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The Comings and Goings of OCTOBER, 2010
October sunset over Wadi Ara and autumn blossoms This month kicked off with torrential rain, a drop in temperatures and then almost immediately a return to hot, stuffy and humid days. October, 2010 proved to be the hottest October ever recorded. October also saw many folks alighting buses in the Givat Haviva forecourt and wending their way to the International Department. The groups came from BUNDESZENTRALE FUR POLITISCHE BILDUNG (FEDERAL AGENCY for CIVIC EDUCATION)
Caspar Nurnberg, co-leader of the first Bundeszentrale group in October, pictured with lecturer Dr. Asmaa Nader Ganayem and Waltraud Arenz at Givat Haviva
The first of the Bundeszentrale groups this month was headed by Waltraud Arenz, Head of Division of the German Federal Agency for Civic Education and co-leader Caspar Nurnberg. Waltraud has accompanied Bundeszentrale groups to Givat Haviva many times over the years and the staff of the International Department always delighted to see her visit the campus again. Group co-leader, Casper Nurnberg celebrated his birthday the day they were with us and so he was presented with a copy of the Givat Haviva publication ‘Children Write for Peace’ to commemorate his being with us on that special day. Following a talk and discussion with Dr. Asmaa Nader Ganayem with regard the Arab citizens of This was followed by a tour of Wadi Ara and the SEE ARTICLE: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE IN WADI ARA
Dr. David Mendelsohn speaking with members of the Swiss group and with group member and Jerusaelem resident Ester Bruer outside the International Department, Givat Haviva
Swiss lecturer and author Dr. Michel Bollag has visited Givat Haviva on numerous occasions with groups from “Zurcher Lehrhaus has been promoting ongoing inter-faith dialogue aimed at providing learning and knowledge to help dispel prejudice and make room for understanding and appreciation, creating opportunities of acceptance of differences,” explained Dr. Bollag of the organization founded in 1993. Dr. Bollag and his colleagues met with David in the madaffi guest room of the International Department and
STUDENTS from ALBERT SCHWEITZER GESCHWISTER SCHOLL GYMNASIUM
History and politics teacher Kurt Langer (third from left) and high-school students from
German high-school students visiting History and Politics teacher Kurt Langer participated in an International Department seminar some years ago when he attended a seminar for teachers at Yad Vashem in “I remember a great deal from my previous visit to Givat Haviva and tour of the region but there is still so much more to see, learn and discuss,” said Mr. Langer who explained that the group of 14 students were from his school in VOLUNTEERS FROM KIBBUTZ HAZOREA
Kibbutz Hazorea volunteers visiting a high point in Umm al-Fahm and standing under the new archway entrance to East Barta’a in the West Bank’s Dotan Valley
Volunteers from Kibbutz Hazorea participated in a one day seminar that began in their kibbutz with a talk about the Arab citizens of Racheli Sharon, the Hazorea volunteer leader, has been a stalwart supporter of Givat Haviva seminars for the volunteers of her kibbutz and also invites the International Department to undertake seminars in the kibbutz dealing with the topic of kibbutz for their overseas visitors. A number of the volunteers expressed how grateful they were for the opportunity to be able to learn first hand more about the region and about the Jewish and Arab communities living in close proximity to each other.
Volunteers at Salach’s Restaurant & Gwon Jung Hwan from
LANDESZENTRALE fur Politische Bildung
DR. ASMAA GANAYEM preparing for her lecture on the Arab Society in Israel for Landeszentrale fur Politishe Bildung visiting Givat Haviva
DR. KLAUS KELLMANN of the Landeszentrale fur Politishe Bildung has been to Givat Haviva quite a number of times in the past and was not disappointed in this month’s visit where he and the group of professional folk from Germany heard background information with regard Haviva Reik, the work and special projects of Givat Haviva, followed by a lecture from Dr. Asmaa Ganayem from the neighboring Al Qasemi College of Education. “A visit to Givat Haviva is always a most interesting experience,” said Dr. Kellmann. We look forward to welcoming him again in the not too distant future for yet another of those positive experiences on campus.
