Thanks to all the participants

The Hasbara Staff want to thank all the students so much for an incredible trip. We wish you all the best this summer and look forward to working with you all in the fall.

 

Our Shabbas Experience

 

The Air Force Museum outside Be'er Sheva

Tour guide Elliot Chodoff

 

Wednesday
The hype was high as the bus pulled up to the Diaspora Center. 6 guys standing there, sporting their slick shades and boardshorts, all ready to catch the warmth of the Negev. After picking up the women from their hotel we were off to the South. Our first stop was Ein Bokek for a hike through the rich red canyons of the region. We stopped at a nearby spring where the students could cool off. We walked back to the bus and headed off to the Dead Sea. The students bolted right into the warm syrup like water of the Dead Sea, covering themselves with the mineral rich mud. It was great to see the complete relaxation that the sea brings. We proceeded to our hotel at the Ein Gedi kibbutz. The view from the rooms overlooking the Dead Sea were picturesque.

The first session of the afternoon dealt with effective tools for tabling a campaign, event or membership recruitment on campus. The students role played different scenarios that may arise on campus and how to effectively deal with them.

As you know, I love to write about the delicious food that we have. Perhaps deep down inside, I want to be a food critic. The dinner included stir-fry chicken kabab's with a zesty lemon sauce and a bold pepper taste. Lightly buttered vegetables, rice, various fresh salads and breads accompanying to the main course. And for dessert, well I can't remember what dessert was because of the dinner was so good.

In the evening it was a sold out crowd for the film Discordia. The film starts with the large protests at Concordia University in Montreal in which former PM Bibi Netanyahu was unable to speak on campus. The film goes on to show how the Hillel and Palestinian group dealt with the situation and the on going feud between the two sides and the student government.

After the film, the entire group chilled on the outdoor patio overlooking the beach. Over a couple drinks we all talked the night away listening to the sounds of DJ Ben Fef.

A great end, to a great day!

Half Price

Tuesday

At most establishments in North America Tuesday is a universal sign for discount, and the students were really getting a bang for their buck.

Our first class was part 2 of the Rabbi Ken Spiro series. He went through 150 years of history, starting with birth of modern Zionism up through present times. This was done of course with his arsenal of great jokes and quick witt.

This was followed by a Hasbara staff led session called Current Trends. The class talked about how to incorporate the big news makers in the media into campus activism. The Iranian nuclear threat, Hamas' rise to power, and PM Olmert's Convergence Plan are categories that will inevitably be discussed on campus.

After a scrumptious Italian style lunch, Director of Hasbara Fellowships Elliot Mathias taught a session called Why The Jews? The session identifies and explains the difference between excuses for Anti-Semitism and real reasons behind Anti-Semitism .

After a lot of sitting in the class it was time for some exercise. The Fellows embarked on a historical walk of the Old City. Led by our tour guide Esti Hershkowitz, the group learned, saw and in some cases touched pieces of history. The tour concluded with a magnificent panoramic view of the Old city.

In the evening the red carpet was rolled out for Palestinian journalist Khaled Abu Toameh. Khaled is a freelance journalist working for the Jerusalem Post, reporting on Palestinian affairs. He stressed the internal conflict that is brewing within Palestinian society and the lack of a real partner for peace.

To cap off the evening, our Fellows flexed their muscles in a session of Krav Maga. Led by Moshe Katz, students learned unique self-defense techniques used by the Israeli Defense Force.

The leaders of today meet the leaders of the future

Monday started off with unseanonably warm weather, a sign of good things to come. The students had the morning off which meant a sleep-in for some or morning walk around the old city for others.

The first session was Defeating Anti-Israel Propaganda led by the Hasbara Fellowships staff. On many campuses such events as "apparthied week" and mock checkpoints are being used on campus to defamate Israel. The students learned to see such propaganda as an opportunity not a defeat. Scenarios were played out on how to approach such exhibits and deliver an effective message.

After lunch we departed for the Knesset to hear Kadima MK Marina Solodkin. She talked about her involvement on women's rights committees and her work to help the absortion of Russian immigrants in the 1990s. She also talked about her dissent within the party and her recent vote patterns.

The night was capped off with a sneak preview of the unreleased film Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. The film, made by Honest Reporting, postulates that terrorism around the world is not unconnected but rather part of growing war of radical Islamists against the entire Western system of beliefs.

Getting back into gear

Everyone was well rested upon their return from their Shabbat weekend visiting friends and family.

The festivities kicked off with Rabbi and historian Ken Spiro who, with the help of a lot of coffee, went through the history of the land of Israel in 90 minutes. He was followed by Jessica Montell of B'Tselem which is an IDF monitoring organization. She spoke about military violations in the West Bank and the need to return to the 1967 borders.

In the afternoon the Hasbara staff led a brainstorming session on shared values and being united against terror. The second one was an Everyday Activism Session on how to plan and run an event.

Our final speaker of the evening had the crowd laughing more than a comedy club. Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post talked about the Kadima party and the new political landscape. He used very animated anecdotes about his recent trip to London and Paris with PM Ehud Olmert.

