Out of Jordan

Dalya Cohen-Mor, the first Israeli-born Jewish American to be sent as a Peace Corps volunteer to a closed Arab society, was forced to navigate uncharted territory and redefine her values and attitudes when she was assigned to the predominantly Palestinian country of Jordan. She was instructed to conceal her Jewish identity, use an alias, and pretend she was Christian so that her safety and efficacy as a Peace Corps volunteer was not compromised. She lived in the household of a Bedouin host family and taught English at a girls elementary school in a village. After three months of work she was accused of being involved in intelligence activities and sent home. Her time in the Peace Corps showed her what contemporary life in Jordan was like, and the complexities of a closed Arab society. Today Dalya Cohen-Mor lives in the United States and is a lecturer, researcher, and writer, and a scholar of Arab culture and society. She earned her PhD from Georgetown University.