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Comings and Goings of June, 2010
Students from the Frankel Jewish Academy West Bloomfield,
A few days before they were due to travel home from their 22-day program in The students were accompanied by Frankel Academy staff including Stephanie Hoffman as well as Israeli tour guide and educator Jamie Salter – the latter a frequent visitor with groups attending International Department seminars..
INTENSIVE ARABIC SEMESTER students MT. MERON & SAFED bound on last trip of 5-month program
Danielle, Dodie & Eriana lighting candles (as Barkai program coordinator Efrat looks on) at the tomb of a Talmudic Tzadik in the Galilee; students sitting in the Ari Synagogue in Safad and cooling off at the end of a long, hot but great day with guide Isshar Hass.
As the present semester of this innovative program draws to a close, the staff of the International Department look forward to welcoming the next group of IAS students due to commence their studies on 15th July, 2010. We wish all the graduates of the January-June, 2010 semester every success in the future and hopefully they will remain in touch and we can follow their progress. SEE ARTICLE: IAS STUDENTS GO NORTH …
ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY,  
Students from St. Mary's University, Texas gather in the guest room of the International Department and on the right one of the students with Professor Larry Hufford and Dr. Aaron Tyler and Israeli tour guide and educator Ophir Yarden
Fifteen students on an MA course in International Relations - a component of which dealing with conflict resolution - and two academic staff from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas joined the International Department for a one and half day seminar comprising talks and detailed tour of the region. The academic staff comprised Professor Larry Hufford, Graduate Director, International Relations and Dr. Aaron Tyler, Chair, Graduate International Relations Department. The group was also accompanied by Israeli educator and tour guide Ophir Yarden who organized their program in Arabic language teacher Samia Mashalha, a Muslim citizen of Whilst touring the region with (SEE ARTICLE: TEXAS USA TO TEXAS, WADI ARA)
MARK & JULIAH ABELSON from California,
Eight months in to their one-year honeymoon trip around the world, Mark and Juliah Abelson arrived in During their all too brief stay in The Abelson's also joined the St. Mary's University students for the meeting with Samia Mashalha. "We have so much to think about – together with all we are trying to absorb from our travels so far -following this visit to Givat Haviva the tour of Wadi Ara," said Mark and Juliah before heading off to
MARY KAY LIOTTO, from Mary Kay, pictured above (left) with Samira Mahameed, director of the Givat Haviva Peace Library who showed her copies of Arabic language newspapers dating back to the 1930s and (center) visiting the Through Others' Eyes exhibition as well as (right) out in the region with the International Department, was grateful for the opportunity to hear about Givat Haviva activities and also – whilst out and about on tour of the region – to speak with Palestinians living in East Barta'a and travel through the northern section of the West Bank, gleaning a better understanding of the path of the security fence and security issues in the area. LANDESZENTRALE fur POLITISCHE BILDUNG – RHEINLAND PFALZ
Members of the Landeszentrale fur Politische Bildung group from Rheinland Pfalz being addressed by David Amitai (spokesperson for Givat Haviva and director of Yad Yaari) and Professor
A group of 22 folks from Rheinland Pfalz visited Givat Haviva on the last day of a 2 week tour of the region incorporating meetings with Israeli and Palestinian politicians and civic leaders in both The group was shown around Givat Haviva by International Department staff and met with Ro'ee Peled, co-director of the FACE TO FACE Jewish-Arab encounter program; with Kerrie Sharron, a student from Britain and graduate of the Intensive Arabic Semester; with David Amitai, Givat Haviva spokesperson and director of the Yad Yaari Research and Documentation Center as well as with Professor Dr. Graciela Ben-Dror, director of Moreshet, showed the group around the recently opened exhibition hall. Following lunch and a short tour around the Wadi Ara region, the group headed off to Tel Aviv – as Dr. Dieter Schiffmann, Director of the State Agency for Civic Education, Rhineland-Palatinate commented – with even a lot more to discuss in their intended summary of the visit to Dr. Hans-Georg Meyer, a past recipient of Givat Haviva's Haviva Reik Prize led the group together with Dr. Schiffmann. Dr. Meyer, an ardent and much respected supporter of Givat Haviva for many years, founded the Israeli-Palestinian-German writers conference, the first of which held at Givat Haviva and since then every second year in Rheinland.
