The Miracle of the Lights in the Desert

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„It’s a miracle that we are all gathered here“, said one of the participants in the “Lights in the Desert“ events. People from all over the area gathered in a Bedouin tent in the desert, to light beautiful Hanukkah menorahs on the last day of the Jewish holiday of light. We decorated Sufganiyot – the traditional Hanukkah donuts – and grew quite spacy and imaginative in a UV-light meditation-painting workshop. Whether in the campfire or while watching the sunrise over the Dead Sea, people got to know each other across all borders.

Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday commemorating the restoration of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt, which took place during the 2nd century BCE. It is also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrating the miracle of the one-day supply of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days and kept the Temple Menorah lit. For this reason, Jews celebrate this eight-day holiday by lightning one more candle each day on the nine-branched candelabrum  called Hanukkiah.

We drove deep into the Judean Desert in the southern West Bank, where we were welcomed by a local Bedouin family with tea and coffee. The round of introductions revealed the impressive variety of participants’ origins, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Herzeliya, Akko, Baka Al Gharbiya, Yarka, Ramallah, Jericho, Gaza, Bethlehem, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Russia, Spain, India, Australia, Argentina and Japan.

This event, initiated by Holy Local Aliens and supported by the WBC, enabled a group of Israelis, Palestinians and internationals to celebrate Hanukkah together, meet each other and get acquainted with the Bedouin community that hosted us. Many of the participants brought their own hanukkiahs, some very classic, others very creative. After some explanations of the history and meaning of the holiday, we lit the candles together while singing songs and enjoying the lights in the dark.

After eating a vegan version of a typical Bedouin dish called Zarb, which is made of vegetables that areroasted underground , we split into different groups. One group decorated the Sufganiyot,  another was learning about the stars and planets that could be seen in the desert, and the last group participated in a UV-light meditation workshop, painting with UV-colors while listening to relaxing music. The participants shared their work and reflected their thoughts, individually and in couples.

Early the next morning we woke up before sunrise and drove with jeeps through the desert towards a cliff above to Dead Sea, to enjoy the sun rising over the mountains on Jordan. While having a Bedouin breakfast and hot tea, the group had plenty of time to talk, discuss and exchange.

Participatory City Tour: Jerusalem, Europe and Me

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This city tour, organized jointly by WBC and Holy Local Aliens, had neither a single guide nor a pre-determined route. It was created by its participants, who were asked to suggest places and sights connected to Europe. The twenty participants gathered on October 30th at the YMCA, opposite of the famous King David Hotel. These two locations where the first out of eleven places along the route through the Old City, Nevi’im Street, Me’a She’arim, the City Center and Nachlaot.

Ten of the participants presented to us the locations they have chosen and explained their historical, cultural and personal backgrounds, as well as the reasons they relate these places to Europe. The history of the Jaffa Gate area reflects European Influence – from Roman times up until the 20th century. The New Imperial Hotel right behind Jaffa Gate is located where one of the tenth Roman Legion was based; a column with a Roman inscription can still be seen in the courtyard. In 1898, Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Jerusalem and stayed at the Grand Hotel with his wife Augusta Viktoria. European banks, tourist agencies and post offices were located in the vicinity of the gate. After the British took charge of Jerusalem on December 9th 1917, General Allenby walked through the Jaffa Gate.

Right behind Jaffa Gate is the Armenian Quarter, where the participants where welcomed by Malkon, an Armenian resident of the Old City. He explained about the European origin of the Armenian people, their religious history and the genocide they were subjected to in 1915. He also invited us to this home, where we had snacks and personal conversations.

We left the Old City through Damascus Gate and stopped at the German Schmidt School before we walked down the most European and international street in Jerusalem: HaNevi’im, the Street of the Prophets. As Jerusalem expanded outside its walls during the mid-19th century, HaNevi’im Street became home to consulates, hospitals and hospices, as well as notable private homes such as the Tabor House, which was built in 1882 by German archaeologist, missionary and architect Conrad Schick.

