collaborated on numerous articles and publications in addition to their work as a teaching team. “It’s very tough. Sometimes our work seems like such a small drop in the ocean,” explained Kaufman.

“We made a commitment to continue as long as our leaders will not be willing/able to make peace between our two nations, Israel and Palestine. So, we go on and hope we will be able to see peace coming in our lifetime,” voiced Edy Kaufman.

Yet, in sharing their experiences, and in sharing a home every summer to educate students about the conflict, there is peace—and coexistence.

We enjoy catching up with our notable members and writing about their multifaceted adventures and accomplishments. Do you have a Sabbatical Homes story you’d like to share? We want to hear from you!

Related: 10 Reasons to Take an Unpaid or Paid Sabbatical