The Comings and Goings of May 2009
By Lydia Aisenberg
May 31, 2009
Still in the throes of spring, but with summer just around the corner, hopefully the very hot, stuffy and dust filled days of May are well and truly behind us.
This month we have been visited, among others, by a large group of North American high school students; a synagogue congregation from Las Vegas; groups of German journalists, educators and folks working with the immigrant population in Germany; youth leaders from South America; German peace activists and the present group of Ecumenical Accompaniers working in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
We also parted company with Kvutzat Shachaf, 15 young people from 8 different countries, members of Hashomer Hatzair, with whom we have been meeting on a regular basis discussing different subjects. We accompanied MASA Intensive Arabic Semester students on a visit to a drop-in center for immigrant children in Hadera, as well as a journey to Jerusalem - and welcomed a world renowned Italian archaeologist on a short, and first, visit to Israel. We sure are the International Department!
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On one of the muggiest of days imaginable, 48 students from the Solomon Schechter High School, New Jersey, participated in a seminar at Givat Haviva followed by a short – and very windy – tour of Wadi Ara.
Even though visibility was down to just a few kilometers, the students took a great interest in the divided village of Barta'a down below and the course of the security fence in the Dotan Valley region.
Spending their last semester of high school in Israel with the N'Shemah program, the lively students asked a great many questions about the topics dealt with in the International Department seminar, and tour of the region.
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One generally connects Las Vegas with the bright lights and slot-machines, not with a thriving Jewish community, one of the fastest growing in America. Members of the Beth Sholom Synagogue in Las Vegas, led by Rabbi Felipe Goodman, spent a morning traveling around Wadi Ara. The tour included viewing the outer neighborhoods of Umm al-Fahm; the Mei Ami vantage point over the Palestinian village of Anin and Jewish settlements in the area; passing by the Palestinian village of Umm Reichan (in Area C) and the local junior school; a view over the sprawling Reichan forest of natural oak; the observation platform at Katzir over Barta'a and finally, and a visit to the village itself.
During a visit to Barta'a village the Las Vegas folks not only had the opportunity to see the village's division by the Green Line from close quarters, but also had the chance of speaking with a local Palestinian businessman from Jenin who runs a business in West Barta'a.
"This has been a most thought-provoking experience", commented one group member after speaking with some of the local people. "I have been to Israel many times, and also lived here for a period, and never done anything like this", said Rabbi Goodman.
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Having completed Ulpan at Mishmar HaEmek, Kvutzat Shachaf from Hashomer Hatza'ir movement will now be undertaking two months of work in Nahariya with local youth.
Some Shachaf members volunteered at the high school in Barta'a, teaching English and drama to local students.
Hopefully we will remain in close contact with Kvutzat Shachaf as they continue on their ideological way.
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Young German journalists employed in the print and electronic media industry, presently undertaking a two-year Axel Springer Akademie enrichment program while on the job, spent a day at Givat Haviva and environs through the International Department.
Their day kicked off with an explanation about the history and work of Givat Haviva presented by Alex Elsohn, before meeting with Face To Face co-directors, Farhat Agbariya and Shachar Yanai – whom they interviewed for the German media.
Later on, group participants walked the Green Line, enjoyed a good meal at a local East Barta'a restaurant and interviewed local people for their news outlets.
Axel Springer Akademie staff member and editor, Katrin Aldag-Gendner, praised the opportunity given to the young journalists of meeting with, and hearing about, the Jewish and Arab residents of the Wadi Ara and Dotan Valley areas. After being in the country for only 24 hours, she said they might be confused but now had a better understanding of just how complicated everything is.
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Journalists, educators and Social Workers from across Germany on a one week study tour organized by Bundeszentrale, also spent a day with the International Department. First they met with Torsten Reibold who explained about Givat Haviva projects and programs organized both on campus and elsewhere in Israel and then went out and about with Lydia on a tour similar to that of their journalistic colleagues.
The Bundeszentrale group was led by Holger Ehmke, who accompanied a group to Israel and Givat Haviva two years ago, and this time also with Bonn colleagues, Annika Hartmann and Claudia Trimborn.
