Windows Winter 2006 - Jerusalem Foundation

on Jerusalem 

The Jerusalem Foundation Periodical Winter 2006 

COEXISTENCE IN JERUSALEM 

An in-depth, comprehensive look at the issues and the aspirations


The Jerusalem Foundation Periodical Winter 2006 

“The future of Jerusalem - of 

the city so loved and revered by 

people and nations the word 

over - depends on our ability to 

live here side by side, together.” 

(pgs. 4-6) 

4 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Inside this Issue 

Coexistence in Jerusalem 

Four Keys to a Better Future 

A strategic plan for coexistence in Jerusalem 

Leadership: Managing Coexistence 

From vision to reality: training tomorrow’s 

coexistence leaders 

Understanding: Comrades-in-Arts 

Fostering mutual respect via joint creation 

Leveling The Playing Field: 

The A-Tur School 

Making educational equality and excellence 

possible in Arab schools 

Education: On the Seam 

Teaching the difference between violence and 

hope at the Museum on the Seam 

Raising the Bar: Making quality 

education a reality for Jerusalem’s 

Arab youth (pg. 9) 

11 

12 

13 

A Taste of the Mediterranean 

Exploring the spices and aromas of the 

Mediterranean basin at Mishkenot Sha'ananim 

The Teddy Kollek Prize 2005 

For leadership and public excellence 

The Marthe Prize 2003 & 2004 

For tolerance and democratic values 

Common Interests: 

Crossing the bridge to trust and 

friendship together (pg. 8) 

Mediterranean Flavor: 

Cooking it up Middle Eastern 

style at Mishkenot 

Sha'ananim (pg. 11) 

14 

16 

The Teddy Kollek Award 2005 

For a significant contribution to the city of 

Jerusalem 

June Mission to Jerusalem 

The Jerusalem Foundation’s international gathering 

in Jerusalem 

18 

Desk Reports 

Friends of the Jerusalem Foundation worldwide 

continue to open their hearts to Jerusalem and 

her residents 

30 

In Memoriam 

Honoring Friends of Jerusalem 

Paving the Way: Democratic values and lessons from around the 

world at the Museum on the Seam (pg. 10) 

32 

Song of Songs 

A piece of the Bible comes to life at the Ein Yael 

Living Museum 

2 Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006

From the President 

Founder 

Teddy Kollek 

Chairman 

Dan Meridor 

International President 

Ruth Cheshin 


Editor-in-Chief 

Liat Rosner 

Editor 

Ammanjah de Vries 

Editorial Committee 

Jodie Asaraf 

Ella Ben-Yossef 

Naomi Ben-Zvi 

Kenny Borsykowsky 

Jedidjah de Vries 

Naomi Roff-Kohn 

Nomi Yeshua 

Design 

Yuval Chefetz, Abstract 

Dear Friends, 

Jerusalem has throughout time been home 

to populations of varied religions, ethnicities 

and backgrounds, all living together under 

the same roof. In this complex city perhaps 

more than anywhere, the challenge is to 

ensure that all the residents, a microcosm 

of the entire region, learn to live together 

harmoniously. 

Believing that coexistence is essential for 

a better future in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem 

Foundation works in cooperation with 

partners throughout the city to develop and 

implement a comprehensive strategy for 

fostering greater understanding and tolerance. 

This is one of the most important areas in 

which we together can effectively make a 

real difference. 

This issue of Windows provides a glimpse 

into the four key areas we have identified 

for working toward a pluralistic, open and 

flourishing Jerusalem for all - Leadership 

Development, Education toward Tolerance, 

Fostering Understanding & Mutual Respect, 

and ‘Leveling the Playing Field’. 

As always, the Jerusalem Foundation strives 

to improve all aspects of life in Jerusalem. 

We have been and remain deeply grateful 

to our many dedicated friends from around 

the globe for their support and involvement, 

many of whom are recognized within these 

pages. I applaud them and each of you who 

lends a hand and together we will continue. 

Looking ahead to a year of growth and 

achievement for Jerusalem and all our 

friends, and hoping to see you this year on 

our shores. 

