Natalie Samuel, UJS Campaign Field Worker points to photo of herself on Israel tour with UJS in 2008

Two years ago when Glaswegian Natalie Samuel went on the UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS UK & IRELAND Israel Tour she was photographed during a seminar of the International Department Givat Haviva.

The photograph of Natalie and fellow Glaswegian Oliver Worth and Mancunian Adam Sher was published in the Jewish Telegraph in the UK and a copy of the photograph posted on the Givat Haviva International Department notice board.

This month when Natalie, nowadays the UJS Campaign Field Worker, returned to Givat Haviva accompanying a group of UJS students she spotted – much to her delight - her photo on the board and also another of her whole group two years ago during their visit to Barta'a village when on tour during the seminars.

"The Givat Haviva seminar two years ago was an experience not to be forgotten.  It was not only extremely interesting but so inspiring to meet Jewish and Arab staff working together for peace then and even more so now when the anti-Israel lobby in the west vilifies Israel and portrays Israelis as anti-humanitarian and right-wing," said Natalie.

"I cannot emphasize enough the importance of bringing UJS students and other groups to Givat Haviva when in Israel," said nowadays London based Natalie who graduated in criminology from Manchester University and law from the BPP Law School in the same city.

As Natalie glanced over the group photograph of the 2008 UJS summer Israel Tour she explained where many of her then peers are nowadays two years down the line.

Queried about her fellow Glaswegian, Oliver Worth and Adam Sher from Manchester, she said that Adam is continuing medical studies at Birmingham University and that Oliver Worth recently made aliya!

Natalie will once more be attending a seminar with the International Department in Givat Haviva when toward the end of July she will be in the country with her fellow UJS field workers and some new members of staff for the coming academic year … one of whom Matthew Keston, the new UJS fieldworker for the Midlands, who recently graduated from the 5-month MASA-Givat Haviva Intensive Arabic Semester of the International Department.

June, 2010