The Comings and Goings of MARCH, 2009
Blue skies, yellow, red and purple blossom and wild flowers sitting in lush greenery in northern, center and even southern Israel have turned the country into a colorful kaleidoscope of nature. Heavy rainstorms turned small valleys into bubbling brooks and the water level of the Kinneret rose – a little.
Approaching the Pesach and Easter holidays, the air now filled with pollen, one day hot the next chilly, March has zipped by and April on our doorstep.
The month of March brought a synagogue congregation; the current group of the World Movement of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniers; a group of socially active young people from Germany; two buses of New York high-school students; day tours to visit the Druze on Daliyat el-Carmel and another to Haifa & Acco for the Intensive Arabic Semester students; a number of meetings with the Hashomer Hatzair garin (Shachaf) currently studying Ivrit.
CONGREGATION BETH EL, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.
On a somewhat overcast day, dark clouds hanging overhead but intermittent sunshine poking through, 30 members of Congregation Beth El from Berkeley, California came to visit Givat Haviva. Some of the group had never been to Israel before, others a number of times and their tour operator in Israel DA'AT Educational Expeditions.
Following a talk about the activities of Givat Haviva and background information about the Wadi Ara region and residents, lunch in the campus dining-room, the group headed for the hills – literally – with a short guided tour of the area incorporating the Mt. Amir vantage point at Katzir and visit to the village of Barta'a.
During the visit to Barta'a the group engaged in lively conversation with some of the local Palestinian shopkeepers and had their schedule allowed would have stayed longer.
Congregation Beth El's Rabbi Yoel Kahn (in yellow sweater) and members of the group chat with Palestinian businessman in Barta'a village and center, Rabbi Kahn with the bus banner
MASA-GIVAT HAVIVA students on the Intensive Arabic Semester, now in their third month of studies, had a few days out and about this month with International Department staff members Lydia Aisenberg and David Mendelsohn.
David accompanied the students to Daliyat el-Carmel where they met with local Druze to learn about their way of life, customs and religion and on another occasion spent a day at the Mukhraka on the Carmel Mountains, Haifa and Acco with Lydia.
MASA-GIVAT HAVIVA Intensive Arabic Semester students taking in the Bahai Gardens in Haifa
ECUMENICAL ACCOMPANIERS.
The 30th group of Ecumenical Accompaniers to participate in the World Movement of Churches program consist 36 people from 7 different countries (Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA).
Teachers, students, priests and nurses are among the group who give 3 months to assisting Palestinians in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, Jayyous, Yanoun and Hebron.
As always the group was accompanied by the Ecumenical Accompaniers Jerusalem based organizer Pauline Nunu and other staff members.
The Ecumenical Accompaniers spent a few hours at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek dealing with the subject of the kibbutz movement and development of Mishmar HaEmek in particular. They visited the in-house museum 'EMDA' on the kibbutz, spoke with kibbutz born Dafna Govrin one of the founders of the museum and visited the home of International Department staff member Lydia Aisenberg where she explained more about kibbutz life, then and now.
During their walk around the kibbutz, the Ecumenical Accompaniers met with three of the fifteen Hashomer Hatzair garin 'Shachaf' presently studying at Ulpan Mishmar HaEmek. Each from a different country the young gap year movement members (pictured above) explained about the movement, commitment to Tikkun Olam and of their teaching in the Barta'a high-school one day a week.
The EAs were very impressed with the young movement members and wished them every success in their endeavors both in Israel and when they returned home to their respective countries.
THE INSTITUTE NEUE IMPULSE e.V. was founded by educator Karl Rudi Pahnke in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany. The Institute trains youth workers and in particular those involved with international youth work in Saxony-Anhalt.
Institute Neue Impulse founder Rudi Pahnke (center in red jacket) and students in Wadi Ara
Founder Rudi Pahnke has worked closely in the past with Givat Haviva and hopefully the cooperation between the two institutes will continue.
Staying at the Rutenberg Institute for Youth Education in Haifa, the youthful educators spent a few hours at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek dealing with the subject of kibbutz before undertaking a tour of Wadi Ara, the Green Line and village of Barta'a.
** See article: Thriving German-Israel Partnership
COLD MOUNTAIN: Pupils from WESTCHESTER SCHECHTER HIGH-SCHOOL, NEW YORK, on the Amir range of mountains overlooking Barta'a village and section of the security fence
Sixty-five 12th graders from Hartsdale, New York (Westchester County) participated in a talk about the Arab citizens of Israel and short tour to the Amir mountain range and Barta'a village.
Split in two groups, one group was accompanied by David Mendelsohn and the other by Lydia.
The students asked a barrage of questions and whilst standing on a rooftop in Barta'a village overlooking the Green Line (pre-1967 border in the center of the village) some had the opportunity to chat with local Arab youths.
"This has been awesome and would love to come back for longer," said one of the students as they made their way back to the bus to continue on their journey.
"I never thought I would feel comfortable talking to a Muslim Arab and asking questions like that," commented another.
HASHOMER HATZAIR 'SHACHAF' GARIN comprises 15 young movement members from many different countries. As already mentioned earlier, these bright and committed to making a difference youngsters are studying in the Mishmar HaEmek ulpan but also running their own movement activities.
International Department staff member Lydia Aisenberg, a member of that kibbutz, meets with 'Shachaf' regularly to discuss many different subjects connected – and not necessarily connected – to life in kibbutz and in Israel.
THE BLUES BROTHERS: 'Shachaf' in their movement shirts
THE INTERNATIONAL STAFF WISH ALL THEIR JEWISH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES A HAPPY PESACH and CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, A HAPPY EASTER