 

 
 
 
  

The final events from our trip to the north

Since the last time we spoke much has happened on the Hasbara trip.

On Thursday the 15th of June, the students woke up early from a long night of singing their hearts away.

We got on the bus and headed further north stopping at Mitzpe Gadol where our tour guide Yisrael Ne'eman taught an overview of the 6 Day War. The second stop was to the Valley of Tears where a session on the Yom Kippur War was led while recounting the miracles that took place there.

After a picnic lunch we embarked on our final stop at Metulla. The students were able to get a close look at the Lebanese border while Yisrael went over the history of Lebanon, its 15 year civil war and its war against Israel.

We then drove back to Tel Aviv where we stayed at the beautiful Grand Beach Hotel. After another delicious dinner, the Hasbara Staff led an Everyday Activism Session on how to organize your Israel group and build future leadership.

Right after breakfast, the students heard from Shachar Zahavi from IsraAID who discussed the vast amounts of humanitarian aid Israel provides around the world.

And finally we checked out and the students were off to enjoy their free Shabbat weekend.

 

 

Comments, Comments, Comments

Below each posting you have the ability to post comments. Feel free to post comments about the blog or the trip. I will try to respond to your questions or comments as soon as I can.

And you can be sure that all the students are wearing sunscreen, drinking plenty of water and eating great food.

Away to the North We Go

The day started bright and early since we were headed on our first of three overnights during the trip. For the duration of the next two days we had the pleasure of having Yisrael Ne'eman, also known as the “human encyclopedia”, as our tour guide.

We stopped at many strategic sites assessing the issue of the security barrier and its implications from being on the east or west side of the Green Line. The students were able to see the difference between the fence part of the barrier and the concrete part. From safe overlooks, the students could see deep into the West Bank, at both Jewish settlements and Arab villages.

That evening we checked into Kibbutz Lavi for the evening. Dinner at the kibbutz was impeccable. Slow roasted barbecue chicken, herb and garlic potatoes, a plethora of fresh salads and breads made dinner worthy of being in this blog. And of course we can't forget Israeli coffee, or should I say cafe a fouk.

In the evening the HonestReporting's film Relentless: Israel's Struggle for Peace in the Middle East was shown. The film evoked a very emotional response from the group which set the stage for a profound discussion afterwards. First we analyzed the film from an emotional standpoint and after from an intellectual perspective.

Even though the formal discussion had ended, the students were still talking about the movie throughout the night. The rest of the evening was spent taking in the warm night of the Galilee, listening to everyone's new favorite musician Matisyahu and sharing stories about their campus'.

 

 

 

The Start of Great Things to Come

Monday night at 8:30 local time, 18 students from across North America arrived to see the majestic sunset at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The students were taken to the Old City for dinner and orientation followed by checking-in to their new homes for the next 2 weeks.

Day 2 kicked off with the “Communicating for Israel” session led by managing director of Hasbara Fellowships, Natalie Menaged. She discussed the differences between education and public relations and how each is effective in its own way, to its own audience. She also taught the students a 6 point advocacy model that helps one control the issues of a debate and re frame the argument to cater towards your audience and message.

Following that session, Hasbara Fellowships staff, Ben Feferman, Natalie Weiss and Jonathan Cohen, taught a session on role-playing. They debated the issues in what became a heated and tense debate. Afterwards, the dialog was broken down point by point, analyzed and evaluated for its effectiveness.

After lunch the students took a tour of Jerusalem City Hall. The center has a miniature model of a significant part of the city and also has one of the best panoramic views of Jerusalem.
Upon returning to the Old City, the students heard from Nonie Darwish who is the daughter of a martyr. She talked about growing up in Egypt and the incitement of hate in her school and how she was able to overcome the falsities of her education.

Finally after dinner, Hasbara students had the pleasure of hearing National Union MK Aryeh Eldad. He spoke out against the current plan for settlement withdrawal due to the inability to defend the 1967 borders.

Day 2 was certainly jam packed with information, so at the end of the day the students took their energy and enthusiasm to the infamous Ben Yeheuda street for a group night out on the town. Sleep tight Hasbara Fellows, you will need it tomorrow.

some pretty pictures...

 

Hasbara Fellows... we are waiting for you

Today I stopped at the Diaspora Center where the men will be sleeping. Just doing a routine check, making sure everything was upto par. It was quite the downer to see the room so empty and quiet. No intense conversations about settlements, discussions of the days speakers, or just a little guitar jam in the courtyard.

I stopped by the classrooms as well. Again, no emotional questions about the Iranian nuclear threat, no heated debate on the sucess or failure of disengagment. It was only silence.

Monday evening, 18 students from North American will make the long and exhausting trip to Israel. You will be flying El Al airlines. You might even receive a bad meal on the plane. The movies on the plane will probably be ones you've seen before or wouldn't even concieve of seeing, but you will watch them anyway because you are on a long airplane. BUT! It will all be worth it.

Get ready for intensity. Get ready for passion. Get ready for Hasbara Fellowhsips!!