“Between the River and the Sea”: An Evening of Theatre and Dialogue at Leiden University
How can we sustain dialogue on a deeply divisive issue within our university community? On 16 February 2026, Leiden University hosted "Between the River and the Sea: An Evening with Yousef Sweid", marking the launch of the second season of the student-produced Radio Palestine/Israel podcast.
In a packed lecture hall at the Lipsius building, Palestinian-Israeli actor Yousef Sweid performed excerpts from his solo play, a personal piece exploring identity, belonging, and life between languages, cultures, and conflicting historical narratives. The performance is rooted in Sweid’s experience growing up in Haifa and later moving to Berlin. It combined humour and reflection to narrate a life lived on the faultline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The evening concluded with an open discussion with the audience, in line with the broader aims of the Radio Palestine/Israel course. It encourages students to engage with difficult questions without defaulting to fixed positions, and to foster dialogue across difference. Participants reflected on the themes raised during the performance, raising questions and sharing perspectives in a setting that allowed for both critical engagement and mutual listening. By bringing together students, academics, and a wider university audience, the event created space for reflection, exchange, and sustained conversation on a societally relevant, emotionally charged, and highly contentious issue. The event was made possible by the generous support of the Leiden Jewish Studies Network (LJSN) and the Faculty of Humanities’ JEDI Fund, whose contributions enabled this initiative to take place and reach a broad audience.
