The Comings and Goings of DECEMBER, 2010
Winter on the way, leaves change color and fall from the trees and in the Dotan Valley, Palestinians make charcoal for a living but create environmental and health problems for the locals in Barta’a village and the Arab and Jewish communities either side of the Green Line
The month of December treated Europe harshly with some of the worst weather conditions since weathermen began to write down what, where and how much. However, in Israel not only did the weather turn the country upside down and inside out with some days of horrific winds and storms but a wildfire on the Carmel mountain range claimed the lives of 44 Israelis and a huge expanse of forestry and the hearts of the Israeli people and many overseas were broken at the loss of life and burned out homes of Carmel dwellers. All in all, the month of December, 2010 was the hottest and driest on record.
In the International Department groups continued to come for seminars and tours of the region and as we draw to toward the end of 2010 we can say that it was quite an impressive year for the department staff, particularly the continuing success of the Intensive Arabic Semester (the third term of which graduated in December).
GROUPS THIS MONTH INCLUDED:
TEMPLE BETH AM, JUPITER, FLORIDA, USA
Tour leader Mark (front left) and Temple Beth Am congregants tired but smiling at the end of their tour and right: the sign on the front of their tour bus
Rabbi Alon and Gali Levkovitz and congregants from Temple Beth Am, Jupiter, Florida visited Givat Haviva and took a short tour up to the Katzir observation platform to catch some of the fantastic view before the sun set over the Mediterranean. Using maps provided by the International Department the group avidly followed the explanation given by Lydia of what was where on either side of the Green Line down below.
One of the participants, Rachel Brody, emailed: “Thank you for the wonderful experience. It enhanced our trip to Israel immeasurably.”
ACADEMY BJE, AUSTRALIA ‘Discover Israel 2010’ PROGRAM
Green shirted Australian students walk the Green Line running through the village of Barta’a
AUSTRALIAN teens on a 6-week educational study tour of Israel and based at the ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH-SCHOOL IN ISRAEL, HOD HASHARON, spent a day with International Department staff and local lawyer Amir Gara from the nearby village of Jatt.
A tour of Wadi Ara included the Katzir observation platform and visit to the village of Barta’a where the Aussie teens – from Sydney – took a short walk down to the Green Line running through the village.
The group was accompanied by British born Amy Goldman who presently lives in Bondi Beach, Australia and works for the Board of Jewish Education (Academy BJE).
“This is the fourth Discover Israel Program of 15 year-old students from public schools across Sydney,” explained Amy. “When the students return home they will contribute a year of volunteering within the Jewish community and take part in Jewish life through cultural, communal and social events and activities.”
On top of the world from Down Under – the Australian students on the Amir mountain range and left) with Amy Goldman in the village of Barta’a
The NSW Board of Jewish Education and Academy BJE program can be accessed at
www.bje.org.au
TWO-DAY SEMINAR FOR KIBBUTZ VOLUNTEER LEADERS
Smadar (from Kibbutz Ein Gev) sharing her thoughts with left: Noam Reiter (Kibbutz Eilot) and Racheli Sharon (Kibbutz Hazorea) during a workshop on the topic of volunteering in general and second photograph: volunteer leaders at the Katzir lookout together with Aya Sagi, director of the Kibbutz Programs Center in Tel Aviv. Also present at the seminar were Bella Nir, the administrative director of the KPC and Nava Gerbler, the KPC director of communications.
The volunteer leaders came from kibbutzim far and wide, Ein Gev, Geva, Hazorea, Ein Hashofet in the north and Grofit, Katura, Yahel, Ein Yahav, Almog, Eilot, Lotan and Samar in the south.
Over the course of the two day seminar the volunteer leaders discussed many aspects of their responsibilities and attached great importance to the seminars the International Department and KPC hold on campus at Givat Haviva and the field service offered by the department to reach out and run seminars for volunteers in kibbutzim.
A tour of the Wadi Ara area, Dotan Valley, Reichan Checkpoint and the village of Barta’a was greatly enhanced by the addition of comments and explanations from driver Yona Younis from the village of Arara. The tour, guiding by Lydia and Yona Younis and the opportunity to visit Barta’a was much appreciated by the volunteer leaders, some of whom promised to return to hear more and also take up Yona’s invitation to visit him and his family in Arara.
Yona Younis, manning the mike and the wheel – a view of Wadi Ara and Arara village from Katzir
TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT: 36 Young Professionals from NEW YORK on tour with TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL operators IsraelExperts and program supported by the ARTHUR ZANKEL FUND, under the guidance of Jamie Salter
The young professionals from New York and their Israeli guide, British born Jamie Salter (far right in the photo) who worked in Jewish education for some years prior to making aliya, began their International Department program at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek where they collected staff member and kibbutznik, Lydia Aisenberg.
