Rami Elhanan and Mazen Faraj live on different sides of the controversial concrete wall separating Israelis from Palestinians.

But they have found common ground.

Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services (ENLARGE)

Mazen Faraj

Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services (ENLARGE)

Rami Elhanan

SPEAKING TOUR Elhanan and Faraj speak in Atlanta at: • St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, 7171 Glenridge Drive N.E. 2-4 p.m. Saturday. • Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Drive; 10:30 a.m. to noon Monday. • Carter Center, 453 Freedom Parkway; 7-9 p.m. Tuesday. LIVING Latest Headlines: Zoo raises $40K in campaign to keep pandas  Georgia Aquarium to welcome 10 millionth visitor  Aquarium adds 4 sandbar sharks to exhibit  Cellphones serve as '$300 baby rattle'  Athens ranked among best places to live  • More Living Stories • Living photo galleries • Georgia Aquarium news and photos • Zoo Atlanta news and photos

A suicide bomber killed Elhanan's 14-year-old daughter.

An Israeli soldier killed Faraj's father.

The two came together at the Parents Circle — Families Forum in the Mideast, a group dedicated to helping bring peace in the unlikeliest way, by bringing together those whose family members have been killed.

A year after his daughter's death, Elhanan, then 47, attended the group and shook hands for the first time in his life with a Palestinian.

"I [had gone] through a long process of demonizing them," he said.

Then he heard their stories, which sounded like his.

"Their pain is exactly just like my pain. And that was my turning point," he said.

Faraj tells a similar story, of loss, pain and rage, then of meeting those on the other side who suffered similarly. He remembers seeing Elhanan for the first time.

"I said what does he know about suffering? I know a lot about it. Then he began to talk about his daughter, and I knew that we had the same feelings."

He and Elhanan now speak to others about their experiences to give hope that peace can come to Israelis and Palestinians.

"I had to take my pain and suffering and create something," Faraj said.

Catholic Relief Services is sponsoring the men on a U.S. speaking tour that begins in Atlanta this week.

CRS works in the Mideast delivering emergency food, education, training and leadership development.

"We became familiar with their work in Israel and Palestine, and recognized their message of hope and reconciliation ... is a message that resonated very much with our view," said Dorothy Grillo, the Southeastern director for CRS.

The men realize the obstacles. It is often difficult for them to even get together. Faraj lives in a Palestinian refugee camp, and bureaucratic hurdles of check points and travel hindrances are high ones to cross.

Other times, their own people grow angry with them for what they are doing. Despite the resistance, they find willing listeners.

"There is enormous respect for people like us, people who have paid the price," Elhanan said.

"It has become a reason for me to get out of bed in the morning, to put a crack in this wall of hatred and fear," he said.

Faraj said his new daughter, 20 months old, motivates him to continue.

"I'm trying to do something for her," he said.