The comings and goings of March, 2010
Ramat Hanadiv memorial gardens in Zichron Yaacov
Even though still officially in winter, March has proved to be the hottest on record for many years.
With days of hot winds blowing across the country – leaving a layer of fine dust on everything and cutting visibility down to zilch – plant life became confused and opened up their colorful mosaics to all, as seen at the Ramat Hanadiv memorial gardens in Zichron Yaacov a short drive from Givat Haviva.
Visiting groups and individuals participating in lectures and tours organized by the International Department came from Japan, North America, Australia & South Africa, Germany and Austria as well as a group of volunteers from Kibbutz Hazorea who come from many different countries.
Truly an international month!
Netzer Olami gather on the 'Green Line' in the center of Barta'a village for a group photo with a couple of local Palestinian merchants (both kneeling in the front)
NETZER OLAMI, AUSTRALIA & SOUTH AFRICA – founded in 1979 Netzer Olami is the Zionist Youth Movement of Progressive Jews throughout the world. A group of Netzer Olami from Australia and South Africa (presently in Israel for a 10-month leadership training course and Israel experience) have the option of two different tracks, one of which saw 16 youngsters and 2 youth leaders spend a day seminar at Givat Haviva and region.
Netzer Olami youth leaders of the future chat with Katzir resident whose home overlooks the divided village of Barta'a down below
The 15 Aussies and one young member from Durban, South Africa, met with staff members and participated in a tour of Wadi Ara. Unfortunately the weather was particularly not favorable for a tour where normally the views are a major component, but even so the Netzer members had an interesting and rather different experience.
Standing on the lip of the hilltop where part of Katzir is situated, it was possible to see the homes of Palestinians in East Barta'a and as guide Lydia Aisenberg was explaining what could be seen in the near distance, engaged in conversation with a young Israeli couple living in a nearby home. Surprisingly both Roni Israeli and her husband were connected in the past with Netzer Olami, the lady of the house having made aliya from South Africa where she was a member of the movement and her husband, a former emissary of Netzer Olami where he worked in both Sydney and Melbourne - where most of the group came from.
It's a small world indeed!
Janet & Barry Aarons out and about in Wadi Ara and speaking with Dudu Amitai in the Yad Yaari library at Givat Haviva
JANET & BARRY AARONS recently made aliya from Sydney, Australia and have settled in Zichron Yaacov a short drive from Givat Haviva. The couple contacted Givat Haviva at the suggestion of their friend in Sydney, Shoshana Faire – an expert in personal growth, organizational and interpersonal relationship building who leads workshops in conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation around Australia and co-author of 'Everyone Can Win – How to Resolve Conflict.' Many years ago Shoshana spent a year volunteering in Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek and hence the connection between Lydia from the International Department and the new olim (immigrants) from Australia.
Janet, an executive coach, corporate educator and facilitator, and Barry – a chemist – met with staff members from Yad Yaari, the International Department, the Face to Face encounter program and the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace.
Impressed with their visit to Givat Haviva both Janet and Barry expressed a wish to return to learn more about the educational projects and activities taking place on the Wadi Ara campus and through the northern branch of Givat Haviva at Sakhnin in the lower Galilee.
AND FROM JAPAN …
A group of 11 tourists from Japan wishing to meet with an Arab family at home were accompanied by the International Department to the Arara village abode of Wajee and Aiysha Sidawi.
Wajee Sidawi directs the community work program for Givat Haviva Intensive Arabic Semester students and Aiysha is a staff member of Rabbis for Human Rights and other organizations working for social justice in Israel.
The group was accompanied by Hebrew and English speaking Japanese tour guide Ruth Kakiuchi who lives in the Jerusalem Hills community of Shoresh. Ruth originally came to Israel to study Bible, History & Politics and these days is very involved in translating for Japanese journalists coming to Israel and has also led groups of Palestinian children to Japan for soccer tournaments. She hopes to visit Givat Haviva in the near future in order to learn more about the educational projects and about the region in general.
