& THE INTERRELIGOUS COORDINATING COUNCIL IN ISRAEL

 

  

               Professor Susan Thistlewaite (second from left, memorial to Haviva Reik on campus and right:  D. Johnson and Trina Price up on a Barta’a rooftop

 

A group of theologians from the Chicago Theological Seminary visited Israel in January and toward the end of their program came for a seminar at Givat Haviva following a visit to the Umm al-Fahm Gallery for Contemporary Art where they met with founder director Said Abu Shakri.

The folks from the Windy City’s extensive two-week itinerary was organized by The Interreligious Coordinating Council’s Center for Interreligious Encounter with Israel, an organization established in January 1991 and today Israel’s best-known and most-respected interreligious organizations comprising more than 60 Christian, Palestinian/Muslim and Jewish institutions.

The Givat Haviva Institute’s International Department values the relationship with the ICCI and rising to the challenge when dealing with their overseas visitors.

“The ICCI’s mission is to harness the teachings and values of the three monotheistic religions into sources of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence, based on the understanding that religions should not be part of the problem, but rather can be part of the solution,” explains Ophir Yarden, Director of Education, The Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel based in Jerusalem.

“The work of ICCI focuses primarily on religious leaders, women and young adults, youth and educators in the belief that these three groups can serve as catalysts and spread the message of peace to the general population,” said Ophir who earned his B.A. at Wesleyan University and M.A. at the University of Chicago.

The Chicago Theological Seminary had already met with clergy and educators across the religious board prior to their arrival at Givat Haviva, had experienced many sights and sites and participated in many an in-depth discussion.

The folks from Chicago met with Lydia Aisenberg who explained some of the historical background to Givat Haviva and of the deeds of Haviva Reik and her comrades in arms.  Alongside the memorial unveiled by Haviva Reik’s fellow paratrooper Surika Braverman in November, 2009, the visitors were told more of the background of Haviva, Kibbutz Ma’anit of which she was a member, the Hashomer Hatzair movement and of the fate Haviva shared with Hannah Senesh from the same group of pre-State fighters trained by the British Army.  

Sitting in the madaffi (guest room) of the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace the Chicagoans (and their Israeli tour educator Jared Goldfarb) discussed some of the Givat Haviva shared citizenship projects and other activities held on and off the Wadi Ara campus.

Following lunch at Kibbutz Barkai, the group participated in a short tour of the Amir Mountain range and quick visit to Barta’a village before continuing on their way to Tiberias.

Rabbi Mikva later emailed to thank the International Department for the seminar and stressed the importance she and the group attached to the work of Givat Haviva and asked how they might help advance the efforts of the organization.

 

Professor Rabbi Rachel S. Mikve (foreground) and group members outside the Jewish Arab Center for Peace & International Department at the Givat Haviva Institute

 

Lydia Aisenberg

January, 2011