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The comings and goings of JANUARY, 2011
Winter finally arrives – heavy downpours but also rays of sunshine poking through. Right: the International Department puts Wadi Ara on the map for groups of overseas adults and youths on study tours of
The International Department’s New Year started with a rush of groups in Not only did we see groups of youth and adults from Canada, America, Britain, Australia, South Africa and Germany, but also the fourth Intensive Arabic Semester began in the middle of January and we wish all the new participants success with their studies during the five month MASA-Givat Haviva program under the auspices of the International Department, Givat Haviva. 2011 kicked off with: QUEBC YOUNG LEADERS with JONATHAN KALLES from
Jonathan Kalles, Programming Director of the Quebec Israel Committee on the far right, and second photo – the Quebecers overlooking the
Out with the old, in with new is an expression very suitable for the first month of a new year even though one hasn’t got used to writing 2011 and not 2010. However, when one sees Jonathan Kalles of No better way to start the new year than to welcome Jonathan, Programming Director of the Quebec Israel Committee, and a group of 15 fellow Canadians on the 2nd January, 2011. Coming from the north of At the end of the tour the visitors from Montreal expressed their appreciation at the opportunity given to tour the region – on a cold but very sunny winter’s day – and had a great deal to think about after the experience. TAGLIT -BIRTHRIGHT from the At the same time the visitors from AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH AFRICANS STUDENTS
Elisheva Massel of the Australian Union of Jewish Students (far left) with fellow Aussies and South African students standing above the deep valley that became the Armistice Line in 1949 and the divided village of Barta’a down below
“Each year, the Australasion Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) select its top leadership to travel to the USA, Israel and an additional Diaspora community to explore challenges and solutions facing the Jewish world today,” explained Elisheva Massel of the AUJS when she brought a group of students to Givat Haviva’s International Department for a seminar. “This year, AUJS Leadership Development Group (LDP) was accompanied by the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) for the “The LDP program aims to provide its participants with the knowledge, skills and experience to return to their Jewish communities and enact positive and visionary change.” Following an explanation about the Givat Haviva Institute’s activities, Lydia Aisenberg gave background information with regard the Arab citizens of “Thank you again for the in-depth and engaging tour. I know that my students were so impacted by the experiences that we shared with you, specifically being on the roof in Barta’a and of course the interaction with the Palestinian lawyers!”
Elisheva Massel and students on the roof of a building in West Barta’a with East Barta’a, second picture, in the background
www.amhsi.org Thirty five students and staff members of the Over the years thousands of young students – mostly from North America but also other countries – on short and long term programs in Israel at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Hod HaSharon, have attended seminars organized by the International Department at Givat Haviva. Very often groups of students and academics received by the International Department have participants who – in their youth as they would say – attended a seminar at Givat Haviva during a school program at Alexander Muss High School in Israel and usually have very positive memories of their seminar and tour at that time – and we aim not to disappoint them a second time around as well. JERUSALEMSVEREIN from
Members of Jerusalemsverein, led by board member and resident of Kaiserslautern Wolfgang Wittrock, take in the expansive view of the Jewish settlement of Tel Menashe in the northern most corner of the West Bank. The German folks were traveling with Israeli guide ELIAS ABU-OKSA, a Christian Arab from the The group gleaned some beautiful views as sun shone after a few days of heavy rain and at the end of the tour, as seen above, the skies turned dark and another storm came in full force with heavy rain and high winds. “We have heard so much, seen so much and now we have to really sit and absorb truly all of this information, sights and explanations,” said one of the group members who also added she thought it had been a “fascinating” time and obvious that there was a lot more to learn and see in the area of Wadi Ara, Amir Mountain range and environs.
The storm about to break over the settlement of Tal Menashe and running back to the bus before the rain began Wagner Wittrock emailed to say what an extraordinary experience the Givat Haviva visit and tour had been and that it had opened up many avenues of discussion between the group members who had spent some days visiting Palestinians in the West Bank prior to beginning their tour of Over the last few years the number of Evangelical Christian groups (from Germany in particular) has greatly increased and International Department staff sincerely look forward to sharing their knowledge, experience and deep respect for the region of Wadi Ara and its residents with them. And from Evangelical Christians from Germany … to the HASHOMER HATZAIR – NORTH AMERICA – MOVEMENT LEADERS AND ISRAELI EMISSARIES – DORON EREZ & YANIV SAGEE
Leaders of the Hashomer Hatzair movement from
The leadership of Hashomer Hatzair movement from the United States and Canada, in Israel on a seminar with the World Movement leadership and Israeli counterparts, and accompanied by Israeli movement emissaries Yaniv Sagee and Doron Erez, spent some time visiting a few interesting corners of the Givat Haviva campus with Lydia and chance for a photo around the pole for peace planted by the library by members of a Japanese peace organization some years ago.
