Monday 26 May 2003

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Today was our only day in Haifa. We began with an overview of the city from one of the promenades on the hill, and then walked over for an overlook of the Bahai Gardens. We then met with Ophir Yarden, an educator who does a lot of work with Israeli Arabs. After a discussion of the situation of Arabs in Israel, we went to visit the Sisters of Nazareth School, an Arab Christian school in Haifa. Haifa has a more mixed population than any other city in Israel, and generally has had good relations between Jews and Arabs. The school we visited was very different than what one would expect from seeing the news in the US. The neighborhood is upper middle class, and the school is beatiful and well equipped in terms of lab and classroom facilities. They even have a TV studio for the communications program. The teachers and students we met with were very friendly, and while they talked about the difficulties they faced being Arabs in Israel, they felt very comfortable in Haifa. Some even spoke of the embarassment and shame they feel when there is a piguah, much as American Jews do when a Jew is involved in some public scandal.

After lunch, we visited the Leo Baeck campus. This is one of the major centers for liberal (Reform) Judaism in Israel. The campus includes a community center, day school, and synagogue. We had a tour and then a discussion with the rabbi about the state of liberal Judaism in Israel.

After our time at Leo Baeck, we departed for Ein Gev, a kibbutz and resort on the east shore of the Kinneret. The only disappointment is that while our rooms all had patios, we did not have a view of the water from our rooms. Well, that and the fact that the sprinklers turned on while we were sitting near the beach for a group discussion ;-)

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