German-Israeli Textbook Commission
From 2011 to 2015, the German-Israeli Textbook Commission conducted analyses of history, geography and civic/social studies textbooks from Germany and Israel, with particular emphasis on their depictions of the other country, its history and society. The Commission’s recommendations include the joint development of teaching material to provide school children in Germany and Israel with a nuanced image of the other country, its history and society.
Based on the Commission's recommendations, the Hanns Seidel Foundation Israel started a teachers' exchange between the Hebrew Reali High-School Haifa and the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium Dachau, in order to develop joint teaching materials. The first seminar between Israeli and German history and civic/social studies teachers took place in Israel from February 19 until February 25.
Dr. Arie Kizel, Head, Dept. of Learning, Instruction & Teacher Education at Haifa University, who functioned as the Israeli coordinator of the Textbook Commission, served as the academic head of the seminar. During the seminar, the teachers learned about the education system of the other country and started developing a method to use when writing support material for subjects in the field of history and civic/social studies that are lacking in both curriculums and are of interest to both sides. The project's goal is to create and upload the newly created learning material on a bilateral educational internet platform, a sort of virtual library, which will enable the teachers in both countries to regularly update and add relevant educational material in Hebrew and German for the use of history and social/civic studies teachers in Israel and Bavaria.
A further objective of the seminar was to enable the visiting teachers, who came to Israel for the first time, to gain professional and personal encounters with the other country through additional meetings and tours. This included visiting Israeli schools and institutions and learning about the Israeli education system. The teachers got a tour of the Hebrew Reali High-School (founded 1913), an independent educational institution, as well as of the St. John Episcopal School (founded 1868), a private Arab Israeli school that follows the curriculum of the Arab-Israeli school system. In addition, the teachers toured Haifa University and participated in the inauguration of "Future Learning Space" at the faculty of Education, the first research center that will enable researchers to examine the ways in which learning takes place with new technology.
Other meetings included a visit at the Beit Hagefen - Arab Jewish Cultural Center in Haifa where we heard from CEO Assaf Ron about the inter-cultural dialog, education and artistic programs the institution offers, in order to strengthen the foundations of Haifa as a shared city.
During a visit at the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, the teachers met with Admiral (Res.) Ami Ayalon, director of the Amnon Lipkin-Shahak Program on National Security and Democracy. Ayalon spoke about the challenge of fighting terrorism while preserving democratic values. He elaborated by saying that "the battle against terrorism is essentially a battle against fear. Fear increases when state entities take steps that erode the country’s democratic character. As a result of such maneuvers, the likelihood of surrendering to terrorism actually increases".
Further points of interest were Yad Vashem, the Knesset, Mahane Yehuda Market and the Old City of Jerusalem and Jaffa, which provided the German teachers a personal insight and feeling for the Israel outside of the history textbooks. The teachers concluded their Israel visit at Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People. Assaf Gamzou, director of Educational Leadership at the International School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies, gave a tour of the core exhibition, which takes the visitors on a journey across eras and lands of Jewish life exploring the unique story of the Jewish continuity, creativity and unity in its diversity. The teachers also learned about the educational philosophy of the museum and its international school for Jewish Peoplehood Studies, which develops the discipline of Jewish Peoplehood Studies, as well as learning and teaching guides, educational curricula and activity programs, all of which are based on the exhibitions and databases of Beit Hatfutsot.
The second seminar between the Israeli and German history and civic/social studies teachers will take place from October 15 until October 21 in Munich Germany. Until then the teachers from both sides will start writing support material for subjects in the field of history and civic/social studies, which they will present to each other in Munich after having "tested" them on their pupils.