Father Josh Thomas, Kids4Peace

Father Josh ThomasFather Josh Thomas is Executive Director of Kids4Peace International, a Jerusalem-based interfaith youth movement serving more than 1,800 Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth, parents, volunteers each year.  Kids4Peace’s mission is to end conflict and inspire hope in Jerusalem and divided societies around the world.  KidsPeace operates a six-year, year-round program of dialogue and action for youth age 12-18, along with initiatives for parents and young adults, through 8 international summer camps and a network of local chapters in Jerusalem and across North America.

Thomas is an Episcopal priest with more than a decade of experience in youth education, interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding. He directed a U.S. State Department Youth Leadership Program for a multi-ethnic group of high school students from Bosnia-Herzegovina before joining Kids4Peace as a dialogue facilitator in 2005.  

Since his appointment as Executive Director in 2010, Thomas has led Kids4Peace through a period of rapid growth in Jerusalem and at local chapters across North America.  Through his leadership, Kids4Peace was recently awarded a research-practice grant by the US Institute of Peace to examine the long-term impact of youth peacebuilding initiatives, with a focus on resilience and social change.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and Union Theological Seminary (NY), Thomas has taught religious education, interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding at Emory University and Boston University School of Theology.   He currently serves on the Board of the Alliance for Middle East Peace.