Ruth, one of the participants, introduced us the first European Jewish Hotel in Jerusalem: Hotel Kaminitz, hidden in a backyard near Davidka Square. Apart from a few spooky stories, the hotel is also known for Theodor Herzl’s one-night stay in 1898; as the Kaiser’s entourage had taken up every available guest room, Herzl had no choice but to spend the night in the corridor of the hotel.

At a Russian grocery shop near Mahane Yehuda Market, Sasha, another participant, introduced us to post-soviet shopping culture. For many immigrants from the former Soviet Union, this weekly shopping trip connects them to their past, with shelves stocked with dried mushrooms, Russian beer and sweets, and even pork sausages in the fridge. The last stop on the tour was the Greek synagogue in the Greek neighborhood of Nachlaot.

The participatory tour formed new connections between its participants. They changed their roles during the tour, from a speaker to a listener and vice versa. By sharing oral history, people did not only connect to the places and sights, but also to each other. The participants shared, networked, discussed and exchanged. This also allowed underrepresented narratives to surface and challenge the dominant discourse which shapes places and the city.

 

The Current Situation in Lesbos and the International School of Peace

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An Online Talk on the situation of refugees living in Lesbos and the International School for Peace on October 19th 2020.

In this online event on the situation of refugees in Lesbos, two coordinators of the schools shared their first-hand experience responding to the crises after the burning of Moria camp in September 2020, their work in Lesbos, and the current challenges the community encounters.
Both spent the last weeks in Lesbos, working in the International School of Peace. The school for refugee children in the Isle of Lesbos was founded in 2017 as a collaboration between our HaShomer HaTzair and Ajyal movement, both partners of the Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem’s educational team. The school is part of the One Happy Family Community Center, a close partner since its inception.
In March 2020, just before the Corona crisis hit the world, the International Peace School burnt down. Until they could find a new place for the school, the organizers provisionally set up tents next to Moria camp, to organize classes and games for the refugee children in Moria. In September 2020, another fire broke out in Moria camp and almost completely destroyed the home of over 13,000 refugees.
Since the fires in September, the International School of Peace team is staying on the island and acts as part of the coalition of organizations that strive to assist those in need in the midst of this chaos. The staff takes part in the humanitarian aid efforts, handing out food and water, and at the same time continues to educate for peace. In this online talk, they gave insights into the current situation and development regarding Covid-19 and the activities that were still carried on during the lockdown.
You can support the International School of Peace in their efforts to continue their journey with passionate students and teachers that are eager to learn together, train teachers and build a new school, by donating here:
https://secured.israelgives.org/donate/schoolofpeace

Update:
Since our October event on the situation in Moria , the refugees’ living conditions have deteriorated drastically. Our support & solidarity is needed more than ever.

Es geht nicht um Schuld, sondern um Verantwortung.

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50 Jahre Kniefall von Warschau: Interview mit Nitzan Menagem

Am 7. Dezember 1970 kniete Willy Brandt am Ehrenmal für die Toten des Warschauer Ghettos nieder. Schweigend verharrte der deutsche Kanzler eine halbe Minute und drückte so seine Bitte um Vergebung für die deutschen Verbrechen des Zweiten Weltkriegs aus. Später erklärte Brandt:

„Wo, wenn nicht dort, wo das Warschauer Ghetto stand, wäre für einen deutschen Bundeskanzler der Platz, die Last der Verantwortung zu spüren und Schuld abzutragen!“

Die Erinnerung an den millionenfachen Mord an den Juden Europas präge besonders die deutsch-israelischen Beziehungen, so Brandt. Niemand dürfe das Lebensrecht des Staates Israels in Frage stellen.

2020 jährt sich Willy Brandts Kniefall zum 50. Mal. Anlass für uns eine israelische Partnerin von Hashomer Hatzair nach der Bedeutung der Geste und ihrer Relevanz heute zu fragen.

