Grapevine January 21, 2024: Correcting misconceptions

Ordinarily, members of the audience at the screening of a documentary film may receive a brochure detailing the background to the film and the organization, production company, and director who made it, but rarely do they receive a gift that is both usable and ornamental. Yet everyone in the audience at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem last week received an ornamental coffee cup which was made by the Arab company Abushakar, plus a NIS 10 Israeli chocolate coin encased in gold foil. It was more than a souvenir. It was a lesson in coexistence.

But even more than that, it was a lesson in how easily people become victims of misconceptions. The coffee cup is typical of those used throughout the Middle East. In the vernacular of the region, it is called a finjan. You might argue, a finjan is a small coffee pot in which what is often referred to as “Turkish coffee” is brewed.

When it was pointed out to a leading Israeli company that manufactures these coffee pots that it had been wrongly labeled, they were told that the company was aware of this, but because it is known so widely as a finjan in Israeli society, they saw no reason to correct the misconception.

The story is one of many that illustrate the challenges of changing false narratives. Not only Israel, but the whole region is bursting with false narratives. Some of them are obvious and others, like the finjan, are not because they have been repeated so often.

The coffee cup was used as an example after the screening of The Seam Line, a five-part documentary series conceived by Avi Melamed, a fourth-generation Jerusalemite, who is an educator, Middle East expert, and former intelligence official and advisor on Arab affairs during the Intifada – one of the most violent chapters in the city’s history.

An erudite speaker fluent of Hebrew, Arabic, and English, Melamed is the founder of Inside The Middle East and is familiar with a period in which Jerusalem was a model of coexistence, a time he would dearly love to restore.

Melamed has interviewed hundreds of Jews and Arabs to learn of their perspectives, and often these conversations have taken place over coffee served in a cup such as the one now in the homes of all the members of the audience who viewed the fascinating documentary.

Drinking thick coffee is a rich cultural and emotional experience in Arab society. Melamed believes that if Arabs and Jews have discussions with each other over coffee on a regular basis, they will learn to understand each other better and correct long-held misconceptions on both sides.

In addition to the film, he gave a short address, repeating some of the narration. The most important thing he said was: “Where a fence can be built, a bridge is also possible.”

■ TO MARK the end of the 30-day mourning period for Avraham Avihai, former world chairman of Keren Hayesod last week held a memorial tribute in which one of his grandsons and people who had worked with Avihai, not only in Keren Hayesod but in various other organizations and institutions, came together to share memories of a truly remarkable man. Current Keren Hayesod World Chairman Sam Grundwerg said that just before taking office five years ago, he sought out various past members of the Keren Hayesod leadership to learn more about its history and achievements. He had never anticipated, when he met Avihai, that they would form such a close bond and that Avihai would become his friend and mentor. 

Meron Mezini, recruited by Avihai to work at the institution – where he remained for 17 years - having worked with him in government, academia, and other spheres, spoke of Avihai’s tremendous knowledge of Jewish history and Judaism, and his sense of inclusiveness by getting the overseas leadership of Keren Hayesod involved in its activities, rather than merely approving projects. He also insisted that Keren Hayesod envoys visit small Jewish communities abroad, because everyone goes to the big cities; and that they do more than fund-raising because it was essential for them to impart news about what was happening in Israel, Jewish, and Zionist history and to encourage a strong connection and sense of identification with the Zionist enterprise. When Avihai worked as a speechwriter for prime minister Levi Eshkol, the latter liked him because he spoke Yiddish said Medzini – whose Yiddish is also a joy to the ear.

In a short video about Avihai’s service to the state and the Jewish people, a Diaspora member of the continuing generation of Keren Hayesod said that Avihai’s fingerprints remain on the organization, and another spoke of his legacy.

Long after he had ceased his role as chairman, Avihai continued to be engaged with Keren Hayesod and to inspire commitment to Jews, Judaism, and the Jewish State.

Haifa University's new president

■ THE UNIVERSITY of Haifa has a new president in the person of former Rector Prof. Gur Alroey, a distinguished historian specializing in contemporary Jewish history. Over the years, Alroey has served in a number of leadership positions at the university, including dean of the faculty of humanities. He was also the founding director of the Ruderman Program for American Jewish Studies.

■ IN AN innovative and revolutionary opportunity through the new Yeshiva University (YU) in Israel Undergraduate Program, students can now earn for the first time a YU degree in collaboration with Tel Aviv University or Bar-Ilan University. With a curriculum specifically designed for YU students in partnership with these highly reputed Israeli institutions, the rigorous coursework – taught in English – will complement YU’s world-class Torah studies.

Following studies in elite academics, rich student life and comprehensive student services, YU in Israel will culminate in two high-level degrees that prepare students to enter an ever-more-competitive global job market. The program will be officially introduced on Monday, January 22, at 7 p.m., at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem.

Through YU in Israel, students can earn a degree in business administration while taking courses at Tel Aviv University (TAU) or a degree in psychology and multidisciplinary Jewish studies at Bar-Ilan University (BIU). The schedule includes one or two days a week on the BIU or TAU campus, online courses, and Torah studies. The program is suitable for American high-school seniors on their way to YU-affiliated Israeli yeshivot and seminaries; and alumni of yeshivot and seminary programs.

Men’s campus experience will include Torah studies and beit midrash at the Caroline and Joseph Gruss Institute, while women’s campus experience will include Torah studies and beit midrash at YU’s Chorev Lebanot campus.

The program schedule follows YU’s traditional curriculum of Torah and academic studies, including campus life filled with cultural enrichment, engaging student activities, and extracurricular programs, during the week and on Shabbat.

“This is truly a revolutionary program, and we are excited to work together to give YU a far-reaching presence in Israel,” said Yaffa Zilbershats, academic chair of YU Israel. A law professor, Zilbershats is the former head of Israel’s Council for Higher Education’s Planning and Budgeting Committee, where she was known for revolutionizing Israel’s higher education system. “This is a game-changing program in Israel – which is poised to have a long-term impact on American and Israeli Jewry – and we hope this partnership will expand to include additional disciplines and collaborations with more Israeli universities.”

Zilbershats emphasized that “The goal is to facilitate an opportunity for international students to pursue their studies at top-tier academic institutions in Israel, conducted in English. This initiative aims to immerse students in the vibrant life of Israel and fostering meaningful interactions with local students while embracing a curriculum deeply rooted in Torah studies, aligning with the ethos of Yeshiva University.

“There is a significant undertaking in fostering internationalism within the Israeli higher education system. It is imperative to construct frameworks that facilitate this effort. The integration of foreign students onto campus not only constitutes an enriching cross-cultural exchange but also propels the ideals of openness and widens the educational landscape,” she said.

“We are excited to offer this unique leadership opportunity,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of YU.

“Yeshiva University in Israel reinforces our global role as the Flagship Jewish University,enabling our students to not only lead lives of great personal and professional success but also lives of impact and meaning, transforming our world for the better.”

■ SEVERAL EMBASSIES will be marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day with special events. The Hungarian Embassy and Cultural Center will premiere a documentary film How Time Runs. The film will be screened at Tel Aviv’s Lev Cinema in Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, on Friday, January 25 at 10 a.m. Entry is free of charge. The film is in Hungarian with Hebrew subtitles. It should be remembered that Hungarian Jewry suffered heavy losses in the Holocaust after many were deported to Auschwitz Birkenau in 1944. Among the well -nown survivors were the grandfather of Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli, the father of Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid – who though born in the former Yugoslavia was largely identified as Hungarian, and world-famous author, dramatist and screenwriter, Ephraim Kishon.