Gratefully yours, 

Ruth Cheshin 

International President 

The auction included a number 

of items from the private collection 

of former Jerusalem mayor and 

Jerusalem Foundation founder 

Mr. Teddy Kollek, including this 

rare sketch by Marc Chagall. 

The Jerusalem Foundation 

P.O.B. 10185 

Jerusalem, 91101 Israel 

Tel: 972 - 2 - 675 1711 

Fax: 972 -2 - 673 4462 

info@jerusalem-foundation.org 

http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org 


held an auction at the renowned 

New York auction house Christie’s, 

with profits earmarked for the 

Foundation’s efforts to strengthen 

the ties of young people to Jerusalem. 

Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006 

3

In Jerusalem 

Coexistence 

Coexistence 

in Jerusalem 

Four Keys to a Better Future 

Ammanjah de Vries, JF Publications Coordinator 

According to statistics 

published by the Jerusalem Institute for 

Israel Studies (JIIS) for Jerusalem Day 

2005, 66% (some 469,300 individuals) of 

Jerusalem’s 706,400 residents are Jewish 

and 33% (237,100 persons) are Arabs. 

Their paths, however, rarely cross, and 

few opportunities exist for the kind of 

genuine contact and dialogue needed to 

foster all-important understanding and 

tolerance. Similarly, the playing fields in 

the two sectors need to be further leveled 

if true coexistence is to flourish. 

The Jerusalem Foundation has been working 

toward these goals for nearly 40 years and 

recently initiated a new, comprehensive 

Coexistence Forum to help facilitate Jewish- 

Arab coexistence in Jerusalem. In the 

words of Jerusalem Foundation President 

Ruth Cheshin: “The future of Jerusalem 

- of the city so loved and revered by people 

co-ex-ist 

co-ex-ist-ed, co-ex-ist-ing, 

co-ex-ists 

1. To exist together, at the same 

time, or in the same place. 

2. To live in peace with another or 

others despite differences, 

especially as a matter of policy. 

and nations the world over - depends on 

our ability to live here side by side, 

together.” 

Jerusalem in general is a very heterogeneous 

city, with different religious, socioeconomic 

and ethnic groups tending to live in separate 

neighborhoods. This is especially true for 

Arabs and Jews. In fact, Jews and Arabs 

usually have very little contact with one 

another on a day to day basis. A recent 

study done at the University of Haifa 

hinted at this problem, showing that 71.8% 

of Israeli Jews avoid entering Arab villages 

and neighborhoods at all. In Jerusalem 

this separation is felt not only 

geographically. The Jewish and Arab areas 

of the city have their own, separate school 

systems and community services, and 

most Jews and Arabs hardly speak one 

another’s languages. (Nationwide, only 

25% of Israeli Jews report knowing enough 

Arabic to actively participate in a normal 

conversation.) In fact, Arab schools in 

Jerusalem do not follow the same 

curriculum as their Jewish counterparts, 

instead following a curriculum based on 

the Jordanian system, including a Jordanian 

equivalent to the Israeli matriculation 

exam. 

As a result, the “other” in Jerusalem is 

strange and unfamiliar and few opportunities 


exist for genuine and real contact. The 

solution, most experts and coexistence 

activist agree, is innovative, proactive 

programming which helps bring Jews and 

Arabs together on equal terms. As Jerusalem 

Foundation Projects Department Director 

Nadim Sheiban puts it: “We need to give 

Jews and Arabs the chance to have at least 

a glimpse into one another’s worlds; a 

chance to get to know one another and 

make the unfamiliar familiar. Otherwise, 

they will continue to be scared of each 

other.” 

This is especially important in Jerusalem, 

which will most likely be at the center of 

any future peace settlements in the Middle 

East. History has shown time and time 

again that broader political agreements 

made without first resolving how residents 

get along on a day to day basis will not 

be longstanding. 

And this is where NGOs come in. While 

the political leaders broker complex peace 

agreements, the NGOs are the ones that 

help sway public opinions and foster an 

atmosphere in which that peace can be 

accepted and promoted. It is the NGOs 

that transform the peace from a “peace 

between leaders to a peace between 

peoples,” as Nimrod Goren writes in In 

Going Against the Wind: The Role of 

NGOs in Jerusalem under an Ongoing 

Conflict, published by the Jerusalem 

Institute for Israel Studies (2004). 

