Members of Alif-Aleph UK, Christian Aid, the Anna Frank Trust, Three Faith Forum and the Board of Deputies of British Jewry were amongst a group of young people from Britain and Germany who visited Givat Haviva recently via the International Department. The group was visiting Israel under the auspices of the Council for Christians and Jews, a leading interfaith organization in Britain fighting intolerance and prejudice, working for understanding and reconciliation in society and one of the 38 national Jewish-Christian dialogue organizations worldwide belonging to the International Council of Christians and Jews. Givat Haviva, the International Department in particular, has had an ongoing warm relationship with the CCJ and ICCJ for many years having worked with their interfaith groups visiting Israel on many occasions. Departmental staff has also been invited to speak at CCJ events in Britain in the past. "I am very impressed by the presentations of the programs, experiences and political realities of both sides given by Givat Haviva members of staff during this visit," said American Chaim Keritzinsky, an intern at the ICCI center in Jerusalem who also accompanied the group.
Members of the UK's Council for Christians and Jews come face to face with Givat Haviva encounters director Shachar Yanai during their recent visit to campus.
Alif-Aleph UK is a grass roots organization of over 1000 Muslims and Jews committed to developing positive contacts. The organization were awarded a large grant from the British Home Office (through the Faith Communities Capacity Fund) to launch a new interactive website project aimed at encouraging dialogue and communication and also instrumental in developing innovative activities such as stand-up comedy, a Muslim and Jewish stand up artist performing alongside each other. "I see the Givat Haviva projects as valuable and ambitious, offering a model for other communities outside of Israel to follow," said AAUK's Daniella Shaw. "I also appreciated the honesty in raising the challenges posed by the face-to-face meetings," she added after meeting with Shachar Yanai who heads the encounters project bringing some 4000 Arab and Jewish teenagers together. Christian Aid worker Chris Mead who is presently working for the organization in Birmingham, England commented that he attached great importance to the work of Givat Haviva. "Definitely important work – more than that, vital," emphasized Mr. Mead. Although perturbed to see so many young Israelis in army uniform on campus (on a 5 week course studying for matriculation exams not taken or passed before conscription) during their visit, CCJ activist Laura Simpson from London also saw the positive side of the soldiers being on an educational track. "The work of Givat Haviva is gritty, realistic, tough and absolutely essential," Ms. Simpson commented. Although from Germany, Marie-Paloma Krauss is presently working in London with the Anne Frank Trust UK and the Three Faiths Forum, the latter founded in the late 1900's by Sir Sigmund Sternberg, Sheikh Dr. Zaki Badawi and the Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke. "I actually remember reading about Givat Haviva in a German language magazine," said Ms. Krauss. "You are dealing with such interesting but emotional and complicated issues, things that are difficult to speak about. "I hope that you continue to have great support in bringing people of such different backgrounds to meet each other," she added. Founded in 1760, the main representative body of British Jewry is the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Member of the CCJ group visiting Givat Haviva Anna Dautch is the Interfaith Officer of the Board of Deputies and commented that she had been impressed by her visit to the campus and opportunity to meet with staff members.
COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIANS AND JEWS GROUP BY PEACE TREE
The CCJ group, who were due to spend a week in total in Israel and the West Bank, also toured the Wadi Ara region and even though the weather was not exactly in their favor managed to see for themselves parts of Israeli Muslim city of Umm-el-Fahm, the view over the pre-l967 border with Jordan and to present day Jewish settlements in the northern West Bank from the Mei-Ami vantage point – from where they also had a close up view of the security fence running between the Palestinian village of Anin and the Umm-el-Fahm. They also visited the Katzir observation platform where they just got in a view over the divided village of Barta'a and across Israel to the coastline before the rain once more pelted down, but did not dampen their curiosity or high spirits. The tour, guided by a Givat Haviva International Department staff member extremely familiar with the area, also took them close to the Jewish settlement bloc of Shaked, the Reichan military checkpoint in the security fence near East Barta'a and then on the new road down to Harish running parallel with the fence and to Givat Haviva – almost through the back door. "This has been tremendous, I have no words to describe just how marvelous this visit has been," said Ms. Krauss as the group re-boarded their bus after lunch and headed for Jerusalem.
