Dr. Ghanem - a highly respected neurologist and community leader - has  given a lot of his time to volunteer work. I got to know him at various  community functions where he was always on a mission to persuade as many  Arabs and Jews as possible to join a group named Potlucks for Peace. Dr. Ghanem has a passion for this group, which he helped establish, and which until this day is the only Arab-Jewish dialogue group in Ottawa. I remember dodging his invitations many times before he finally convinced me that Arabs
and Jews needed to have a safe place where they could get to know each other as human beings and needed to listen to each other's fears and concerns as well as dreams and hopes. Thanks to Dr. Ghanem, many Arab-Jewish friendships have flourished in Ottawa amongst both semites in the hospitality of his home.