10th Anniversary Celebration of “Achvat Amim” – January 10, 2019

On January 10th 2019 the educational and volunteering program “Achvat Amim – Solidarity of Nations” celebrated its fifth anniversary. The program was initiated five years ago, when its directors, Karen Isaacs and Daniel Roth, both educators from the HaShomer HaTzair World Movement, raised a simple yet radical query: How can we build a movement that struggles for peace, justice and self-determination for all people who call Israel and Palestine their homes? Isaacs and Roth decided to start by building an educational program in which participants from all over the world, and from the Jewish diaspora in particular, will live communally for five months in the center of Jerusalem. During this time the participants would learn about the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict through grassroots volunteering and seminar days which will introduce them to a wide range of issues and perspectives. Five years later, it is clear that the program is prominent in the way it connects the study of Jewish tradition, history and values with the struggle for social justice and visions for a peaceful shared existence in Jerusalem and the region.

Achvat Amim has been a long standing partner of the WBC and hosted many seminars and language classes in the Center. Hence, it was our honour to host Achvat Amim’s 10th anniversary celebration, during which the guests – including the current cohort, many alumni and partners from the wider community – reflected on the past years and shared their visions for the years to come. A particular highlight of the evening was the musical performances, which filled the seminar room with warm and joyful singing and guitar playing.