British Birthright-Taglit students at the Holocaust Memorial, Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek

 

A group of 30 British students (and one Hungarian) on a Birthright-Taglit 10-day tour of Israel, spent one of those days on a program organized by Givat Haviva's International Department.

Having spent the previous night in the Galilee, the students first called in at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, the home of Givat Haviva staff member Lydia Aisenberg.

Here in the kibbutz, where Lydia has been a member for the last 40 years, they heard about the people and ideology of the 87 year-old Jezreel Valley community, a flagship kibbutz of the Hashomer Hatzair movement.

The majority of the students - on their first visit to Israel - were in awe of the initial hardships faced by the pioneer settlers of the 1920s and found it difficult to believe that the lush farmland of present times in the Jezreel Valley was predominantly swamp decades ago.

After walking around the spacious kibbutz grounds and visiting the Holocaust Memorial of Mishmar HaEmek, the students began to deal with the second portion of their seminar – the Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinians – just down the road and around the corner from the kibbutz.

Within a few minutes they were at the Megiddo junction and after an explanation regarding the British built prison at the junction (holding these days hundreds of Palestinian prisoners), the students followed closely on the maps provided by Givat Haviva.

"I never understood that a place like Jenin, that we hear so much about in the news back home, and an Israeli town such as Afula, were so close," said one amazed student.  A moment later she was emphasizing to her neighbor exactly where the West Bank Palestinian Autonomous town was on the map – and then pointed again a half minute later when buildings in  the PA controlled  town came in to view in the near distance as the bus continued on its way along Route 65, the Wadi Ara highway.

"This is truly amazing.  So where's the fence?" asks another.

Leaving the main Wadi Ara highway and climbing the Amir Mountain range, students again expressed surprise at the size of the sprawling city of Umm al-Fahm down below as they drove on toward the Israeli Jewish community of Mei-Ami, heading for the Green Line and security fence less than a kilometer further ahead.

Standing on a high hilltop, overlooking the Green Line and security fence at the base of the hill, across to the Dotan Valley and the four Jewish settlements of Shaked, Hananit, Tal Menashe and Reichan – as well as Palestinian villages wedged in between – the students asked a volley of questions about what they could, and could not, see from the vantage point.

 

Some of the British Birthright-Taglit students – and one Hungarian, center back row – have their photos taken with the security fence and patrol road at Mei Ami/Umm al-Fahm behind them.

 

Josh Rubner, a native of Manchester, England and who recently graduated Leeds University – who is kneeling far right in the above photograph – was particularly thankful for having been able to participate in such a seminar.

"This has been so interesting for me.  To actually be able to see and try to understand what one normally only gets in a 5 minute news bulletins at home is amazing – and much appreciated," said Josh as he re-boarded the bus and headed for the next stop, the village of Barta'a.

 

     

Richard Verber, Southern Development Officer for the Union of Jewish Students stands alongside the Peace Tree on the Givat Haviva main lawn – and right: Birthright-Taglit BRUK 3 bus sign of Israel Experience, the Israeli operators who included Givat Haviva on the students itinerary

 

"This has been an important day for the students, they've learned a great deal and have far more questions about these topics now than before – always a good sign," said one of the Birthright staff members over a late lunch in the Givat Haviva dining-room as the seminar drew to a close.

Development Officer for the Southern Region of Britain, Richard Verber – who graduated Oxford University where he read French and Russian – will continue with his UJS post for the next academic year and promised to be back with yet more British students for a Givat Haviva component in their Israel Experience in the near future.

 

Text & Photos: Lydia Aisenberg – June, 2009