Zum 50. Mal jährt sich Willy Brandts Kniefall von Warschau und seine Bitte um Vergebung deutscher Verbrechen an Jüdinnen und Juden. Was bedeutet der Kniefall für dich?

Willy Brandts Kniefall hat eine große Symbolik. Brandt war selbst Antifaschist, der als Widerstandskämpfer aus Nazi-Deutschland fliehen musste. Er machte diese Geste, um zu zeigen, dass er als Kanzler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Verantwortung übernimmt. Und das obwohl er selbst keine Schuld auf sich geladen hatte. Nach jahrelangen Begegnungen mit Gruppen antifaschistischer Aktivist*innen von Jusos und den Falken verstehe ich, wie wichtig es ist, einen solchen Standpunkt einzunehmen: Es geht nicht um Schuld, sondern um Verantwortung. Furchtlos daran zu arbeiten, dass so etwas nie wieder passiert, niemandem. Brandt hat das Verantwortungsvolle getan, indem er niederkniete. Nicht nur, um sein Bedauern und seine Trauer über diese schrecklichste Tragödie der modernen Zeit zu zeigen, sondern auch, um zu sagen: wir sind verantwortlich und wir werden alles in unserer Macht Stehende tun, um anders zu handeln. Brandt hat die Verantwortung übernommen, die aus den Gräueltaten der Nationalsozialisten folgte.

Du arbeitest für Hashomer Hatzair Deutschland. Was ist das für eine Organisation und was hat Hashomer Hatzair mit dem Warschauer Ghetto zu tun?

Hashomer Hatzair Deutschland wurde 2012 nach 74 Jahren wieder gegründet. Wir sind eine säkulare, aber dennoch jüdische Jugendbewegung, die Teil einer internationalen, sozialistischen und feministischen Organisation ist. Wir arbeiten daran, die pluralistische Gemeinschaft als Gruppe zu verbinden und zu stärken, für die Anerkennung des Judentums als eine gemeinsame Kultur und Geschichte. Die Jugendbewegung wurde 1913 in Galizien (Polen) gegründet und hatte vor dem Zweiten Weltkrieg weltweit 70.000 Mitglieder. Vor dem Holocaust war Ken Warschau, der Ortsverband von Hashomer Hatzair in Warschau,  der größte weltweit.

Als ich in meiner Jugend über den Holocaust lernte, wurde Warschau immer als ein besonderer Ort diskutiert. Hier fand 1943 der Aufstand im Warschauer Ghetto statt. Mordechaj Anielewicz, der Leiter des Warschauer Ortverbands von Hashomer Hatzair, wurde Leiter der jüdischen Widerstandsorganisation und einer der Anführer des Aufstands. Zusammen mit weiteren Mitgliedern von Hashomer Hatzair, wie Tosia Altman. Im Rückblick auf den Schrecken jener Zeit, auf die Lage, in der sich die Jüdinnen und Juden und andere Opfer der Nazis befanden, war diese Art von Widerstand alles andere als selbstverständlich. Man brauchte Verbündete, mit denen man kooperieren konne und Menschen, die bereit waren ein Risiko auf sich zu nehmen und nicht nur passiv zuschauten. Man musste „tapfer und mutig“ sein, aber man musste auch verstehen, dass es keinen anderen Weg gibt. „Tapfer und mutig“ ist bis heute das Motto unserer Organisation.

Ich bin stolz darauf, zusammen mit meinen Genoss*innen in die Fußstapfen vieler mutiger Menschen unserer Bewegung zu treten – ausgerechnet in Deutschland. Polen war vor dem Krieg der Ort, an dem unsere Bewegung am größten war. Heute kämpft Hashomer Hatzair dort mit der immer kleine werdenden jüdischen Gemeinde. Aber auch mit der Zunahme von Rechtsextremismus und Antisemitismus.