Following a talk in the wintry sunshine at the entrance to the kibbutz, the group headed out for Wadi Ara and the Katzir observation platform where they watched sunset over the coastal plain and northern part of the West Bank, heard an in depth explanation about the places and people whose communities they could see from above and did some serious map reading.
Compliments were paid by the New Yorkers (and also the Israeli guard travelling with the group) on how interesting the few hours had been and the realization there was a lot more to be learned.
JEWISH HELPING HANDS from the USA.
Inon Tagner on campus at Givat Haviva and right: the souk of Barta’a
A group of ten folks from the Jewish Helping Hands organization from America paid a visit to Givat Haviva and after a session with the International Department’s Inon Tagner visited the home of Riad Kabha, the director of the Givat Haviva Jewish-Arab Center for Peace.
Jewish Helping Hands was founded in 2006 by Rabbi Joel Soffin and is committed to the work of tzedakah, justice and righteousness in the world. It continues in a more organized way the social action work that Rabbi Soffin initiated in more than 25 years as a congregational rabbi in New Jersey.
www.jewishhelpinghands.org
AARDVARK ISRAEL
Twenty-three students on an Aardvark Israel program stayed overnight on campus and the following day worked with Inon who also took them on a tour of the Wadi Ara region.
www.aardvarkisrael.com
SOUTH PENNINSULA HEBREW DAY SCHOOL, California
Six teachers from the South Penninsula Hebrew Day School together with Rabbi Zev Silberstein met with David Mendelsohn in the madaffi at Givat Haviva and following a discussion visited Barta’a
HASBARA FELLOWSHIPS (AISH HATORAH) from North America
Three groups of HASBARA FELLOWSHIPS visited Givat Haviva this month. Over one hundred students and Hasbara Fellowship staff members – from the US and Canada - joined International Department staff for talks and a tour of the region – to the great satisfaction of both students, Hasbara staff and our own Givat Haviva educators who had the pleasure of working with them and we look forward to continuing the long relationship with Hasbara Fellowships in 2011.
Some of the Hasbara Fellowship students and staff in Barta’a as dusk falls and the air somewhat nippy and another a few days before enjoying the sunshine from the Katzir observation platform
BEZALEL ACADEMY of ARTS & DESIGN and RIMON SCHOOL of JAZZ & CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Student artists and musicians from age 18 to 30 in Israel participating in a long term MASA program at the Bezelal Art Academy and Rimon School of Music spent a day at Givat Haviva and the surrounding region calling in at Katzir and Barta’a. The 20 or so students hailed from Russia, the United States, France, England, Spain, Australia, Panama, Argentina, Brazil and Holland – a colorful mosaic of worldly creative youth! Pictured above right is Violet Gurian from the US.
BETH AM ISRAEL from Penn Valley, PA
A group of families from congregation Beth Am Israel, Penn Valley, PA – together with Rabbi David Ackerman – spent some time on campus hearing about the activities of Givat Haviva before taking a tour to the Amir mountain range where they participated in an in-depth explanation of what, where and whom they could see from above.
“Thank you so much for such an interesting and enlightening few hours,” said one of the participants as they were folding up their maps and about to return to the bus.
Rabbi Ackerman is familiar with Givat Haviva and receives the e-newsletters and he also has a common bond with our region and shared citizenship activities being married to a lady who 25 years ago was a member of Interns for Peace with the late Rabbi Bruce Cohen.
The Beth Am Israel families gathered around the Peace Tree on campus for a group photograph, Lewis – a very bright 8 year-old member of the group – is seen perched on the tree itself.
BIRTHRIGHT UK – 40 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FROM BRITAIN, SOUTH AFRICA AND CANADA
Young professionals of Taglit-Birthright UK struggling with a ferocious wind on top of the mountain and right, meeting with Allam Abu-Abead in Barta’a village
On a rather blustery day a group of young professionals on tour of Israel with BRITHRIGHT UK together with Royi Gutkin, London based UJIA Taglit-Birthright Co-ordinator first called in at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek where they met with Lydia Aisenberg who gave some background information with regard the Israeli Arab population, the Palestinians and Wadi Ara. Following this Lydia guided the group through Wadi Ara to Katzir and a visit to Barta’a where they met with Allam Abu-Abead from Jenin, a local Palestinian businessman who explained some of the daily realities of living and working on either side of the divide, the Green Line and security fence.
Bundled up against a cold wind, Taglit-Birthright listen to Allam Abu-Abead and right, Royi Gukkin standing ground against the cold wind atop the Amir mountain range
So, that was the month that was – and we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome 2011. The new year seems like it is going to be just as busy as the last and a new term (the fourth 5-month program to date) of the Intensive Arabic Semester due to kick off mid-January.
AND SO AS THE SUN SETS ON THE YEAR 2010 …
we say shalom and l’hitraot and look forward to seeing you again during 2012.
THE INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT STAFF,
Hilit Ben-Zvi, Uri Barel, Lydia Aisenberg and David Mendelsohn
