The Comings and Goings of July 2008
August 14, 2008
Even the intense heat did not dampen the spirit of either International Department staff members or the majority of our seminar participants. Apart from the sight of a sea of young faces in the classrooms and on the buses, department staff were delighted to welcome once more guides, counselors and organization representatives returning with yet more visitors to Israel in tow.
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July got underway with a group of 23 German journalists representing the electronic and print medias from all over Germany. The Ver.di Journalistenreise, the German Journalists Union, were met by Givat Haviva’s German Desk point man Torsten Reibold, who showed them around the campus and explained about the various departments making up the institute.
Following an explanation with regard the Wadi Ara region, Lydia Aisenberg took the media folk out and about on a detailed tour incorporating a visit to Harish, the Dotan Valley region of Area C in the northern part of the West Bank and a visit to Barta’a village.
The appreciative but exhausted media folk wound up the day with an evening meal in a local eatery where they lively discussed the events of the day.
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An organized educational camp, the Emma Kaufman JCC group, consisting of some 40 teenagers from Pittsburgh and other cities, arrived in the heat of the day having spent the morning volunteering in an animal rescue center. The youngsters were somewhat exhausted but perked up during the course of the afternoon when they went on tour of the Wadi Ara region.
Struggling with the intense heat the youngsters held up very well, fielded pertinent questions about the different communities living in the area and many said they had learned a great deal in a very short time.
The highlight of the afternoon was the possibility to meet and speak with a Palestinian from East Barta’a who told the youngsters what it meant to be living in Area B in the West Bank - not being allowed in to Israel without there being a physical barrier between himself, his community and that of West Barta’a that is in the State of Israel.
“That was really something, but I can’t say I understand how a village got divided like that,” said one of the youngsters as the weary teens made their way back to their bus. “Guess there’s a lot more to learn,” commented another writing down the name of the village on a scrap of paper.
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Seventeen students from the British Union of Jewish Students spent a day with Lydia Aisenberg both on and off campus in the area. At least six of the students had attended an International Department seminar in the past. The students said they had very positive memories of their previous seminars albeit four or five years ago - extremely heartening comments for Givat Haviva staff to hear!
A number of students were studying Politics, International Relations and also the Middle East, and one or two were studying media.
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The Elijah Cummings Youth Program In Israel was founded 10 years ago in Baltimore with the intent of improving relations between the black and Jewish communities. The program’s mission in Israel is to foster positive relations between all ethnic communities.
Eleven inner-city youth from Baltimore, in Israel for a month long stay and participating in the Jerold C. Hoffberger Leadership Enhancement Program – a component of the Cummings program – spent the day on seminar with a likewise number of Israelis from the Yemin Orde Youth Village, coming from Ethiopian and Russian backgrounds.
Since the program’s inception we have been receiving these marvelous young people who are striving for change in their own lives and to positively influence the lives of others in their own communities.
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Forty teen members of Habonim-Dror, all hailing from either Manchester or Leeds in the north of England and accompanied by Habonim-Dror madrichim Marc Fink and Suzie Glass (both of whom also from Manchester) spent a day on campus and also visited Katzir and Barta’a village.
The young Brits also met with Israeli Arab Muslim lawyer Amir Gara from the nearby village of Jatt and a more than lively discussion developed between the speaker and the visitors from England.
“I welcome the opportunity to speak to and discuss these issues affecting my life as an Arab citizen of Israel,” Amir Gara told the youngsters.
“We might not agree on everything but the fact that I as an Arab can come here and openly talk to you, young Jews from Britain, is exactly what Givat Haviva is all about – dialogue,” said Amir.
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Noam Masorti Youth from Britain was born out of a seminar in Israel in the summer of 1988. When some of the then participants returned to the UK, they put their heads together to create a new movement catering to the needs of British Masorti youth with a strong focus on Jewish education, leadership and Zionism.
Developing over the years into one of Britain’s major youth movements, Noam offers camps and different educational tracks within the organization and of course, Israel Tours. Accompanying madrichim (graduates of a two-year leadership training period) said the Israel Experience is much more than a tour. Noam, they say, gives chanichim (members) an opportunity to experience the journey of the Jewish people in Israel from Biblical and right up to present day times.
During a two-day period no less than 150 Noam youth on summer tour attended an International Department's seminar dealing with the Arab citizens of Israel, the Palestinians and the immediate area of Wadi Ara.
As with many of this summer’s groups, the youngsters met with Israeli Arab Muslim lawyer Amir Gara from Jatt and toured the region with one of our staff members – either Lydia Aisenberg, David Mendelsohn or Inon Tagner. All three educators reported that by far the majority of the youth from all the different movements were attentive, interested and asked a multitude of questions. They fielded their questions with respect and showed that respect at all times to the speakers immaterial if they agreed or disagreed with what was being said.
“For whatever reasons, the youth this summer showed a great deal more maturity and willingness to listen than in previous years,” said veteran tour-guide leader and lecturer Lydia Aisenberg.
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Federation of Zionist Youth and American sister organization Young Judaea had three of their groups also join us for our popular Talk & Tour program, incorporating also a visit to the divided village of Barta’a and viewpoints around the Amir mountain range.
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B’nai Brith Youth Organization has roots in America since 1924. A chapter was established in Leeds, England and also in Ireland in 1940. In Britain today there are more than ten chapters of the movement, which boasts almost 1000 different chapters active in different parts of the world.
British BBYO on Israel Tour also attended a Givat Haviva coexistence seminar and during lunchtime ventured into a slogan calling competition with friendly rivals RSY Netzer while a group of Habonim-Dror from Holland quietly watched from the sidelines!
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Twenty Dutch members of the Habonim-Dror movement (16 and 17 years-old) showed a great deal of interest in dealing with certain aspects of the former and present borders in the region, pre-and post Oslo events and were in particular fascinated with the opportunity to speak with Palestinians in the divided village of Barta’a while out and about on tour.
“That was so interesting, just wish we could spend more time here listening to what the local people have to say,” said one of the youngsters as the tour wound to a close.
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A group of Liberal Judaism Youth, affiliated with Netzer, was the last of our young seminar groups this month. Both British LJY-Netzer staff members accompanying the lively Londoners and a few out of towners had attended seminars in Givat Haviva during their gap year in Israel and had very pleasant memories of the experience then – and weren’t disappointed this time either!
Together with their Israeli madrich Barak, the youngsters fielded many questions about what they heard, saw and experienced during the classroom and tour portions of their seminar. We hope to see them again in the not too distant future when they return to Israel - possibly on gap year or movement madrichim themselves.
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Time for a breather after a very busy period indeed, but we will be back on Talk & Tour and other tracks in the very near future after a short and well deserved holiday of our own.