Wir sind entschlossen, dem Beispiel unser Mitglieder in der Vergangenheit zu folgen und den Faschismus zu bekämpfen, wo immer er auftaucht: Es geht nicht nur darum, dass der Antisemitismus überall dort aufsteigt, wo Rechtsextremismus erlaubt ist – es geht um die Freiheit eines jeden einzelnen und darum, die Freiheiten die wie jetzt haben zu reflektieren.

Hashomer Hatzair ist auch eine der Partnerorganisationen des Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem (WBC). Was bedeutet für dich die Verbindung von Hashomer Hatzair, WBC und Willy Brandt?

Willy Brandt glaubte an Frieden und es ist kein Zufall, dass das Projekt in Jerusalem nach ihm benannt wurde. Seit 1996 ist das Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem ein wichtiges Projekt, das israelischen und palästinensischen Aktivist*Innen die Möglichkeit gibt, sich zu treffen und auszutauschen. Für alle Menschen, die vor Ort für den Frieden kämpfen, ist dieser Konflikt und alle seine Auswirkungen ermüdend und oft kann man die Hoffnung verlieren und ausbrennen. Aus meiner Erfahrung versteht man nur durch die Begegnung mit „der anderen Seite“ wirklich, dass letztendlich jede*r das Gleiche will: in Frieden zu leben. Nur so kann man die Hoffnung zurückgewinnen und verstehen, dass man ein Teil eines größeren Kampfes ist. Bei gemeinsamen Treffen kommen Menschen nicht zufällig zusammen. Es treffen sich jene, die gemeinsame Werte teilen und unermüdlich daran arbeiten, unsere Gesellschaften und Realitäten besser zu machen. Sowohl mit pädagogischen, als auch mit politischen Mitteln. Auch wenn der Name etwas anderes impliziert, geht es bei diesem Projekt nicht um die Wünsche der deutschen Partner*innen. Sie sind da, um diesen Dialog zu ermöglichen. Es geht darum, die Menschen einfach miteinander sprechen zu lassen, einander verstehen zu lassen, wie sie es ständig tun wollen und gemeinsam an einer andere Realität zu arbeiten. Wie Willy sagte: wir wollen mehr Demokratie wagen – auch im Nahen Osten.

„Wandel durch Annäherung“, war das Motto von Willy Brandts Ostpolitik, die durch den Kniefall von Warschau eine neue Grundlage bekommen hat. Wandel durch Annäherung ist auch ein Arbeitsansatz des WBCs. Können wir heute noch von den Ansätzen Willy Brandts lernen?

Natürlich können wir das. Ich bin eine Anhängerin der Bildungsarbeit, die die harten Fragen über die Gesellschaft stellt, in der wir leben. Warum die Dinge so funktionieren, wie sie funktionieren, warum es überhaupt noch Konflikte gibt. Symbolische Handlungen waren nie genug, um die Realität zu verändern, aber kritische Bildungsarbeit schon.

Du kommst aus Israel und hast dort lange mit und im WBC gearbeitet. Welchen Rolle spielt Willy Brandt für deine Arbeit dort?