Northern Ireland is a prime example. 

Although NGOs there were not directly 

involved in drafting the peace agreements, 

their work was “vital in devising 

mechanisms of discourse and training 

methods, and building public support for 

the political solution.” After the peace 

agreement was made, their work was a 

“central component in the efforts to 

implement the agreement and to finally 

bring peace to…Northern Ireland” (Goren). 

In short, civil society and NGOs help to 

bring about peace from the ground up, 

fostering a culture of acceptance in which 

the agreements hammered out by political 

leaders can be carried out successfully. 

The same is true in Jerusalem. As one 

coexistence program director notes, “Only 

with the help of NGOs like the Jerusalem 

“We need to give Jews and 

Arabs the chance to have a 

glimpse into one another’s 

worlds; a chance to get to 

know one another and make 

the unfamiliar familiar. 

Otherwise, they will continue 

to be scared of each other.” 

Foundation and its many partners can 

Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem begin to 

view and treat each other differently. Only 

then will the ground be ripe for Jews and 

Arabs to prosper and to create a real, dayto-day 

peace between equals.” 

Of course, even NGOs do not operate in 

a void free from political and national 

issues and events. The Al-Aqsa Intifada 

of recent years presented difficult challenges 

for coexistence programming in Jerusalem. 

Many programs were forced to suspend 

operation; many others that did continue 

to operate were too often eclipsed by 

media coverage of military operations 

and political statements. Despite the 

political atmosphere however, and indeed 

also because of it, the Foundation forged 

ahead with its programs. For, in the words 

of Jerusalem Foundation International 

Chairman Dan Meridor: “Tolerance and 

mutual understanding are the key to 

Jerusalem’s future.” 

Indeed, from its inception in 1967 the 

Jerusalem Foundation worked to fulfill 

its founder, then-mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy 

Kollek’s vision of a city that serves all its 

residents. In efforts to improve conditions 

in the Arab sector, the Jerusalem Foundation 

built community centers, health centers and 

schools and initiated numerous programs 

to improve the lives of residents. In order 

to encourage dialogue between Arabs and 

Jews in the city, the Foundation encouraged 

a wide range of informal programs for all 

ages that helped bring the two peoples 

together to break down stereotypes and 

allow residents to get to know one another 

as individuals and not as representatives 

of a group. 

Throughout its nearly 40 years of work in 

the city the Jerusalem Foundation continually 

kept a close watch on the vibrant pulse of 

Jerusalem and adapted its work to the city’s 

ever changing needs. In this spirit the 

Foundation recently identified the need for 

a new and comprehensive strategy for 

coexistence and initiated a Coexistence 

Forum. Made up of academics, professionals 

and workers in the field, the Forum developed 

a new approach to foster lasting change 

over time. The Forum began by recognizing 

that: 

● Regardless of politics, Jews and Arabs 

will always share this region. 

● Both Jews and Arabs feel a deep-seated 

connection to Jerusalem. 

● Working together to build a strong city 

will benefit all its inhabitants. 

● Peace is made between equals. 

The Coexistence Forum then developed a 

four-pronged strategy, each addressing a 

separate challenge to coexistence. Programs 

in each of the four key areas identified - 

Leadership, Education for Tolerance, 

Fostering Understanding and Mutual 

Respect, and ‘Leveling the Playing Field’ 

- together aim to help pave the way for 

cohabitation in Jerusalem and the possibility 

of and end to generations of strife and 

animosity. 

1. Leadership 

The Coexistence Forum found a need to 

better train and equip leaders and professionals 

in the field of coexistence, and also to 

provide a framework of support and 


5

coordination for those individuals and 

organizations working for coexistence. As 

one participant in a recent Managing 

Coexistence course for project leaders (see 

pg. 7) noted, “We must make sure that 

there are people properly equipped to run 

coexistence programs. Otherwise those 

programs will fail. And we must make sure 

that the next generation of such leaders is 

ready to take over and continue where we 

leave off. This is too important of an 

endeavor to leave the leadership aspects 

to chance.” 

