Meet Us

Susan Abulhawa is the founder of PfP. She’s a mom, a human rights activist, a political commentator and essayist, an award-winning novelist, and a biologist. Her first novel, Mornings in Jenin (Bloomsbury, 2010), was a critically acclaimed international bestseller that has been translated into 26 languages. In 2012, she published a poetry collection entitled My Voice Sought the Wind. Her second novel, The Blue Between Sky and Water was published in June 2015.

Hanan Urick is a first generation Palestinian-American. She is a mom, pharmacist, school volunteer and childrens’ rights advocate. She grew up in North Jersey and holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and a PharmD from Shenandoah University. She currently resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter and son. Her involvement in Playgrounds for Palestine stems from her love of children and her strong beliefs in the merits of play.

Stephanie Sena is a professor of history at Villanova University and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her areas of specialization are Middle Eastern History, and the history of race and class in the US. In 2011 Stephanie founded SREHUP- the Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia to engage students in the work of ending chronic homelessness in Philadelphia.

Stephanie is proud to sit on the board directors of Playgrounds for Palestine, and is a staunch advocate for Palestinian rights. She loves teaching Palestinian history in her college courses.

Stephanie is also a mother of two elementary school aged children, who are being raised to embody the spirit of Tikkun Olam. When not parenting, teaching, advocating, or exercising she can be found either sleeping or reading on the beach.

Betsey Piette, Playgrounds for Palestine Treasurer is a retired accountant with over 12 years experience in the non-profit field, and 15 years experience as a Business Manager for a childcare center.  Piette has been a life-long supporter of Palestinian rights, first as a student activist in the 1970’s and most recently an organizer of many demonstrations against Israeli occupation of Palestine.  She is one of the founding PfP board members.

Karen Kovalcik enjoys a life that is full of connections through her four childrens’ schools and sports activities while enjoying activities in various church and civic groups. She is an active board-member of the Bucks County Performing Arts Center. Her involvement with Playgrounds for Palestine stems from her awareness of the plight of the children living in Palestine. Her heart has been moved to provide whatever assistance and support she and her family can secure. As a believer that change comes from the most innocent among us, children, she fully supports this charity’s mission to provide a basic human right to play shown through an act of love.

Kareema is a Palestinian-American and a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Morocco as a Youth and Business Development volunteer. She lived in Jordan for part of her life and grew a better understanding of the growing injustices towards Palestinians. After she returned to the U.S. she grew heavily involved in Palestinian solidarity work within her local community. Currently, she works as a Special Projects Manager at a Philadelphia NPO providing community and business development to minority-owned businesses.She majored in Business and is working towards pursuing a law degree.

Jacqueline Berry was born and raised in the UK, leaning that the “Israelis made the desert bloom”.  Thanks to a degree in Geography/Development Studies and many adventures around the Middle East/North Africa, she learned how effectively history can be rewritten/obscured/denied.  She moved to Philadelphia with her husband in 2001, currently works and advocates for People With Disabilities and is very proud and grateful to be associated with the amazing work of Playgrounds for Palestine.