AGENT FOR PEACE

Brenda’s endeavors in community action and social mediation has proven her immense dedication to the betterment of our world. Taking a very hands-on approach, she partnered with Samia Moustapha Bahsoun to develop the Tectonic Leadership program, a unique effort that uses tension to transform relationships and bring people together. She inspires people to see the value and synergy that diversity and pluralism can bring to communities, helping to overcome ignorance, fear and hate. She doesn’t talk about building bridges, she’s in the trenches doing the work.
A WOMAN OF MANY FIRSTS
- FIRST program to bring a Church, Mosque and Synagogue together in America. Reuniting the Children of Abraham multi media peace project was featured on CBS (March, 2005) on how it is possible to utilize the creative arts for social healing; over 100 presentations times across America, Canada, Israel and Jordan.
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FIRST to build bridges between Jews and Muslims with books. Four metro Detroit mosques received mini Jewish libraries.
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FIRST Jewish woman to deliver a sermon at a mosque (the Islamic House of Wisdom) in America.(2002)
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FIRST to inspire 30 women from 7 different faiths to publish personal stories of reaching across divides: The WISDOM of women creating alliances for peace.
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FIRST Jewish person and FIRST women to be honored by the Michigan Muslim Council.
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FIRST Jewish person to be honored by the Arab Anti Discrimination ADC Council.
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FIRST week-long workshop connecting Christian, Muslim and Jewish students from four Michigan Universities to learn how it is possible to have cool conversations on the hot topic of the Middle east conflict, in partnership with Samia Moustapha Bahsoun.(2011)
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FIRST campus workshop at Northwood University, Midland Michigan on how to harness the power of campus tension surrounding roommate and sexual harassment issues in partnership with Samia Moustapha Bahsoun.(2018)
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FIRST model program in Roseville, Michigan, to bring law enforcement and community together using the tension that once divided them: Hate 2 Hope. (2016)
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FIRST to initiate a leadership workshop for diversity and sensitivity trainers at the Brightmore Church in Novi Michigan.Transforming racial tensions by creating a new communication platform.(2017)
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FIRST to launch art treasures from an American museum as wall murals. In partnership with Detroit Institute of Arts, and Detroit Wallpaper Co.(summer 2018)
Brenda serves as an advisor to the FBI’s Multi Cultural Advisory Committee (MCAC), Advocates Leaders to build Police and Community Trust (ALPACT), Sheriff Bouchard (SAC) Special Advisory Council for Oakland County, and the Detroit Institute of Arts gift shop, and is the Jewish liaison to Interfaith Girl Scouts of South Eastern Michigan.
Brenda’s ground breaking efforts have been recognized with over 18 awards from groups as diverse as her efforts.
FEATURED: GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA
In The News
- Author, peace activist Brenda Rosenberg helps Girl Scouts promote peace and acceptance, Read The Spirit, June 1, 2019
- Girl Scouts, Detroit Institute of Arts and Brenda Rosenberg Are Reuniting the Children of Abraham, Read The Spirit. Jan. 26, 2020.
- Girl Scouts Are Facing COVID-19 with Outreach from Crafts to Compassionate Connection, Read The Spirit, April 19, 2020.
REUNITING THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM:
A TOOLKIT FOR PEACE

“Reuniting the Children of Abraham” brings together congregations of Christians, Muslims and Jews, both adults and teens to see the 4 step healing process in the documentary and then engage in interactive dialogue. RTCOA provides the opportunity for audiences to experience how reconciliation and peace are possible. RTCOA has been featured as a CBS network special in over 100 markets and on the National Muslim TV network Bridges, as well as being featured in numerous articles and the front page story in Detroit, and Duluth newspapers.
TECTONIC LEADERSHIP