2. Education 

In order for two people to live peaceably 

side by side they not only need to know 

one another better, but it is also first 

imperative that they understand and accept 

one another’s basic right to be respected 

and freedom to exist. Without proper 

education for these and other democratic 

values, true coexistence is hard to attain. 

Especially in Jerusalem, where Jews and 

Arabs are often not on equal footing, values 

of democracy and respect for the other 

cannot be taken for granted. Educating 

toward respect, dialogue, understanding, 

democracy and acceptance of the “other” 

opens the door to more successful and 

fruitful interactions and meetings between 

individuals. In disadvantaged areas, including 

many of the Arab neighborhoods, educating 

about democracy can also empower residents 

and help them feel like equals. 

The Museum on the Seam is one such 

project which helps teach democracy, 

tolerance and respect (see pg. 10). Other 

programs in this area include the Adam 

Institute for Democracy and Peace, the 

“Gan Hashalom” Peace Kindergarten for 

Jewish and Arab children at the YMCA, 

the Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab 

Education in Jerusalem (bilingual school) 

and the Spoken Arabic for elementary 

schools program. 

3. Understanding and 

Mutual Respect 

Bridging the gap that exists between Jews 

and Arabs in Jerusalem is a long process, 

and direct discussion is not always the 

most effective approach with so much 

history and mistrust standing between the 

groups. The Jerusalem Foundation has 

found that the best way to build trust and 

understanding between people is through 

activities of common interest and benefit. 

As Ghalib Yassin, Principal of the A-Tur 

high school says, “We need to get people 

together for something other than politics, 

like soccer! Even if we don’t agree who 

is the best coach or player of all times…at 

least we can enjoy playing together and 

talking about it like friends.” 

By focusing on what unites us, personal 

contacts are formed and fear and distrust 

are overcome. With statistics showing 

that anywhere between a third and half 

of all Jews and Arabs hold negative 

perceptions of one another, including that 

the “other” cannot be trusted, is prone to 

violence and that (s)he is ignorant and 

lazy, this is no minor achievement! When 

people come together to play, create, learn 

and perform, differences are forgotten. 

The joint Jewish-Arab summer camps at 

the Djanogly Visual Arts Center are an 

excellent case-in-point (see pg. 8). Other 

examples of programs in this are include 

the I Am / You Are Video Workshop, the 

Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra at Beit 

Alpert, the Oud Festival, the Beit Safafa 

Soccer School and more. 

4. Leveling the 

Playing Field 

True coexistence can only really exist 

between equals. In order to foster true 

and lasting coexistence between Arabs 

and Jews much work needs to be done to 

equalize conditions in Arab and Jewish 

Jerusalem. 

The Jerusalem Foundation has been 

working in this much need area for a many 

years now, helping to level the playing 

field for Jerusalem’s Arab residents in 

education, community and health. One 

of the latest endeavors is the A-Tur Science 

School (see pg. 9). Other successful 

programs include the Handcart Children 

Program at the Lev Ha’ir Community 

Center, “The City as a School” Junior 

High School Program, the Paley Center 

for the Arts, the Beit David Community 

Center, the Municipal Center for Arab 

Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children in 

Abu Tor, the Issawiyah Neighborhood 

Program and many more. 

Teddy Kollek, former Mayor of Jerusalem, 

was often quoted as saying that it will 

take several generations to achieve true 

coexistence in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem 

Foundation is committed to the values of 

coexistence and will continue to work 

toward a vision of Jerusalem that preserves 

its historic legacy of meaning for so many 

around the world while preparing for the 

future of peace between two peoples, 

sharing a city and coexisting side by side. 

As Yusef Abd Elgafer, Project manager 

at the Beit Nechemia Coexistence Center 

says, “We have to continue to work to 

bring the people of Jerusalem together. 

No one else will do it. It is up to us to lay 

the groundwork and make it happen.” 

More information about the programs 

in this article and others can be found 

on the Jerusalem Foundation website: 

www.jerusalemfoundation.org 

The Jerusalem Foundation thanks all 

those who have helped make coexistence 

programming in Jerusalem possible. 