TEMPLE MICAH, WASHINGTON, DC.
Temple Micah group members walking the Green Line and security fence between the Israel Muslim city of Umm el-Fahm and Anin, a Palestinian village below that nowadays falls in to Area B of the West Bank and right: in the village of Barta'a
During a ten-day visit to Israel, 30 members of Temple Micah – a Reform Jewish community in Washington, DC - under the leadership of Rabbi Daniel Zemmel and wife Louise, spent a few hours touring the Wadi Ara region with a staff member of the International Department.
The first port of call for the group was the Amir Mountain vantage point above Umm el-Fahm overlooking the Green Line, security fence and the Shaked bloc of settlements and Dotan Valley below. After a short excursion in to Area C (under total Israeli control) and passing the Palestinian village of Umm Reichan, once more back over the Green Line and the Jewish community of Katzir – the Washingtonians were taken down the mountain to visit the divided village of Barta'a.
Following their visit to our region the Temple Micah congregants continued on their way to the Negev where they were due to visit and meet with residents of the town of Sderot.
Rabbi Daniel Zemmel of Temple Micah, Washington DC, chatting with congregants during their visit to Barta'a village.
LIFELONG LEARNING, FLORIDA
Rabbi Howard Shapiro and some of the mature students of the Lifelong Learning program with their just purchased Givat Haviva t-shirts!
An educational program for mature adults at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida known as Lifelong Learning brought a group of Jewish and Christian course participants to Israel this month. The interfaith group also visited Givat Haviva and heard about the history of the establishment, of the educational programs and campus activities in general in order to gain a better understanding of those projects as well as the Wadi Ara region; relationship between the region's Jewish and Arab citizens; and some of the dilemma's faced when encountering each other.
The interfaith group was led by Lifelong Learning course organizers and educators Tom O'Brien and Rabbi Howard Shapiro. They decided to include a visit to Givat Haviva on their Israel itinerary at the suggestion of Marilyn Ziemke, director of New Jersey based IAT Heritage Tours who was highly impressed after visiting Givat Haviva's International Department staff last year when she was in the country.
The Lifelong Learning group only spent a short time on campus but said they were grateful to have had the opportunity to indeed see and hear firsthand of "the excellent and all important work" being carried out by Givat Haviva.
TZADAI ANAK (Giant Steps) FROM SAN FRANCISO
In Israel under the auspices of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco a group of educators and Federation programs and projects in Israel supporters from the San Francisco greater area heard a brief explanation about Givat Haviva as they were passing through Wadi Ara on their way from Tel Aviv (where they met with Professor Avishay Braverman, Israeli Minister of Minority Affairs) – to the Jewish-Arab school of Bridge Over the Wadi in the Wadi Ara village of Kfar Kara.
Staff member Lydia Aisenberg, accompanied by Seth Norman – a San Franciscan presently studying Arabic with the Givat Haviva-MASA Intensive Arabic Semester program – joined the group for an hour en-route to the school.
On a rather chilly, windy day – but with good visibility – the San Franciscans joined Lydia and Seth at the Katzir Observation point from where Lydia gave an explanation as to the Palestinian, Jewish and Israeli Arab villages and towns below, as well as directing them – with the help of detailed maps distributed to the group – toward the course of the former border between the State of Israel & West Bank (Green Line) and the path of the present security fence.
Parting with the San Franciscans in Kfar Kara, Lydia and Seth were thanked by the group who said they had enjoyed the all too brief encounter and hoped to learn more about Givat Haviva activities from the website when they returned home.
MARCH VISITORS
Left: Professor Amalia Fried Honick, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Goucher College, Baltimore and a former student of hers, Yona Buchman, who is now living in Israel. Professor Honick discussed with Hilit Ben Zvi the possibility of a seminar for Goucher students due to visit Israel next year.
