Day 16: Givat Haviva

The MBI chanichimot went to Givat Haviva this morning. Givat Haviva is an institute and non-profit organization that "...aims to build an inclusive, socially cohesive society in Israel by engaging divided communities in collective action towards the advancement of a sustainable, thriving Israeli democracy based on mutual responsibility, civic equality, and a shared vision of the future." One of the main ways they do this is by offering educational programming to visitors, giving them the chance to learn about Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and the complexities of conflict from multiple angles.

When they arrived to Givat Haviva, they heard from a woman named Lydia. A fun fact is that Lydia's grandson is from Habonim Dror United Kingdom and participated in the HDUK's Workshop alongside HDNA's Workshop this past year! The chanichimot looked at maps, learned about borders, as well as how the progression of wars has affected people, their families, and their every day lives. They also heard from a Palestinian citizen of Israel who now lives in a town called Sha'ab, near Haifa. He shared his personal experiences and family history, touching upon his identity, what his every day life is like, and how his family has been affected by conflict - nowadays, his family is scattered all over the world. 

Next, the MBI chanichimot left to go to an area that overlooks the town of Barta'a. Barta'a is split by the Green Line that runs right through the town, so that the Eastern portion is in the West Bank, while the Western portion is in Israel. Because of this division, many families have been split up and separated. There is also limited mobility between the different portions, especially for Palestinians living in its Eastern part, creating challenges for residents' families, businesses, education, and health care accessibility. It was a very interesting day of learning about how the conflict and borders have affected people's every day lives.

Afterwards, they went back to Nordiya, processed the day, and ate dinner. As part of their processing, they discussed the role of education towards peace. Political solutions are necessary and important, but so is the role of education and the choice to be educators. They spoke about holding and acting upon core values that can contribute towards peace, and related these topics to themselves as individuals, as well as to Habonim Dror and the wider Jewish community.

Unfortunately, I do not have photos from today. However, if I am able to gather any, I'll be sure to post them here!