Willy Brandt ist für mich in erster Linie mit dem WBC und seinen Werten verbunden. Ich lernte Willy Brandt und seine Ansätze, durch die gemeinsame Arbeit dort kennen. Als junge Aktivistin in Jerusalem wurde ich 2008 im WBC aktiv. Seitdem bin ich an der Arbeit zur Beendigung des israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikts beteiligt. Zu Beginn hatte ich aber nicht die Gelegenheit, jemanden von „der anderen Seite“ kennen zu lernen. Internationals können sich zwischen Israel und Palästina relativ frei bewegen. Aber die Menschen, die dort leben nicht. Erst als ich nach Jerusalem zog und im WBC aktiv wurde, hatte ich die Chance, diesen politischen Dialog zu führen. Wir hatten nicht vor, Freund*innen zu werden, aber der Respekt, die gegenseitige Anerkennung und das Verständnis erlaubten es uns, Erfahrungen auszutauschen und uns gegenseitig zu unterstützen. Seltsamerweise war es einfacher, sich in Deutschland als in der Region zu treffen. Unsere deutschen Partner*innen haben besondere historische Beziehungen und ein großes Interesse an Israel. Aber diese besonderen Beziehungen ermöglichen auch einen wirklich einzigartigen Austausch zwischen Aktivist*innen, von dem alle Parteien – Israelis, Palästinenser*innen und Deutsche – gleichermaßen viel lernen könnten. Über Frieden, Demokratie und darüber, was unseren Realitäten noch von diesen Zielen trennt.

Zur Person:

Nitzan Menagem ist Vorsitzende von Hashomer Hatzair Deutschland. Seit 2008 ist Nitzan am Friedensprojekt Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem beteiligt, wo sie als Projektkoordinatorin im politischen Team und später im Kommunikations- und Projektmanagement in Berlin tätig war. Sie arbeitet als Projektleiterin, Referentin und Trainerin freiberuflich bei verschiedenen Organisationen.

Interview von Onno Mengdehl und Tobias Pietsch

Foto: Sven Simon

Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS) Online Seminar

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Corona, Economy, Unions: The Effects of the Pandemic on Israel

 

For our partners from the Hans Böckler Foundation, we hosted and organized an online seminar titled “Corona, Economy, Unions: The Effects of the Pandemic on Israel”. Usually we would have hosted the annual study trip of the Hans Böckler Foundation, which of course had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, in order to stay in touch with our partners and learn about the current situation, we organized a digital alternative. The first part was an overview given by Tobias Pietsch, WBC’s Project Manager, on the general situation in Israel which these days is affected by by the Corona-crisis, the protest against the government and Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as the normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

During the second part, the 65 participants had the chance to discuss with the panelists and ask their questions. Dr. Roby Nathanson, CEO of MACRO – The Center for Political Economics, criticized the government for not including economic measures in its crisis management, and provided detailed data on how the pandemic is affecting Israel’s economy and labor market. Bernhard Schulz, Head of Labor and Social Affairs at the German Embassy Tel Aviv, explained his perspective on the crisis management and how it effects his personal and professional life. Peter Lerner, Head of the International Relations Division of the Histadrut, highlighted the import role of unions in this crisis. He described how the Histadrut managed to save jobs and ensured safety and security for workers.

(16. September 2020)

 

A Scary Good Time at the Willy Brandt Center

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Spooky stories and secret tales of Jerusalem

On Saturday afternoon, September 12th, we invited the children of the Abu Tor neighborhood for a special program in our garden. Five young artists of the Ibtisamet Maqdisi Band from Jerusalem prepared for our small audience different plays, dance games, face painting and crafting workshops, as well as a theatrical performance of special ghost stories. The children were then surprised by a delicious artisanal cake in the form of a white ghost, made especially for the event by Francis, a talented pâtissier from Bethlehem.

Later that day and on the following evening, we turned the garden at the Willy Brandt Center into an open-air cinema with a big outdoor screen, popcorn and candlelight. As an introduction to our “Scary Evening”, we were excited to present the results of our research and offer our audience a selection of captivating spooky stories and secret tales of Jerusalem, many of which were hidden and discovered in archives. After the reading, the audience watched the screening of the legendary movie “Phantom of the Opera” from 1925, accompanied by Maria Neishtadt’s live music on the electronic organ. Both artist and audience truly enjoyed the rare chance to experience an artistic live performance during these times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
(12-13 September 2020)

 

 

 

 

 

The Anthropological View on Gender, Sexuality and Religion

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An Online Lecture by Dr. Elazar Ben-Lulu on the Anthropological View on Gender, Sexuality and Religion: Intersections, Challenges and Contradictions – 29 August 2020

 

In his online lecture on gender, sexuality and religion, Dr. Elazar Ben-Lulu from Ben Gurion University gave insights into his research exploring religious rituals, and invited us to think about social values, cultural norms and human behaviors.

