Twelve pupils from the Feldberg and Hochtaunus schools return from a youth exchange with Arab and Jewish Israelis from Gilboa.
How long do young Israelis have to serve in the military? What consequences does the visit to Yad Vashem have for you personally? Describe actual or perceived differences between Jewish and Arab schools in the Gilboa district!
These and other questions were included in the daily homework assignments, which were to be answered together with the host families or through their own reflections. The twelve pupils from Hochtaunusschule and Feldbergschule spent a week in Gilboa, the Israeli partner district of Hochtaunuskreis. They stayed in Arab and Jewish villages in the Gilboa region with their exchange partners, who had hosted them at their homes in October 2012. “The direct contact through activities and living with the locals is the most valuable aspect of this trip for me,” says Josephina (19), ”I want to give my children experiences like this later on.”
The fact that these experiences were not always easy was not only demonstrated by the students‘ experiences in the host country itself: “Back in October 2012, when our Israeli friends were in the Taunus for ten days on our national holiday, we got a first impression of how great the current challenges are that the joint coexistence of Arab and Jewish Israelis entails. Following on from the fall of the German-German wall, they discussed the role of the wall that separates Israelis and Palestinians. It was a shame that when things got heated, they switched to Hebrew and we no longer understood anything.” In Israel, the young people visited the Yad Vashem memorial on their first day, Holocaust Remembrance Day. “It reminds us once again of the responsibility we have as Germans that dealing with minorities must never become discrimination, regardless of aspects such as religion or origin,” says Laura (19).
A visit to a Jewish school the following day leads to an open exchange of ideas. “Two years of military service for women and three years for men – we think that’s almost a waste of time,” confesses pupil Enes (18) openly, eliciting incomprehension from the Israeli youngsters, for whom this ‘service to the homeland’ obviously cannot be questioned. Conversely, the German pupils cannot understand that Arab and Jewish Israelis (with very few exceptions) are not (allowed or able to) attend the same schools. “I wasn’t convinced by one Israeli pupil’s explanation that they are ’simply different‘ because of their religion,” explains Sophia (18), receiving nods of agreement from her classmates. She thinks it’s good that her classmate Enes pointed out during the discussion that, as a Muslim, he naturally studies at schools where religious affiliation doesn’t play a role.
Anne Schupp, who accompanied the Hochtaunus district, was deeply impressed by the curiosity, openness and open-mindedness with which the young people engaged with the political debate on the Holocaust and current issues: “We had in-depth discussions during our visit to three schools in the district. Questions about the Holocaust were raised, as was how to deal with military service or the incomprehensible separation of Arab and Jewish schools for German pupils,” she reports. She sees the main reason for the depth of the encounters in the thorough preparation of the exchange. The young Israelis met several times with their supervisors Schmulik and Devorah, while the Germans met several times with the responsible representatives of the Hochtaunus district and teacher Heiko Rohde.
Dealing with the role of nationality, religion and tradition poses a particular challenge not only for the pupils, but also for those accompanying them: “I myself have learned to look at many things from different angles,” admits delegation leader Anja Auth, Chairwoman of the Gilboa Committee of the Hochtaunus district. “As important as the three aspects of nationality, religion and tradition may be, they lead to tensions between the population groups in the example of Israel. The Israeli and German young people have recognized that differences enrich instead,” says teacher Heiko Rohde with satisfaction. “A dream has come true,” confirms Israeli youth worker Schmulig, who is accompanying the exchange program for the fifth time. The pupils at both schools in Oberursel want to pass on the lessons they have learned in practice to their classmates in politics, German or ethics lessons and encourage them to discuss them. “We will also definitely keep in touch with our local friends on a private level and go there again,” emphasizes Enes (19). And Anja Auth is already looking forward to the next youth exchange.
„A dream has come true“ says Schmulig and joins the other supervisors in celebrating the successful conclusion of the youth exchange between Gilboa and the Hochtaunus district in 2012/13.
Von links nach rechts: Schmuli (Gilboa), Anja Auth (Hochtaunuskreis), Heiko Rohde (Feldbergschule), Dvorah (Gilboa)
und Anja Schupp (Hochtaunuskreis)
On the occasion of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, the pupils from the Hochtaunus district also meet the district administrator of Gilboa Dani Atar (center).
also meet the district administrator of Gilboa Dani Atar (center)
Further program items:
- Visit to a kindergarten festival in the Gilboa district
- Visit to the Arab home village of two host families with dance and cultural performances
- Visit to the old port city of Accra
- Visit to a kibbutz
- Day trip to Nazareth
- Day with the host families
For further information please contact
Anja Auth, Hochtaunuskreis; 06172-9999111
Heiko Rohde, Feldbergschule; 0170-4728439