A Heartfelt Encounter

‘Dialogue from the Heart of Confusion’ is warmly received at an evening to mark the book’s launch.

Moving responses to a new publication by Keter/Mandel Foundation were heard at a special evening dedicated to the book’s launch at the Mandel Leadership Institute.

The book ‘Dialogue From The Heart Of Confusion’ records the encounter between twelve Israeli teachers – half of them Russian speaking immigrants, half Israeli veterans, as they met once a week over a year in order to get to know each other beyond the usual stereotypes and to promote a productive discourse in the embroiled relations between cultures in Israel.
 
The mixed audience, including new and old immigrants, native Israelis, teachers, academics, Mandel fellows and graduates was fitting for the launch of a pioneering initiative focused around inter-cultural discourse and activity.

Yael Bar Lev, co-Director with Dr. Daniel Marom of the Visions of Jewish Education Project at the Mandel Leadership Institute facilitated the evening.
“This is one of the books which have widened my world,” she said. “The book and the activity surrounding it enrich me with a different vision, helping me observe the reality in Israel through questions, thoughts and deeds.”

“Reading this book arouses great excitement and leads to new insights we didn’t have previously to understanding “the other”. A great step has been taken here,” said Annette Hochstein, President of Mandel Foundation-Israel. Hochstein, recalling her own experiences as a new immigrant in Israel, praised those involved in the project, and stated that the book provides a dive into the depths of Israeli society.

Various aspects of the books were discussed by guest panelists Mandel faculty member Prof. Moshe Halbertal, of the Hebrew University; MK Yuli Edelstein, Deputy Chair of Knesset and a Mandel graduate; and Iris Wolf, currently a Mandel fellow.

Prof. Halbertal described the book as, “human to the point of tears in its sensitivity, modesty, generosity and patience.”
“The book testifies to changes in society, it shows Israeli society has reached the ability to create listening which didn’t exist before, and in this there is an aspect of repair,” said Halbertal, adding that the book highlights the difference between pluralism and multiculturalism: “The book ‘Dialogue from the Heart of Confusion’ for me was a multicultural experience – where ‘the other’ makes you think about who you are. The multiculturalism of the "other" makes you interpret yourself."

Commenting on chapters in the book which discuss Jewish identity, Halbertal claimed the questions raised are much deeper than those of identity, they are questions of what it is to be human. “From these questions of culture and identity I can learn about what type of person I am,” concluded Halbertal, “We have so much to learn as people from this encounter”.

MK Edelstein agreed that the book awakens questions “within” and drew from a chapter discussing the different kindergarten experiences of the teachers from Shevach-Moffet, which resulted in a discussion of different principles of educators and the purpose of the education system.

Iris Wolf perceived the book from a different angle. Before joining the Mandel Leadership Institute as a fellow, Wolf was principal of  a school in Lod where 30-35% of the student population were new immigrants. She told the audience that school is the natural place where intensive encounters of the kind investigated in the book are created: “Principals in Israeli society do not have the privilege of ignoring this subject,” said Wolf. “You have pioneered a way which is visionary and exciting,” she told the editors of the book, praising them for challenging school principals to initiate discourse.

The evening concluded with ‘I Was Born Here’, a one-man play by actor Vladimir Friedman, which takes a humorous look at the encounter between cultures in Israel. Nonetheless, Bar-Lev stressed:
“We don’t see this book as a book about Russian immigrants or aliya but a book about encounters and how we can have encounters. We see in this book an opening for these encounters and important conversations that need to take place.” The success and value of the book, Bar Lev emphasized, is not in its existence on the bookshelf, but in its potential use to positively affect the education system.

'Dialogue from the Heart of Confusion' edited by Daniel Marom and Micky Miller is published by Mandel Foundation and Keter Books.