Friends of Ursula Rosenzweig, chair of the Swiss Friends of Givat Haviva
Felix Kanzig-Wolf of the Evangelic-Reformed Church of Thalwil (a small town near Zurich) with Etti Amram, director of the Art Center and Peace Gallery at Givat Haviva
Three years ago when Ursula Rosenzweig, chair of the Swiss Friends of Givat Haviva, accompanied a group of supporters from Visiting the Arts Center and Peace Gallery where they met director Etti Amram, the Swiss folk took great interest in an exhibition of photographs taken by the recent graduates of the 2009-2010 Through Others’ Eyes project and heard of the great success of the project that has been running for 12 years - with more Jewish and Arab students wishing to participate in the 2010-2011 project than is possible to accommodate. Meeting with The group was also accompanied by tour guide Ali Abu Nasser, a resident of the EDUCATORS FROM
Educators from
Palestinians from East Barta’a busy olive picking Anis Kabaha serving shwarma to Theo Schwedmann and left: the group walking across the bridge over the wadi in central Barta’a that is the Green Line
Theo Schwedmann from Northrhine-Westphalia is almost a serial visitor to our campus. This month he brought 22 educators from Northrhine-Westphalia. The group encountered a lively discussion about peace education, heard background information with regard Jewish-Arab relations in During the tour of Harish, Reichan checkpoint, Shaked settlements and Barta’a the educators had the opportunity to speak with a Palestinian businessman from Yabed making his way through the checkpoint to East Barta’a; photograph and have a brief conversation with Palestinians picking their olives, see the newly completed archway with banners and Palestinian flags welcoming visitors to East Barta’a and to sit and have a tasty lunch in the village at the end of the tour. At the end of the almost full day seminar, the educators expressed how important the day had been for them and that they would be getting in touch once home in order to receive more material about “this fascinating and highly-educational day,” as one of the teachers said to Agreeing, Theo Schwedmann added: “Every visit I understand more just how important is the work of Givat Haviva and our respect for those involved in this work deepens.” ANETTE KLASING & WILI DERBOGEN and colleagues from BREMEN, GERMANY
The
Wili Derbogen and Anette Klasing have participated in many seminars in This month Wili and Anette accompanied 8 of their colleagues from In East Barta’a the folks from A warm welcome was shown by Rateb who also told the guests that his barbers chair, which he had purchased many years ago in the Jaffa flea market, was manufactured in Germany in the year 1943! Having participated in such a seminar ten years ago, one of the teachers remarked on how Barta’a had developed during this period of time “it is really amazing, it was a village and now a town.”
Bremen in Barta’a … Rateb Kabaha and the visitors from Germany
Upon their return to “The group summarized this portion of their visit to the area as being very positive, particularly the time spent in the kibbutz. They appreciated the fact that Mishmar HaEmek is still a ‘real’ kibbutz and that they were hearing ‘a different voice’ in present times and the changes in the kibbutz movement. The tour of Wadi Ara, opportunity to visit Barta’a and meet with Rateb Kabaha and other locals was a very special experience and much appreciated by everybody,” she wrote. SENIOR BUT YOUNG AT HEART FOLKS from NEW JERSEY & FLORIDA
Admiring the Peace Pole on the central lawn of the Givat Haviva campus
Twenty-eight senior citizens from Affiliated with the Hadassah movement in North America, the group’s tour of A lively discussion with Lydia with regard the history of Givat Haviva, the dilemmas involved in educational projects bringing Jewish and Arab teens and adults in to the encounters arena was conducted in the madaffi. Accompanying the group through Wadi Ara, the American guests heard more about the region before continuing on their way to the A short visit - but with a great deal packed in with many questions answered and many left to be asked. “I will surely be emailing you as soon as I get home,” said one of the folks from You are more than welcome, Sir! TEMPLE EMANU-EL (
Members of