Managing Coexistence 

Training New Leaders to Run Coexistence Projects 

Running any sort of program 

is difficult. Running a program that seeks 

to bridge the gaps between people of 

different cultures, ethnic and religious 

backgrounds and languages is even more 

so. It requires a motivated and skilled 

leader to succeed. While motivation must 

be intrinsic, the needed skills can be 

learned. That is precisely the purpose of 

the Managing Coexistence Course, which 

was held for the second year running. 

Drawing on principles developed in the 

business world, the course helps participants 

develop the tools they need to run 

successful grassroots coexistence 

projects where they matter most: 

in their own communities. The 

five-month course is a joint venture 

of the Jerusalem Inter-Cultural 

Center (JICC), the Center for 

Jewish-Arab Experience at Beit Nehemia 

and the Jerusalem Foundation. It teaches 

participants the basic principles of project 

management, with a special focus on the 

unique requirements of coexistence projects. 

Specifically, participants were shown how 

to plan, implement and run a project. The 

course also helped them understand both 

the Arab and Jewish cultures as well as the 

nature of the conflict between them. 

Additionally, participants learned tools for 

mediating conflict and promoting dialogue. 

Lastly, the course served to create, “dialogue 

between the participants themselves as 

they examine their own standpoints and 

views,” as Yossef Abd El Gafer, Projects 

Director at Beit Nehemia noted. 

Inbal Vaknin, JF Projects Department and Program Participant 

The course was not meant to be an abstract 

exercise in theory, however. Each participant 

began the course with an initial idea for 

a coexistence program which they wish 

to implement. Over the course of the five 

months participants helped one another 

develop their ideas into viable concepts 

ready for implementation. 

Polina Levi, for example, hopes to develop 

and implement a professional course that 

will teach restoration to a mixed group 

of Jews and Arabs. While the Museum 

of Italian Jewish Art where Polina is the 

“They came with the vision and the 

courage to change the future - they left 

with the skills to make it happen.” 

Director of Education and Special Events 

has taught courses in restoration before, 

they have never really addressed the 

sensitivities of the different cultures in 

this field. Polina hopes her course will 

remedy this situation. As she points out, 

“Understanding different cultures is essential 

in the field of restoration. We must take 

care to preserve each group’s unique 

cultural heritage as we work.” 

Aida Shibli lives in east Jerusalem and 

understands that an important part of 

coexistence is equality. That is why she 

wants to empower Arab youth from East 

Jerusalem to effect change in their own 

communities by teaching them democracy 

and ‘active citizenship’ through meetings, 

gatherings and activities. She hopes her 

project will lead to “a deep and fundamental 

change in the east of the city” and says 

the Managing Coexistence Course has 

taught her to “not only write projects with 

my heart but with my mind as well!” 

Barhoom Alla’s project, From the Clay, 

seeks to draw together the many 

communities in and around Jerusalem 

which, although they live next to each 

other, rarely interact. He sees a need to 

“connect the residents of the area in joint 

undertaking because that is 

lacking.” Originally an architect 

by trade, he hopes to bring 

together youth from the different 

communities in the area to build 

a “mud hut” in the Ein Hemed 

National Park in Jerusalem’s 

foothills. Once completed, the hut can 

then be used as a neutral, joint space for 

future meetings between the communities. 

Now that the course has made him more 

professional in the area of running projects 

Barhoom hopes to make his dream a reality. 

“These are just some of the exciting projects 

that came out of this course,” notes the 

Jerusalem Foundation’s Projects Department 

Director, Nadim Sheiban. “The importance 

of good, strong leaders who have the 

vision to dream up these kinds of projects 

and the know-how to make them happen 

cannot be stressed enough.” 

DONOR: Anonymous, UK 

Coexistence: Leadership 


7

Understanding 

Coexistence: 

Z 

einab Alyan still remembers 

her first art lessons as a nine 

year old elementary school 

girl. Although held with very limited 

supplies and in a cramped, two-room airraid 

shelter for lack of space, the thrill 

of being able to let her imagination soar 

despite the somewhat stifling quarters 

has stayed with her to this very day. 

