Avi Shalev holds Masters degrees in Economics and in Islamic studies. He served in the IDF for 24 years and retired with the rank of a lieutenant colonel. He is a certified tourist guide who specialises in Geo-Political tours in Israel. Fluent in Hebrew, English and Arabic — a skill he began acquiring during his teenage years in South Africa—Shalev became the first Jewish student to enroll at Al-Qasemi Academic College, an Arab-Islamic Sufi institution in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, where he immersed himself in Arabic language, literature, and philosophy alongside Arab students. His unique experience navigating identity, suspicion, and cultural boundaries is chronicled in his 2024 memoir: "The Only Jew in the Room: Searching for Understanding in an Arab Islamic College" which reflects his personal journey from military service to academic coexistence and interfaith dialogue. The book was translated from Hebrew to English and Russain. These days, the book is being transformed into a theatrical production set to appear on stages across Israel, and later in New York and London.”