It is not uncommon for two groups from overseas to be participating in an International Department seminar at Givat Haviva at the same time.
However, it is not very common that both groups would be not only from the same state in America but the same city. The chances that they would be from the same state, same city and that some of those in one group be the parents or relatives of students in the other – and not know they were going to be in Givat Haviva at the same time - somewhat rare indeed!
But such was the case today (December 25, 2007) when families on tour in Israel from Beth Tikvah-B’nai Jeshurun of Erdenheim, PA met up with 40 students from Philadelphia’s Akiva High School who are spending a semester in Israel at the Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon.
The Akiva High School student’s seminar at Givat Haviva began at 9 a.m. with a talk about the Arab citizens of Israel and a meeting with a young Arab Muslim lawyer from the nearby village of Jatt. After a picnic lunch on the lawn outside the International Department complex, the youngsters were taken on a tour of the Wadi Ara region incorporating an overview of the whole region from the Katzir observation platform on the Amir Mountain range and a visit to the village of Barta’a down below.
Whilst the Akiva High School students were lunching on the lawn, the second group – made up of families from the Beth Tikvah-B’nai Jeshurun congregation under the leadership of Rabbi Saul Grife arrived at Givat Haviva – a little later than planned - and went straight to eat in the dining-room.
Whilst the synagogue group ate their lunch, the Akiva students packed up their picnic boxes, boarded their bus and went off to tour the area.
During lunch a staff member happened to mention to Rabbi Grife that fellow Philadelphians from the Akiva High School had been on campus until a few minutes beforehand. The Rabbi and his wife found it hard to believe that whilst they had been eating in the dining room their daughter had marched past with her classmates – one group not knowing of the presence of the other.
Not to worry – problem solved. The younger children of the synagogue group were handed over to the expert staff of the Givat Haviva Arts Center where they showed great creativity for an hour and a half whilst their parents and older siblings were taken on tour – starting at the Katzir observation platform where they caught up with the Akiva students sitting around their Givat Haviva guide and taking in the marvelous view on a sunny winters day.
Surprise, surprise for the Akiva students and much nachas for the Rabbi and his wife meeting up unexpectedly with their daughter whilst other members of the synagogue congregation spotted familiar faces from their community back home.
Beth Tikvah – B’nai Jeshurun group members
make their way through West Barta’a
Both groups visited Barta’a village, taking up position on one of the local rooftops to oversee the Israeli side of the divided village and the Palestinian West Bank portion. The adult group was first to arrive in Barta’a, briskly alight their bus and pop up the stone steps to the rooftop vantage point. Following an explanation of what was what in the past and what, where and how things are in present times, the synagogue group then made their way through the busy main street to the ditch that became not just a depression in the ground through the village, but a deep divide since l949.
As the 30 or so older folk made their way toward the Green Line, the 40 Akiva students arrived and took over the vacated rooftop, cameras ready to record a rather special event, day and place.
Machmood, a Palestinian fruit seller watching the American visitors go up and come down from the rooftop quipped:
“Maybe we should open up a new business and sell tickets for the roof view,” he said with a big smile, whilst calling out to the American visitors, “welcome, welcome to Barta’a.”
Akiva High School students making their way toward the
rooftop vantage point – taken from the roof!