Dr. Ben-Lulu explained that when we look at worshipper’s religious performances, we realize how much our body is a dominant actor in spiritual and religious experiences: by standing, sitting, touching or clapping, as well as other physical gestures, we deliver symbolic messages regarding God or community. Thus, the positionality of the body in the ritual structure is intersected with gender and sexualities matters.

Throughout history, gender and sexual issues such as homosexuality or sexual harassment were excluded from the religious sphere and discourse. Today, however, diverse liberal religious communities around the world invite members to celebrate their sexualities or other gender and bodily experiences. In this contemporary postmodern era, people have the opportunity to reconnect to their body and sexuality by using sacred texts, material objects and political items.

Feminist, LGBT and queer calls challenge the patriarchal realm and expose creative means to renew traditional customs, and create new ones. This egalitarian mission, which has crossed boundaries, cultures and societies, sheds light on religion as a social construction, and discovers new attitudes toward our own body as well as „other“ bodies.

Dr. Ben-Lulu’s lecture was accompanied by texts, photos and video materials, and raised questions by the online audience about the relevance of rituals in today’s daily life, with a special focus on the latest developments in Israel.

 

New Bridges in Times of Isolation

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Development of a new interactive and interdisciplinary artistic program

 

Corona forces everybody to plan and work differently – also those working as artists or organizers of cultural projects. Despite all difficulties, we were lucky to find out that this challenging situation also offers a lot of positive effects: new creative concepts, new spaces and new encounters.

The Willy Brandt Center currently works on the development of a new interactive and interdisciplinary artistic program, connecting elements from the fields of dance, music, theatre and circus. This program is designed to reach out to institutions such as retirement homes, orphanages and homes for children with disabilities in Israel and the Westbank – which are at risk of being further distanced from their society due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As an overture to this new program, we organized two artistic performances for the residents of the House Jemima, a home for Palestinian children and young adults with special needs and different types and stages of disabilities, located in the village of Beit Jala, next to Bethlehem.

Precautions against Covid-19 requested a very careful approach in order to guarantee the safety of the performers and their audience, including the usage of masks and gloves, as well as setting up in an airy outdoor area for a limited number of 20 residents.

The program kicked off with a performance of the Palestinian accordionist Mohammad Qutati from Ramallah, who played accordion arrangements for traditional Arabic songs, inviting the audience to actively participate by singing, clapping and dancing. The second half of the program was presented by the ensemble „Mini Clown Official”, consisting of three young Palestinian artists from Bethlehem who prepared an interactive theatre, song and dance performance.

We were extremely touched by the very warm welcome, the joyful and enthusiastic ambiance, and the kind feedback that we received from the residents and their caretakers at House Yemima, and are looking forward to many more happy human encounters.

 

 

click on of the images below to open the gallery (Photos (c) Iuna Viera):

 

 

 

Study Day Givat Haviva

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Studying Jerusalem with Students from the Givat Haviva International School

 

While most of the international students of Givat Haviva International School (GHIS) had to return to their home countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to organize a study day for the remaining students. In order to learn about history, cultures, religions and narratives, we began our tour on the Mount of Olives. The group included Muslims, Jews and Christians from all over the world, many of them visiting Jerusalem for the first time. During our visit to churches, mosques and synagogues, we collected the stories of the various locations, their meaning and connections to the different religions. In the lush green garden of the Austrian Hospice, we tasted some delicious pastries and coffee before enjoying the amazing view from the rooftop. In Abu Tor and at the Willy Brandt Center, we focused on the mixed neighborhood and cross-border encounters, which also sparked a discussion on the interactions in the International School.