The Rheinland Pfalz delegation in the audiotorium listening to Ro'ee Peled (Dr. Hans-Georg Meyer on the left) and Dr. Graciela Ben-Dror with Dr. Schiffmann in the Moreshet exhibition halls
REV. FRANS van der SAR & REV. ANNEMARIE van ANDEL from
Director of the Givat Haviva Arts Center and Peace Gallery, Etti Amram meets with (left) with Rev. Annemarie van Andel and her husband Rev. Frans van der Sar, and also Haggai Halevi, Executive Director of Givat Haviva (left), and in second picture, looking through the Arabic language newspaper collection with Samira Mahameed, Director of the Givat Haviva Peace Library.
SEE ARTICLE: KIBBUTZ OF A DIFFERENT KIND …
Barmitzvah boy Jake – in dark blue shirt – with two West Bank Palestinian teens in Barta'a and left) Rabbi Judy Schindler (blue and white striped shirt) on a rooftop in West Barta'a
For a few hours a group of families from TEMPLE BETH EL, Following an explanation about the work of Givat Haviva and a few of the innovative projects undertaken by the organization, background information with regard the Wadi Ara region and going over the A, B and Cs of the West Bank with color coded maps, the group headed for the hills (Amir) for an overview of the area from the Katzir vantage point. A quick visit to Barta'a generated a positive meeting between young Palestinians and the Temple Beth El children, youth and adults, who later commented they had a better understanding of just how complicated everything was having seen the area and met with some of the locals. Rabbi Judy Schindler explained to Temple Beth El has a fascinating history, read all about it on their website at www.beth.el.com
Rabbi Judith L. Siegal of Temple Judea, Coral Gables, Florida (green shirt) and teen charges in coexistence workshop with educator Janet Sernack
Ten teens from
Sharon Israel, Youth Coordinator of Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida – a Reform congregation founded over 60 years ago – and group members choosing cards during Janet Sernack's coexistence workshop and right: on a Barta'a rooftop
TWO DAY SEMINAR for 40 KIBBUTZ VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers from kibbutzim gather under the Peace Tree in Givat Haviva and in Barta'a village during 2-day seminar organized by the SEE ARTICLE: VOLUNTEER SEMINAR BACK ON TRACK AT GIVAT HAVIVA LOS ANGELES INTERFAITH LEADERSHIP
Rabbi Mark S. Diamond, Executive Vice President, Board of Rabbis of Southern California (left) with California clergy participating in the Los Angeles Interfaith Leadership Mission to Israel during their visit to Givat Haviva and tour of the Wadi Ara region
A rather special group this month was the Following a briefing with regard Givat Haviva and visit to the
THE UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS,
Givat Haviva's International Department have developed a close relationship over a long period of years with the Union of Jewish Student of the During those years many students who came as UJS participants eventually either became field and project workers for the organization when they graduated and before moving on with their choice of careers. A number of those folks were also involved in various youth movements and continued after university to lead groups of teens on summer tours to Israel, further consolidating their ties to Givat Haviva when they brought their young charges for a seminar on campus and tour the region with International Department staff .We sincerely hope to continue to be seen by the UJS as a 'must do' on their Israel intinerary. SEE ARTICLE: NATALIE RECONNECTS WITH PAST at GIVAT HAVIVA
UJS student Sasi points to where he and his UJS peers are on the map – and right: walking the bridge straddling the Green Line between West and East Barta'a
Palestinian businessman Allam Abu Abead speaking with UJS students in Barta'a and on the Amir mountain range above
Birthright-Taglit: Young professionals from
A group of 35 young professionals living and working in The group were accompanied by Israeli guide Shachar (red shirt kneeling) who has brought groups to Givat Haviva many times in the past and commented that he still learns new facts and figures every time!
INTENSIVE ARABIC SEMESTER STUDENTS GRADUATE, RECEIVE CERTIFICATES
Students graduating the second INTENSIVE ARABIC SEMESTER program of 5-months studies, tours and a taste of life in Arab and Jewish communities in
So … little respite for the International Department staff members who are not only preparing for the next term of the IAS program but also receiving groups on an almost daily basis as this report for JUNE, 2010 will show … and even more throughout July and August. Have a great summer folks … Best wishes, Hilit Ben-Zvi, Uri Barel and |
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