OUT & ABOUT with the INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
Getting to know you … Doron Erez, Hashomer Hatzair’s emissary to Canada and Yisrael Neeman (in blue shirt) – an educator, tour guide, history teacher and staff member of the Givat Haviva Intensive Arabic Semester - speak with a Palestinian scrap metal merchant from Nablus in East Barta’a and chat with Rateb Kabha, a local Palestinian barber, during a tour with Lydia Aisenberg aimed at gleaning more knowledge of the region. Following the tour Yisrael emailed: “Going out and about in the area that SEE ARTICLE: FLAGS, FENCES & FASCINATING CONVERSATIONS CHICAGOLAND JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL
Riding the storm on the Amir mountain range; Rabbi Ruven Barkan holding the regional map and students battling pelting rain on top of a Barta’an rooftop Thirty-three students from Chicagoland Jewish High School on a 3 week study tour of The students were accompanied by Rabbi Ruven Barkan, the Rabbi-in-residence of Chicagoland Jewish High School began with a dream … a new high school that would weave the very best of the humanities, sciences, and fine arts with the very best in Jewish studies. Over the last few years we have been honored to receive students from this very special school in Whilst visiting Barta’a the students met with Anis Kabha, a young businessman from West Barta’a who holds Israeli citizenship and Mohammad Kabha, a taxi driver, from East Barta’a who these days has a Palestinian passport. The torrential rain did not dampen the spirits of the FOURTH GROUP OF THE MASA-GIVAT HAVIVA INTENSIVE ARABIC BEGIN SEMESTER Students from the www.intensivearabicsemester.org
A few days after the beginning of the program the students went out and about to Harish, the
On top of a mountain, all covered in … Brits! UK Task Force mission participants at Katzir check their maps and explanation from Lydia Aisenberg and right: David Mendelsohn shows Alex Dwek (left) Chair of the British Union of Jewish Students and Adam Ognall, recently appointed CEO of the New Israel Fund in the UK where they are on the map The UK Task Force on issues facing Arab citizens of Invited by UK Task Force coordinator Alice Wood – who visited Givat Haviva in May, 2010 and also participated in a tour of Wadi Ara/Barta’a village with International Department staff a few months ago – Lydia Aisenberg and David Mendelsohn met with the group in Nazareth and led a short tour of Wadi Ara and the Amir Mountain range stopping at the Katzir observation platform overlooking a large portion of the West Bank where they discussed the complexities of the path of the security fence and those Palestinians caught between the security fence and the Green Line. The International Department staffers accompanied the
SAID ABU SHAKRA chats with Lord Jeremy Beecham, New Israel Fund Trustee and right: Benita Hide, Director of the British Friends of Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Saleam A group of students and faculty from the Chicago Theological Seminary came to visit Givat Haviva following a morning at the Umm al-Fahm Gallery for Contemporary Art. The students, led by Professor Susan Thistlewaite (left below) and Professor Rabbi Rachel S. Mikva (on the right), Assistant Professor, Rabbi Schaalman Chair in Jewish Studies visited the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace & International Department and took in some of the sites and sounds of Givat Haviva before going out and about in Wadi Ara with a staff member.
SEE ARTICLE: Chicago Theological Seminary in Givat Haviva KIVUNIM: NEW DIRECTIONS – planning day in preparation for seminar hosting 110 Jewish and Arab teens from United States and Israel
Amal Abusif, Associate Director for Academic Affairs, Kivunim: New Directions, Rabbi Dov Lerea, Kivunim: New Directions director and Batya Ariel Cohen, Israel Program Coordinator on campus at Givat Haviva and during an introductory tour of Wadi Ara and Barta’a village An innovative program KIVUNIM: NEW DIRECTIONS (WWW.KIVUNIM.ORG) have brought groups of high-school seniors to Givat Haviva in the past but next month are planning a first for the International Department – a one day seminar involving over 100 students and staff, half of whom from the States and half of whom from the Christian Orthodox school in Ramle. Preparing for the seminar, staff members Amal Abusif, Rabbi Dov Lerea and Batya Ariel Cohen spent some hours discussing the seminar with International Department staff members and were taken on a short tour of the campus and to Barta’a village ahead of the planned February visit. AND SO … That was the month that was – busy, dry and sunny in the main with interesting groups and individuals to show around the Givat Haviva Institute campus and to share our very special tours of an area where talking to the Jewish and Arab Israeli and Palestinian people, calling in at places either side of the Green Line and the reality of daily life therein, always a learning experience. With bookings already firmly in place for February we are looking forward to receiving more folks from North America, Never a dull moment in the International Department! L’hitraot, Hilit Ben-Zvi,
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