Center: Aya Sagi, director of the Kibbutz Movement's Volunteer Department, visited the International Department in order to discuss possibilities of seminars for volunteers presently in 25 kibbutzim throughout the country. Whilst at Givat Haviva Aya also spoke with Yisrael Peleg from the Moreshet (Heritage) Center at Givat Haviva, and was also taken around the Givat Haviva Arts Center and Peace Gallery.
Right: Martin and Judy Lever came to Israel for just five brief days to visit their daughter Ilana who is one of the overseas students presently studying with the Givat Haviva-MASA Intensive Arabic Semester program. The Lever's, from Pinner in North London, also took the opportunity to visit the various Givat Haviva centers and exhibition halls and were taken on a short tour of Wadi Ara/Barta'a village – just a few hours before heading for the airport and flight back to England.
GERMAN PILGRIM GROUP
A group of German pilgrims from Leipzig and Dresden paid a call in at Givat Haviva on their way from central Israel to stay at Nes Amim (a Christian kibbutz style community near Naharia).
Group leader Gernot Werner from Dresden, was in Givat Haviva two years ago and told staff members that he made sure there would be a repeat visit with the present group as well.
After a short walk around Givat Haviva, a brief respite in the madaffi guest room of the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace, the group traveled with Lydia Aisenberg to the Katzir observation platform and made a quick call in at Barta'a village.
"This has been very interesting indeed and am so glad to have been able to return again to Givat Haviva and Barta'a – even if it was only for a short time," said Mr. Werner at the end of the few hour seminar – and before heading off to Nes Amim.
VOLUNTEERS from KIBBUTZ HAZOREA
Volunteers from Kibbutz Hazorea up on a roof overlooking both East and West Barta'a and right: walking the Green Line in the area of the Salem checkpoint near Megiddo
Twenty volunteers from many different countries including the US, Canada, South Korea, Ecuador, and Belgium spent a day out and about in the Wadi Ara region under the guidance of next door neighbor and Givat Haviva International Department staff member Lydia Aisenberg from Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek.
The day started with a talk at Hazorea focusing on the region and commenced with a tour incorporating visiting the Givat Oz - Salem viewpoint for an overview of the Jezreel Valley, Jenin, Gilboa mountain range
As well as following the course of the security fence in the area; visiting another lookout point overlooking the Israeli Muslim city of Umm al-Fahm, then on to another overview taking in the Shaked Jewish settlements and the Dotan Valley in the West Bank; a visit to Katzir and overview of the divided village of Barta'a – eventually going down the Amir mountain range for a visit to Barta'a and a good lunch in a popular local restaurant.
The volunteers dealt with topics touching on past history and present day realities and showed great interest throughout the course of the seminar and tour.
Hazorea volunteers and volunteer leader Racheli Sharon were joined for the day by Aya Sagi , the director of the Volunteer Department of The Kibbutz Movement, the offices of which in Tel Aviv and where volunteers to kibbutzim are registered.
EDUCATORS from LOWER-SAXONY, GERMANY
A group of teachers and educational program advisers dealing with Holocaust education in Germany – attending a one week seminar at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem – spent a day at Givat Haviva.
The teachers, members of the Trade Union for Education and Science, and educators – from the Foundation of Lower-Saxony Memorials – spent the morning in Givat Haviva where they visited Moreshet (photographed above) The Mordechai Anielevich Memorial Holocaust Study and Research Center, and attended a talk dealing with the Arab citizens of Israel, former borders and present day security fence, given by International Department's Lydia Aisenberg – who later took them on an in-depth tour of the Wadi Ara -Dotan Valley region.
Addressing the group, Moreshet Director of Educational Programs Yonat Rotbein, explained about the activities of the center and showed the teachers and staff members of memorial sites in German (including Bergen-Belsen) around a new exhibition focusing on Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.
Members of the Lower Saxony group checking the view against their maps in the Dotan Valley
A very busy month indeed and with the Passover holiday about to begin, a well deserved break for the International Department staff members.
We wish all our partners, friends and supporters – a very happy Pesach and Easter.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT, Hilit Ben-Zvi, Uri Barel & Lydia Aisenberg