Sixteen years later the air-raid shelter 

has given way to the spacious and wellstocked 

Djanogly Visual Arts Center, 

located in a handsome courtyard building 

in Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood. 

The Center is a far cry from the air-raid 

shelter where Alyan first discovered the 

power of art. Established in 1991, it is 

home to an array of artistic opportunities 

that would fuel any young artist's dreams 

and also provides an island of creativity 

and respite for Jews and Arabs of all 

ages. Alyan too has come full circle, 

working as a translator for groups of 

Jewish and Arab students at the Center’s 

annual summer camps. 

Last year 48 Arab and Jewish students 

from ages 8 to 14 came together at the 

Center for a summer of joint artistic 

creation and exploration. The wide variety 

of media available at the Center, including 

drawing, painting, ceramic sculpting, 

embroidery, clay, aluminum and more, 

all speak a common language for which 

words, whether Arabic or Hebrew, are 

not needed. As one young camper noted: 

Comrades-in-Arts 

Visual art with a vision toward a better future 

Keren Zfania, JF Projects Department Culture and Coexistence Coordinator 

“Art is fun for everyone, and it’s something 

we can all do together. We didn’t even 

notice that we were actually getting to 

know each other as we worked! We were 

so busy with our creations, so caught up 

in the colors and the materials and laughing 

together, and when it was all done we 

looked up and realized we’d become 

friends!” 

“I was worried at first, 

because I thought they 

were different and not 

like us. But then we 

started to paint 

together and I forgot!” 

Indeed, the Djanogly Center truly is more 

than just a haven for artists. It is also a 

meeting place for joint creativity and the 

building up of trust and mutual 

understanding. This year’s camp theme 

- Home - fit this purpose particularly well. 

One activity, for example, had a group of 

Arab and Jewish girls eagerly holed up 

together in a dark room at the Center to 

analyze photos they took of objects in 

their homes. Heads bent close together 

they mulled over the photos, delighting 

in the similarities and differences of the 

items they photographed and explaining 

small details to one another. 

In addition to joint creativity, activities 

at the summer camp also allow for 

participants to express themselves - their 

thoughts, feelings and cultural heritages 

- through their artwork. Although the 

works are all inspired by the common 

theme, every creation is unique and 

emphasis is placed on expressing oneself 

while working in cooperation with another, 

as well as on respecting the expressions 

of others. 

The summer camp also offers the Jewish 

and Arab youth, most of whom live and 

study in completely isolated worlds albeit 

in the same city, the opportunity to spend 

time with one another—full days at a time 

in fact - which in turn helps them get to 

know one another and develop new bonds 

and friendships. 

At the Ein Yael Living Museum and other 

Jerusalem institutions the scene is similar, 

with Jewish and Arab youngsters coming 

together for mutually enjoyed summer 

camp activities. Indeed, the Jerusalem 

Foundation is firmly committed to fostering 

understanding and overcoming mistrust 

and fear, and programs which bring Arab 

and Jewish children together to engage in 

joint daily activities do just that: they help 

change attitudes, dissolve suspicion and 

begin the process of building trust. 

Each summer youth at Djanogly, Ein Yael 

and other museums and sites around 

Jerusalem happily greet their new comradesin-arts, 

knowing that every day they spend 

together and with every new joint creation 

they will be breaking exciting new ground 

towards a better, common future. 

DONOR: Sir Harry Djanogly, UK 


Leveling the Playing Field 

Fostering Educational Equality and Excellence in East Jerusalem 

Jedidjah de Vries 

rue coexistence can only exist between 

equals, but in predominantly Arab 

and politically contested East 

Jerusalem (see cover article, pgs. 4-6) a 

lot of work still needs to be done before 

the playing field is level with that of the 

more affluent western (predominantly 

Jewish) parts of Jerusalem. A lack of 

adequate physical and professional 

infrastructures, especially in the crucial 

field of education, means that attaining 

the same levels of accomplishment as in 

western Jerusalem is truly and uphill 

battle. 

The Jerusalem Foundation is particularly 

committed to helping improve the 

educational infrastructure in East Jerusalem. 

