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Maia Ferdman is the founder and principal of Bridges Intergroup Relations Consulting, which supports organizations and communities to build vibrant spaces of belonging – spaces celebrating our complex identities, proactively exploring our differences, and building resilient relationships between groups. Through this work Maia has developed numerous interfaith programs, trained government and nonprofit groups in cultural competency, and facilitated conversations across differences about policing, homelessness, Israel-Palestine, and more. Maia is also the Assistant Director of the University of California Los Angeles Luskin Center for History and Policy. She supports the center’s research and programming and produces the bi-weekly podcast “Then & Now.” She previously staffed The City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.
Maia loves studying and is a product of globalization; she is a Jewish Argentinian Southern Californian who has lived in Bulgaria and spent extensive time in India and Israel. She received her B.A. in Global Studies and M.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA.
Updated November 2021
More from Maia Ferdman
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Learning from Latino Jews: Preconceptions, Authenticity, and Paradox
Senior Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman recently published an article about Latinx Jewish identity in the new edition of the Peoplehood Papers.
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Bridge Building as a Basic Operating Principle
Senior Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman co-authored an article about the LA Bridge Builders Collective. The article was recently published in the National Civic Review.
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Utilizing Bridge Building to Support Street Engagement
Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman publishes a report on the ways we might support the homeless street engagement process and reduce conflict by utilizing “bridge building” techniques.
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Where Do We Go From Here? Post-Colleyville Webinar
Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman moderates the "From the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Strasbourg, 1349 to Colleyville, Texas: Grappling with Antisemitism and Where We Go From Here" webinar.
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Voces Podcast hosts Maia Ferdman
Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman was interviewed last year by Jewtina y Co.'s podcast "Voces" about her Latin American-Jewish identity and her work as a bridge builder.
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Then & Now Podcast
Landecker Fellow Maia Ferdman is the executive producer of a bi-weekly podcast at the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. The podcast entitled "Then & Now" connects past and present using historical analysis to guide listeners through contemporary issues and policy decisions.
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LA Bridge Builders Collective
Maia's Landecker Democracy Fellowship project will map the landscape of bridge builders in Los Angeles with the aim of allowing activists, funders, politicians, community organizations, and other leaders to understand and to locate bridging resources more easily.
