Vivian Silver

Early Life and Education in Canada

Vivian Silver was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to a Jewish family. She first visited Israel in 1968 during her junior year of college, studying abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she studied psychology and English literature. She was heavily involved in the North American Jewish Students Network, becoming the administrator of the Jewish Student Press Service in 1972 and publishing articles about Israeli-Palestinian relations. In her senior year, she co-founded the Student Zionist Alliance on her campus and attended its national conference in Montreal. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1973, Silver and Shifra Bronznick organized the first National Conference of Jewish Women in New York City. This seminal event brought together 400 women to discuss feminism and Jewish identity and was held at the McAlpin Hotel.

Immigration to Israel and Pioneering Gender Equality Work

Silver immigrated to Israel in 1974 and became a member of Kibbutz Gezer as part of the Habonim Dror movement, a socialist Zionist youth group. At Gezer, she challenged traditional gender roles, taking on work like overseeing construction. She became the kibbutz's secretary and later its chairperson, one of the few women to hold such leadership roles in the kibbutz movement at the time. Her early activism focused on women's rights and gender disparities in Israeli society. She conducted research and authored work on gender inequality within kibbutzim, establishing a field of study. She founded the United Kibbutz Movement's Department to Advance Gender Equality in 1981, a landmark institutional effort. She also worked within the Knesset on the sub-committee for the Advancement of Women in Work and the Economy. She worked for the New Israel Fund and served on the Steering Committee of Shatil, its action arm for social change. In 2011, Haaretz named her one of Israel's 10 Most Influential Anglo Immigrants. Her work was recognized for transforming gender dynamics within communal settlements.

• 1974: Immigrated to Israel and joined Kibbutz Gezer with the Habonim Dror movement.
• 1981: Founded the United Kibbutz Movement's Department to Advance Gender Equality.
• Served on the Knesset sub-committee for the Advancement of Women in Work and the Economy.
• Worked for the New Israel Fund and on the Steering Committee of Shatil.
• Authored foundational research on gender inequality in the kibbutz system.
• Named one of Israel's 10 Most Influential Anglo Immigrants by Haaretz in 2011.

Peace Activism and Work in the Negev and Gaza

Silver moved to Kibbutz Be'eri near the Gaza border in 1990 with her husband, Lewis Zeigen, and their two sons. This move shifted her focus to peacebuilding and cross-community cooperation with local Bedouin and Gazan communities. She became the executive director of the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED) in 1998. NISPED conducted courses in Gaza and the West Bank on civil society's role in peace and sustainable development. She worked to organize job training programs for Gazans and ensured Gazan construction workers at her kibbutz were paid fairly, work that continued until the border closure in 2007. In 1999, she co-founded the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation (AJEEC) with Amal Elsana Alh'jooj, an offshoot of NISPED. AJEEC organized projects in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, and Silver served as its director prior to the second intifada. For this partnership, Silver and Alh'jooj received the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East in 2010, an annual prize given by the Institute of International Education to pairs of Arab and Israeli activists. Before the Gaza border closure, she founded the group Creating Peace to foster business connections between Palestinian and Israeli artisans. She was a board member of the human rights organization B'Tselem. She volunteered with Road to Recovery and Project Rozana to transport Gazan patients to hospitals in Jerusalem for treatment. She helped organize and lead tours of the Israeli side of the Gaza border for diplomats and journalists to raise awareness about conditions. She was an active member of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), a coalition of peacebuilding organizations. After officially retiring in 2014, she co-founded the interfaith grassroots movement Women Wage Peace following the 2014 Gaza War. The movement grew to include tens of thousands of members. On October 4, 2023, she helped organize a peace rally in Jerusalem that attracted 1,500 Israeli and Palestinian women, one of her final public acts.

October 7 Attack, Disappearance, and Death

On October 7, 2023, Silver was killed in the Be'eri massacre, an attack by Palestinian militants on Kibbutz Be'eri as part of the broader October 7 attacks, which marked the start of the Israel-Hamas war. During the attack, she was in her home's safe room. She spoke to her sister on the phone and reported hearing Hamas militants outside her home. She also messaged friends on WhatsApp with similar information. She gave a telephone interview to the Israeli radio station Galey Tzahal from her safe room, arguing that the attack demonstrated the urgent need for a peace deal. Her final text messages to her son Yonatan Zeigen were sent at 10:54 AM. When Israeli responders arrived, her home was found burned and gutted. With no body immediately located, she was initially believed to have been abducted and taken to Gaza as a hostage. Her family and friends created a 'Missing Vivian Silver' Facebook page to collect information and appeal for her return. They appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Canadian government for assistance in finding her and securing her release. Five weeks after the attack, on November 13, 2023, the Israeli authorities confirmed that DNA testing had identified her burned remains found in the rubble of her home. Her funeral was held at Kibbutz Gezer on November 16, where approximately 1,500 people attended, including many peace activists and community members. She was later buried in a private service at Kibbutz Be'eri. Following the confirmation of her death, tributes were shared by organizations including B'Tselem, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, and Women Wage Peace. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognized her death on November 14 at an event, saying she would 'be deeply missed.' Other tributes came from Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Canadian Ambassador to Israel Lisa Stadelbauer, former Israeli politician Tzipi Livni, and human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler. The widespread mourning reflected her impact across borders.