Summarizing their visit to Givat Haviva and tour of the area, Bundeszentrale's Annika Hartmann thanked Lydia for taking them out and about to Harish, the Dotan Valley and Barta'a village – and group participants showed their appreciation with loud applause, and a request for reading material in connection with what they had seen and heard during the visit.
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DR. Claudio Bizzari, one of Italy's most prominent archaeologists, paid a visit to Givat Haviva during his very short and packed five-day first visit to Israel. Apart from visiting the campus, he also joined the MASA students for a half-day study visit to a kibbutz.
Dr. Bizzarri was most interested in archaeological sites in the Wadi Ara area and especially in the new Islamic museum in the making at the local al-Qasami Academy in Baka al-Gharbiya.
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Sixty students from Milken high school in Los Angeles, presently in Israel for a semester with the Hod HaSharon based Alexander Muss High School in Israel program, participated in a one-day seminar. They met with staff members Lydia Aisenberg and David Mendelsohn, and also participated in a session with Amir Gara, an Israeli Arab Muslim lawyer from Baka al-Gharbiya who studied law in Britain and also New York.
The Californians asked many questions and showed an interest in the subject material both in the classroom and while out on tour of the Wadi Ara region.
Standing on a rooftop in West Barta'a and looking across the Green Line to East Barta'a under the Palestinian Authority, students began to unravel some of the complications with regard not only Jewish-Arab relations in the area, but also that between the Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinian people especially in the unusual circumstances the people of Barta'a have found themselves.
"It is so much to take in", said one of the students, "but it is so interesting - even if very confusing".
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45 students from universities across North America on a ten-day Birthright-Taglit program (arranged by Israel Experts), paid a visit to Givat Haviva where they met with staff member Dr. David Mendelsohn. Following a talk about the history of the Arab citizens of Israel, the students were taken on a tour of the Amir mountain range and visited the divided village of Barta'a.
David Mendelsohn, a social linguist, also discussed with the students research work he undertook with regard the Arabic language spoken in Israel by Arab citizens of the state.
"We investigated how speaking Hebrew has influenced the Arabic spoken by Israel's Arab citizens and the American students were really interested. Most said that they had never thought about the connection at all and had found it a fascinating topic", commented David Mendelsohn.
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American University Directors of Career Services, visiting MASA programs in Israel, also spent a day with the International Department where they had the opportunity to speak with the MASA Intensive Arabic Semester students, as well as visit the library and view 60 year old Arabic language newspapers.
The directors of university career services were accompanied by MASA director of Post College Programming Aaron Goldberg – who is based in New York - and Noa David, Academic Programs Director for MASA in Israel.
Following their visit and lunch on campus in Givat Haviva, the directors – together with MASA Intensive Arabic Semester students - visited the nearby village of Arara where the Arabic language students undertake their volunteer work in the community. In Arara they met with the deputy mayor of Arara, Fathi Marzook and Mohammad Ma'ari, director of the non-profit Yad L'Kolam art and culture center in Arara.
The visit to Wadi Ara ended with a visit to the oldest house in the village where they met Mohammad Younis, a well-known and highly respected octogenarian activist from the Arab sector in Israel.
Members of the group thanked the International Department staff members who organized the day and said they had learned a great deal – and as one said: "Now we know how much we don't know!"
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A group from the The Evangelical Youth Association of the Lutheran Church of Wurttemberg stayed overnight and participated in a seminar at Givat Haviva during their recent ten-day visit to our region.
The seminar program included meeting with Dr. David Mendelsohn who explained about Givat Haviva's various departments and different shared citizenship programs, a talk from Lydia Aisenberg – who then took them on a tour of Harish, the Dotan Valley, Amir mountain range and Barta'a village.
Accompanied by Markus Haefele of the EJW, Wurttemberg, the group was guided by Dr. Salah Adameh, Professor of Philosophy at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem where he is the assistant professor to Professor Sari Nusseibeh, head of the Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy.
The Evangelical Youth Association work in partnership with the East Jerusalem YMCA, as well as those of Jericho, Beit Sahur and Ramallah, where they undertook a number of projects supporting the needy in those communities.
"Our visit to Givat Haviva and the seminar program has been very beneficial to us all and hopefully all our groups coming to Israel and Palestine in future will have such an experience as well", commented Markus Haefele at the end of the seminar tour.