READING ARTICLE ON THE WEB

 

Italian Journalist Giorgio Bernardelli (far right) joins overseas students and David Amitai (Center) in the Peace Library to peruse the Arabic language newspaper collection housed there

 

When Italian journalist Giorgio Bernardelli was commissioned to write a major feature on the Arab citizens of Israel he checked out a number of websites, one of which was that of Common Ground.  It was here that Giorgio read an article published on that website written by Givat Haviva librarian and director of Yad Yaari, David Amitai who wrote about the extensive Arabic language newspaper collection held at Givat Haviva and of how portions were being digitalized – part of the funding coming from UNESCO.

 

Without hesitation Giorgio emailed Givat Haviva asking to visit during his stay in Israel – and so it came to pass as they would have said in yore!

 

The day Giorgio came to call was also the day that 9 students (four from Britain, 4 from the USA and one from Columbia) studying Arabic on the Givat Haviva-MASA Intensive Arabic Semester program were also getting to know the campus by visiting the various departments and meeting members of staff.

 

Giorgio joined the group and visited the Peace Library to see and hear about the Arabic language newspaper collection, visited the Hashomer Hatzair museum and archives and joined the students in a visit to the Moreshet exhibition of the shtetl (market town) of Luboml in Poland, destroyed in the Holocaust.

 

The Italian newspaper and website writer was also taken on a tour of Katzir and the Amir mountain range and enjoyed a tasty lunch in Salach's restaurant in East Barta'a before returning to Givat Haviva for a summary with Givat Haviva spokesperson David Amitai.

 

This was not Giorgio's first visit to Israel, but was his first visit to Givat Haviva.  Knowledgeable about events in the Middle East and having visited a number of countries in the region, Giorgio was a most welcome guest and has promised to spend some more time on campus when he next visits the country.

 

"Givat Haviva is grateful for the opportunity of being able to disseminate the message of multi-ethnic dialogue beyond cultural, religious and geographical boundaries, and having a contributor to the largest daily Catholic newspaper in Italy seen as very positive indeed," commented Givat Haviva spokesperson Amitai, "and we see the visit of this prominent journalist

 

            

Giorgio Bernardelli visiting the Luboml exhibition (left) and in the Hashomer Hatzair movement museum with Dudu Amitai and Arabic language student Danielle Waxtan from America

 

        

The Italian journalist and ceramic instructor Avner Zinger in the Givat Haviva Art Center and Peace Gallery - and on a West Barta'a rooftop with Palestinian Authority controlled East Barta'a in the background

 

Text & Photos: Lydia Aisenberg

February, 2010