Sokina Taoon

Sokina Taoon is a community organizer for Hand in Hand’s Galilee school. Born in an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Galilee, Sokina grew up without access to running water and electricity until the age of 18. She later moved to the village of Kaukab Abu al-Hija in the Galilee, where she currently lives with her three children: Natalie, Hussein, and Nancy.

Sokina obtained a B.A. in social sciences from Bar Ilan University, and an M.A. in public policy from Haifa University, after which she interned as a parliamentary advisor. She also graduated from the Shared Society Mentors course, led by the Association for Joint Israeli Leadership, and specialized in multicultural organizations and communities.

Over the years, Sokina has taken an active role in a wide variety of social change programs:“Makom Li,” a project which promotes women’s leadership; “Arcan,” the Shaharit Institute’s Arab leadership program; the Geneva Ambassador’s program for Israeli-Palestinian leadership; “Local Horizon,” a social activism training program; “Standing Together,” a political movement for shared society; and “Sipur Hikaya,” a project which promotes learning the other’s historical narrative.

She is currently at work on her debut memoir.