The comings and goings of August 2009
September 1, 2009
Another scorching summer bites the dust. Hot and humid but with some welcome breeze from time to time, we are in the throes of an alarming water shortage and serious worries for the future of the Kinneret and coastal aquifers. Hopefully, there will be an abundance of rain this coming winter.
Even in the hazy, lazy days of August, overseas groups still came for seminars and tours of the area. They came From Britain, North America, Germany, Holland and Belgium.
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Coming in the main from London and southern Jewish communities of England, 35 bright and energetic youngsters belonging to the Liberal Judaism Youth movement not only participated in a full day program but also stayed overnight at the Givat Haviva campus.
Their program, carried out by Lydia Aisenberg and Amir Gara, dealt with learning about the Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinians – what they share in common and where they are different – as well as background information with regard the Middle East conflict.
The youngsters proved to have far more knowledge about our region than most groups of their peers to grace our classrooms this summer and they were a great group to work with. The young folks took a tour of Katzir and the divided village of Barta'a with Lydia leading the way.
"I knew quite a bit about the subjects we dealt with today, but it has helped me put things in the right order and to understand far better what it is I'd learned at school", said one participant.
LJY youth leaders accompanying the group, Josh Dubell and Adam Francies, both attended a similar Givat Haviva seminar five years ago when they participated in the LJY-Netzer Israel Tour of that year.
"This has been an important day for our group – and also for us the British staff members and the two Israelis working with us. We remember our own seminar here five years ago vividly and happy to be back at Givat Haviva," commented Josh and Adam at the end of the day.
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Seventy members of the Habonim-Dror Movement, 26 from Holland and 45 from Germany, arrived together on campus after spending some days in the north of the country.
The Dutch contingent with group leader Shai Bar-Ephriam continued on their way to Tel Aviv at the end of the day, while the German contingent stayed overnight on campus. The following day they met with local Arab citizens of Israel, and Orit Meoded, director of Givat Haviva's Children Teaching Children program.
Both Habonim-Dror groups began their seminar meeting with Israel Fein, a cousin of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who explained to the Habonim-Dror members about his cousin's capture; what has and is being done in order to obtain his release - and how they could possibly help in their countries so as to achieve Gilad's freedom.
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Last month youngsters from Hashomer Hatzair in North America were enjoying the movement's Camp Shomria in Liberty, New York. This month they began the Israel Tour and joined in a number of important gatherings such as the one held by the movement for 150 overseas members at Kibbutz Holit.
The blue-shirted youngsters visited Givat Haviva a number of times, first with other overseas movement youth who searched for material in the extensive archives of Hashomer Hatzair in Yad Ya'ari. Two of the young ladies, one from America and the other from Canada, were delighted to have discovered papers written by their parents when they – some twenty or more years ago – were themselves members of the movement.
Returning another day for a seminar with the International Department, the youngsters participated in a workshop dealing with the Arab citizens of Israel and then went on a short tour of the region prior to meeting up with Israeli-Arab peers in the village of West Barta'a. Some of the Muslim youth were taught English and Drama during the last school year by members of Hashomer Hatzair's Kvutzat Shachaf, and a few years ago by Kvutzat Orev, and so the youngsters were continuing an already well developed relationship between the Hashomer Hatzair movement and the village youth of Barta'a.
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Hasbara Fellowships bring hundreds of North American students to Israel every year. A visit to Givat Haviva and tour of the region are on the itinerary of almost all the Hasbara groups. The staff members and Israeli guides who work with the Hasbara groups have become almost like family over the years. It is always good to see them again – and again – on campus.
Alan Levine, a past participant of a Hasbara program and recently appointed West Coast Campus Coordinator for the Aish International, accompanied this month's Hasbara group to Israel and said he would ensure that future groups would continue with the tradition. Thanks Alan and also to Lauren and the other staff members of Hasbara.
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The third British Birthright-Taglit group over the last two months went out and about in our region with Lydia after a workshop dealing with the Arab citizens of Israel and meeting with local lawyer Amir Gara from the nearby Muslim city of Baka-al-Gharbiya.
The students not only hailed from Britain – where not a small number were from the northern Jewish communities such as Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and even further north – but also from the United States and Australia
Group leader Nicky Kelvin, himself a northerner hailing from Leeds who recently graduated law at Birmingham University, has participated in Givat Haviva International Department seminars a number of times in the past.
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Thirty-two 15-17 year-olds belonging to the Jeunesse Juive Laique youth movement in Belgium spent the last day of their three week stay in Israel on seminar at Givat Haviva with the International Department. The majority of the youngsters came from Brussels and their tour leader was French speaking Israeli Nitai Klein.
After an introduction with Lydia, the youngsters continued with a workshop by Dan Levison who also took them out and about to Amir Mountain range to have a general impression of the Wadi Ara area, after which they returned for a summary on campus.
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Groups arriving for an International Department seminar rarely arrive on our campus directly after meeting with a resident of a West Bank settlement giving a detailed account of the importance and right of Jewish people to settle in Judea and Samaria.
However, an interfaith group of young professionals – comprising 17 Jews, Muslims, Christians (and others who defined themselves as having no religious affiliation), did just that recently, arriving full of difficult and most sensitive questions and queries regarding their previous speaker.
CIJO in Holland, whose one week visit to Israel is organized by the Hagshama Department of the World Zionist Organization, is an organization aiming to give tour participants a better understanding of the Israeli-Arab conflict.
"We have heard so much in such a short period of time. I am sure I am going to need a few months to sort all this out once I get home", said one of the participants after the CIJO folks spent some hours with Lydia on campus and then out and about in the Amir mountains and quickie visit to Barta'a village where they had the opportunity to see both sides of the divide for themselves and meet with a local Palestinian worker.
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Now that the summer rush is behind us, the International Department's staff will be taking a well deserved break and look forward to reconnecting after the holiday period.