The Comings and Goings of October 2008
By Lydia Aisenberg
November 3, 2008
The holiday period is now behind us, the first rains have fallen - washing away the accumulated coating of summer dust – and as winter approaches so does another busy season for the International Department staff at Givat Haviva.
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A study tour to Israel organized by Ursula Rosenzweig, president of the Swiss Friends of Givat Haviva, participated in a two-day seminar organized by Givat Haviva with an overnight stay in the guest rooms of Kibbutz Ramat HaShofet.
The rather busy program for the Swiss folk included workshops with Givat Haviva staff, a visit to the ‘Bridge Over the Wadi’ - bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Wadi Ara - and the village of Barta’a where they were hosted by Mayor Riad Kabha. An interesting and thought provoking visit was also undertaken to the Contemporary Art Gallery and archives in Umm el-Fahm, where the visitors met with gallery founder and director Said Abu Shakra, and later toured the city with Mohammad Rabah, who heads municipality environmental projects in the region.
Celebrating the Rosh Hashana holiday, an invitation was extended to the Swiss group to join the Givat Haviva extended family in a festive lunch where they had the opportunity to meet different members of staff working in the different departments of Givat Haviva and administrative posts.
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Else Garske of the Municipality of Meschede led a group of fellow Germans on a tour of Israel, who came for a short visit to Givat Haviva where they heard about the various educational programs, projects and activities carried out on campus.
Staunch supporters of Israel, the group asked pertinent questions with regard funding, methods and influence on participants.
Prior to leaving the campus the group donated a sum of money they had collected among themselves and promised to remain in touch once they returned home.
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Ecumenical Accompaniers, volunteering for three months in West Bank villages and cities, participated in a one-day seminar dealing with Givat Haviva activities prior to going on tour of Wadi Ara, visiting Barta’a village and eventually spending some time at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, where they visited the in-house kibbutz museum and heard about the history of the Jezreel Valley community.
The Ecumenical Accompaniers were from many different countries and for the majority it was their second time volunteering in the region. Two of the British accompaniers spoke fluent Arabic and thus opened up an opportunity for a number of interesting conversations with local Palestinians in East Barta’a.
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On a two-week visit to the region, the "No Limits youth choir from Kastellaun, Germany - comprised of around thirty youngsters accompanied by a group of 14 adults - participated in a tour of Wadi Ara, and visited Barta’a village.
The choir sang for Jewish and Arab audiences in Israel as well as for Palestinians in Beit Jala and Bethlehem. Tour leader was Christof Pies who also brought a group of teachers to Israel in March and incorporated a visit to Wadi Ara & Barta’a with Lydia Aisenberg to their itinerary.
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Around thirty folks from the area of Dusseldorf, belonging to the German-Israel Society, spent a few hours in Givat Haviva, where they were introduced to the programs and projects of the different departments by Torsten Reibold. Later on they heard a short talk from Lydia Aisenberg who also led their tour of the Wadi Ara region and to Barta’a village.
The group was comprised of people from diverse professions and incorporated a wide age group. The group members showed a deep interest in the work carried out by Givat Haviva and summed up their visit as being – as one gentleman put it – ‘enlightening and fortifying.’
The group was led by Wolfgang Wende of the German-Israel Society and guided by George Roessler of S.K. Tours in Nature based in Jerusalem. George Roessler is also the director of SOS-VIOLENCE, The Center for the Study of Violence in Israel – an organization attempting to stamp out violence in Israeli schools.
Mr. Roessler said that he hadn’t heard of Givat Haviva prior to his visit with the German group and was most impressed with both the campus and the tour of the region and promised to be back with more groups in future.
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A United Jewish Communities mission from Philadelphia comprising some 50 people, undertook a short tour of the region with Lydia. In the designated time, one and a half hours, the group met with Raid Kabha, the headmaster of the West Barta’a Middle School and a representative of the local municipality, and viewed a mural on the schoolyard wall depicting both sides of the divided village.
The mural was painted by local students with members of Kvutsat Orev, a group of Hashomer Hatzair graduates from North America.
Accompanying the Philadelphia mission was Pam Pearlmutter from the Philadelphia Federation. Ms. Pearlmutter also visited Givat Haviva for an International Department seminar earlier on this year when she led a group of Philadelphia teens on the ‘Passport To Israel’ project.
The Philadelphia mission members also held a discussion with local Palestinian businessman from Hebron working in West Barta’a.
“This has been all too short but what a wonderful opportunity this has been,” said one of the participants as the bus pulled away from the village.
“I really wanted the mission to hear about Givat Haviva and visit Barta’a as the impression left on the youth from ‘Passport to Israel’ earlier this year - and of course myself - was very deep,” said Pam Pearlmutter.