When the Middle East crisis escalated in 2009, Brenda turned to her friend and teacher Debbie Ford and asked “did she know an Arab she could partner with in healing the Middle East conflict? Debbie introduced Brenda to Samia Bahsoun; for the past ten years Samia and Brenda have worked together to create a program for developing a new kind of leadership; TECTONIC LEADERSHIP. Tectonic programs have the power to open dialogues and build sustainable relationships in the face of bias, racism, religious divides, police and community relations, sexual harassment, and more.
HARNESSING THE POWER OF TENSION
BETWEEN POLICE & COMMUNITY
AROUND SEXUAL HARASSMENT
AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
TECTONIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM:
HATE 2 HOPE
In The News
- Healing communities: Harnessing tension through Hate2Hope, Read The Spirit, Sept. 25, 2016
- Bankole: Building trust between police, community, Detroit News, Aug. 4, 2016
- Pilot program aims to bring police and community together. C&G Newspapers, Mar. 2016
- From Hate to Hope, Leadership program bridges the divide between students and law enforcement. Jewish News, Mar. 31, 2016
TECTONIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM:
OPENING DIALOGUES TO COMBAT SEXUAL HARASSMENT
In The News
TECTONIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM:
MIDDLE-EAST CONFLICT & RELIGIOUS DIVIDES
Sermons
- Engaging the Other, June 22, 2007 Temple Beth EL
- Anti Zionism is Anti Semitism, February 9, 2003 Holy Hope Heritage Church
- Creating Peace Through Sacred Connections, November 22, 2002 Islamic House of Wisdom
In The News
- Standing Against Hate, Jewish News, Jan. 21, 2016
- Community leaders rally against Islamophobia during news conference, WXYZ Detroit, Dec. 21, 2015
- Harnessing Tension – Leadership approach is a new way to solve conflicts. The Jewish News, Dec. 17.2015
- AJC recognizes Jewish-Arab partnership, The Muslim Observer, Nov. 26, 2015
- God Signs author Suzy Farbman writes about interfaith and cross-cultural work of Brenda Rosenberg and Samia Bahsoun, now in Harnessing the Power of Tension, Nov. 15, 2015.
- Jewish-Muslim Best Friends Make Peace by Stressing Fault Lines, Times of Israel, Apr. 2015
- Tectonic Leadership: Leading the Way to Cool Conversations on Hot Topics, My Jewish Detroit, Nov. 2014
- Deconstructing the negative narrative of Zionism at the ISNA Conference, Detroit. Detroit Jewish News Sept. 2014
- Standing Up To ISIS, Detroit Jewish News, August 2014
- “From Hate to Hope”, August 2014, Brenda Rosenberg facilitated a panel of Sikh, Muslim, Native American, African American, and Jewish leaders as they each discussed the misunderstandings faced by their religious or ethnic group. Presented at Bridging Borders and Boundaries, a NAIN Connect Conference.
- Combating BDS, Detroit Jewish News, July 17, 2014
- Fast, Pray For Peace in The Middle East, Detroit’s Channel 4 News, July 14, 2014
- Brenda and Samia presented Tectonic Leadership at Shared Future: a conference to explore Jewish and Muslims relations in Metro Detroit, March 2014
- Celebrating BESA: Muslims Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, The Muslim Observer, March 2014
- ‘BESA’ Celebrated: Exhibit honors Muslim Albanians who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, Detroit Jewish News, March 2014
- From Detroit To Sarajevo: Creating pathways to peace between Muslims and Jews, Detroit Jewish News, Sept. 2013
- Champion For Peace, Detroit Jewish News, February 2013
- Healing Rifts, Detroit Jewish News, January 2013
- Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism, Detroit Jewish News, April 2013
- We Stand Together for Peace in Face of War, The Muslim Observer 2012
- Inside the Fault Line of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Common Ground News Service 2012
- Is Peace Still Possible? The Detroit Jewish News 2012
- The Fault Line of Fear – a Tectonic Response, The Muslim Observer 2011
- Following the Fault Line to Peace, Jewish News Red Tread Magazine 2011
- Christians, Muslims & Jews Igniting Peace in Jordan, Read The Spirit 2011
- The Arab American News “Friendship and faith: The WISDOM of women creating alliances for peace”, 2010
- Having Courageous Conversations, Jewish News 2008
- In a New Light, Birmingham Eccentric, 2006
- CBS New York, Abraham’s Children: Reuniting an old family a Network special on “The Children of Abraham Project”
Front Page News
- Muslim and Jewish Feminists Mingle Uneasily in the City Of Sisterly Love, Jewish Forward, Nov. 2014
- Duluth Minnesota “Plays powerful message is peace
- “Michigan’s David Crumm, The Detroit Free Press. “Organizers hope to bring all the children of Abraham together.”
- Kalamazoo, Michigan Bringing Abraham’s Children Together
- Metro Detroit, The Jewish News, Cover and feature story “Teen drama presents common basis for living in peace”
- Can One Friendship Save the World? Front page story in Your New Community Voice 2007
Videos
BRIDGE BUILDING IMAGERY PROJECT
PHOTOS THAT SPEAK MESSAGES OF PEACE & FRIENDSHIP
Brenda Rosenberg combines her love of travel, her passion to capture beauty, and determination to heal conflicts through the lens of her camera. Her travels have taken her to every continent, photographing baby harp seals and polar bears in the Arctic circle, penguins in Antarctica, leopards, gorillas, elephants, rhinos and lions in Africa, and pandas in China.
Brenda has captured thousands of emotive moments from nature to inspire others to visualize the possibilities of making the world a better place. Her images serve as an inspiration to help others take their own photographs with messages of reconciliation, peace, and friendship.