Legacy and Posthumous Recognition

Vivian Silver's legacy continues through several memorials and awards. Her son Yonatan Zeigen created the Vivian Silver Impact Award in her memory. The award is administered in partnership with the New Israel Fund, an organization with which Silver had long collaborated through her leadership in various NGOs. It is awarded annually to two women, one Arab and one Jewish, who show great promise or have demonstrated significant accomplishments in areas embodying Silver's values, such as equality, empowerment, and cooperation. In August 2024, a community kitchen in the Zomi displaced persons camp in the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in southern Gaza was named in her honour following approval from her son Chen. The camp and kitchen were established by a coalition of aid groups including Damour for Community Development, Clean Shelter, the Wonderbag Foundation, and UNICEF. The grassroots movement Women Wage Peace, which she co-founded, continues to advocate for a negotiated political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has organized large marches. Colleagues remembered her for her ability to combine principled advocacy with personal warmth and for building relationships as a foundation for social change. Her story connects her Canadian origins with a lifelong commitment to justice and dialogue in Israel, serving as an inspiration for future activists.

Personal Life

Vivian Silver was Jewish. She was married to Lewis Zeigen, a fellow activist and academic. Together they had two sons, Chen and Yonatan Zeigen. She was a grandmother to four grandchildren. Her family was central to her life and has been actively involved in preserving her legacy since her death, managing the award and approving memorial projects. Her personal connections, from her early days in Winnipeg to her final years on Kibbutz Be'eri, reflected her belief in the power of relationships to foster broader social and political change. Her home was often a meeting place for activists from diverse backgrounds.

Questions about Vivian Silver

Who was Vivian Silver?

Vivian Silver was a Canadian-Israeli peace activist and women's rights activist. Born in Winnipeg in 1949, she immigrated to Israel in 1974. She became a leading voice for gender equality in the kibbutz movement, founding a department for gender equality in 1981. She was a dedicated peacebuilder, co-founding the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation in 1999 and Women Wage Peace in 2014. She was murdered in the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023.

Why is Vivian Silver significant to Canadians?

Vivian Silver is significant to Canadians because she was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and graduated from the University of Manitoba. Her murder in the Be'eri massacre on October 7, 2023, led to official recognition from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, who said she would be deeply missed. The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg also paid tribute to her. These responses highlight her as a Canadian-Israeli figure whose life and tragic death resonated with Canada's values of peace and social justice.

What was the Vivian Silver Impact Award?

The Vivian Silver Impact Award is an annual prize established by her son Yonatan Zeigen. It honours Silver's legacy by awarding two women, one Arab and one Jewish, who show great promise or have demonstrated significant accomplishments in areas reflecting her values. These areas include her lifelong work for equality, peace, and Arab-Jewish cooperation. The prize was first presented in the year 2024.

What happened to Vivian Silver on October 7, 2023?

During the Hamas-led attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Silver was in her home's safe room. She communicated with family and gave a live radio interview to Galey Tzahal arguing for peace. Her home was later found burned, and she was initially believed abducted. Her burned remains were identified via DNA testing five weeks later, and her death was confirmed on November 13, 2023.

What were some of Vivian Silver's key achievements?

Vivian Silver's key achievements include organizing the first National Conference of Jewish Women in 1973 with Shifra Bronznick. In 1981, she founded the United Kibbutz Movement's Department to Advance Gender Equality. She co-founded the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation in 1999 with Amal Elsana Alh'jooj, for which they received the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in 2010. She also served as executive director for the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development from 1998, co-founded Women Wage Peace in 2014, and was a board member of the human rights organization B'Tselem.

How is Vivian Silver being remembered today?

Silver is remembered through the annual Vivian Silver Impact Award and a community kitchen named for her in a Gaza displaced persons camp in August 2024. The organization she co-founded, Women Wage Peace, continues her work. Tributes from figures like Justin Trudeau and Tzipi Livni and organizations like B'Tselem honoured her after her death. Her research on gender in kibbutzim remains influential.

Sources and further reading

• Vivian Silver (Wikipedia)
• Vivian Silver Impact Award (viviansilver.com)
• Vivian Silver | We Remember (jwa.org)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-24.