Members of The group was particularly interested in the Givat Haviva Jewish-Arab educational encounter programs for children, youth and adults – and also the dilemmas faced by educators involved in those projects and the off campus programs. Rabbi Schaktman is no stranger to the area of Wadi Ara having been a member of Nitzanei Shalom (Interns for Peace) founded by the late Rabbi Bruce Cohen in the 1970s. Rabbi Schaktman lived during his internship in the Wadi Ara Arab Muslim The folks from DR. MARGARET HELFEN, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES from
Dr. Margaret Helfen and group members take in the International Department and Peace Tree at Givat Havia
Dr. Margaret Helfen first visited Givat Haviva a few years ago with Theo Schwedmann and this year she organized a group of 16 friends and colleagues (medical doctors and academics) to visit Just a few days before Dr. Helfen’s group arrived, Theo Schwedmann had paid yet another visit with educators but this was not a surprise for Dr. Helfen as she knew that he was in the country with another group of educators from their region of “I first came to SWISS STUDENT WRITING ABOUT COEXISTENCE PROJECTS IN ISRAEL visits Givat Haviva
Swiss student Hannah Weiss at the Through Others’ Eyes exhibition with Etti Amram and right; with Budros Asaly a graduate of Givat Haviva coexistence projects
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS COME TO HEAR ABOUT VOLUNTEERING IN KIBBUTZIM from past to present times
Journalists from overseas based in Israel met with volunteers from past years who are now members of kibbutzim (and a few present day volunteers) organized by Aya Sagi, Director of the Kibbutz Program Center in Tel Aviv (far right picture) and Aviv Leshem, Spokesperson of the Kibbutz Movement. SEE LINK TO ARTICLE: Past and present kibbutz volunteers talk to the press at Givat Haviva
Mike Ben-Avi (left) and folks from
Ten folks from Accompanied by Israeli tour guide Mike Ben-Avi, the visitors were interested to hear about kibbutz member and British Army volunteer Haviva Reik (after whom Givat Haviva is named) and the fateful mission she and others undertook in her country of birth, An explanation was given of the various projects and activities to be found on and off the Givat Haviva campus and when leaving, the group expressed their admiration for the educational projects they had heard about and hoped to visit for a longer time next visit to For guide Mike Ben-Avi it was a first time visit to Givat Haviva – but promised it would not be his last!
REPRESENTATIVE MARIA LORTS SACHS and HUSBAND PETER at GIVAT HAVIVA
Representative Maria Lorts Sachs chatting with Israeli school students on an art project at Givat Haviva and with Haggai Halevi, Executive Director of Givat Haviva
Givat Haviva was honored with a visit by Representative Maria Lorts Sachs and her husband Peter during their rather hectic visit to Representative Sachs was happy to exchange a few words with Israeli high-school students taking a break from a project for their matriculation examinations being conducted at Givat Haviva and to learn about the many projects and activities conducted on and off campus. The Floridians were accompanied by Israeli tour guide Mordi Zissman, another frequent visitor to our campus having worked with Birthright and other students groups for many years.
MENNO PAKTOR and FRIENDS
Menno Paktor (far right) from A frequent visitor to
INTENSIVE ARABIC STUDENTS – Visit the Arara memorial to Arab Muslim soldiers
Intensive Arabic Semester students meeting with Yousef Jujah, the father of fallen IDF soldier Saed Jujah. Mr. Jujah spoke of his life and that of his sons (two of whom still serving in the IDF) and why he has built a memorial to Muslim Arab citizens of
SEE ARTICLE: Pride & Prejudice in Wadi Ara … October was certainly a real blockbuster of activity for the staff of the International Department. Seminars are being booked for November and December at a brisk pace by educational tour operators and individuals wanting to hear about Givat Haviva, visit some of the fascinating sites and sights and speak with Jewish and Arab people living in the Wadi Ara region – and we are gearing up to warmly receive all those who wish to join us be it for a few hours, a whole day or a couple of days. Everybody welcome.
Hilit Ben–Zvi, Uri Bar-el & Lydia Aisenberg The International Department, Givat Haviva
Blue skies over Wadi Ara – October, 2010 |
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