In this episode of Abrahamic Voices, hosts Chen Yaakov Kupperman and Mayan Eden sit down with Tom Vizel, founder and executive director of We Are MENA, a transnational network connecting youth organizations across the Middle East and North Africa. Vizel shares how his years working with NOAL, Israel’s largest Jewish Arab Druze youth movement, shaped his belief in youth-led dialogue, regional cooperation, and people-to-people connection. The conversation explores the origins of We Are MENA, lessons from the Abraham Accords, the importance of education and language, and how meaningful encounters can help young leaders build trust across borders, cultures, and faiths.
In this podcast, you’ll learn:
• How Tom Vizel’s work with NOAL inspired the creation of We Are MENA.
• Why youth organizations play a critical role in building long-term trust across the region.
• How the Abraham Accords opened new possibilities for people-to-people cooperation.
• Why immersive encounters, language learning, and informal friendships matter in cross-cultural dialogue.
• How We Are MENA is expanding partnerships among youth organizations across the Middle East and North Africa.