Today schools in East Jerusalem have 

significantly fewer classrooms, libraries 

and teachers than their Jewish counterparts. 

Research has shown that while 90% of 

Jewish children finish high school, only 

47% of East Jerusalem’s Arab children 

do. In a society plagued by deep-seeded 

poverty due to decades of non-investment 

in the area mainly for political reasons, 

most male students leave school to help 

support their families. Without a decent 

education and the possibility of college, 

success in today’s fast-paced, modern 

world is hard-sought, leaving East Jerusalem 

residents trapped in an endless cycle of 

underachievement and its ensuing poverty. 

For this reason the Jerusalem Foundation 

has “adopted” the A-Tur School for Boys 

which is working to help level the 

educational playing field. 

The school was begun three years ago as 

a retainer for the poorest, unwanted students 

from schools throughout the area. Undaunted, 

Principals Ghalib Yassin (High School) 

and Mufid Abu-Gosh (Junior High School) 

set out to give their students a chance. In 

order to do this they have been working 

on two levels: Providing small, intimate 

classroom settings to weaker students to 

help them catch up in their studies; and 

turning the school into the first ever magnet 

school for advanced science and technology 

studies in East Jerusalem. 

As Director of the Jerusalem Foundation’s 

Projects Department Nadim Sheiban says, 

“This project is about not waiting for 

others to help, but taking fate into our 

own hands. Science and technology 

hold the key to success in the 21st century. 

This is a radical transformation for a 

school that has been plagued by neglect, 

poverty and low standards. It has become 

a source of hope for the future.” 

As a first step the Jerusalem Foundation 

helped the school build a new state-ofthe-art 

computer laboratory, a library and 

science laboratories for physics, biology 

and chemistry. But in order to succeed the 

school needed not only these key infrastructure 

changes, but also a much more comprehensive 

plan. To this end the Foundation also provided 

for an organizational consultant to develop 

and implement a multi-year strategy which 

includes extensive professional development 

for teachers; visits to the Belmonte Science 

Laboratories for Youth and the Bloomfield 

Science Museum for exceptional students; 

and extra assistance in Arabic, mathematics 

and English for average students. 

Despite initial skepticism from the community, 

the results have proven the merits of the 

plan: The number of students at the A-Tur 

School passing their matriculation exams 

improved from 10% to 44% over the last 

three years. The entire community has now 

become involved in the school’s endeavours. 

But perhaps the best indication of the school’s 

success thus far can be garnered from principal 

Yassin’s proud posture as he tells of a student 

who recently came into his office. “I used to 

have to call this student and his mother into 

my office almost every day for discipline 

problems,” Yassin relates. “Now he came to 

me to ask to re-take a test because he was not 

happy with his grade. He got an 84 on the first 

test, and it was not good enough for him. This 

is the kind of change we are making here.” 

Donor: Rayne Foundation, UK 

Coexistence: Leveling the Playing Field 


9

Coexistence: Education 

Between 

Violence 

and 

Hope 

On the Seam 

Much has been said and written 

about the contribution of art 

to public opinion and how it 

influences individuals’ thoughts, 

but nowhere is this more tangible than at 

the Museum on the Seam for 

Understanding, Dialogue and Coexistence 

in Jerusalem. 

Established in 1999 with the generous 

support of the von Holtzbrinck family 

of Germany via the Jerusalem 

Foundation, and through the initiative 

of Museum director and curator Raphie 

Etgar, the Museum’s very location 

highlights its message: The Museum 

is appropriately located in the historic 

Turjeman Post building, which was 

once the last Israeli outpost before the 

Mandelbaum gate - the only Israeli- 

Jordanian border crossing until the 1967 

Six Day War, and a symbol and reminder 

of Jerusalem as a divided city. 

Today, the Museum is still located on the 

seam, no longer between countries, but 

now between the old city and the new, 

between east and west, between affluent 

and disadvantaged, between religious and 

secular neighborhoods, between Arabs 

and Jews. It is a former military outpost 

converted to a center for the advancement 

of peace and understanding, its facade 

still scarred with bullet marks that serve 

as a permanent testimony to the cost of 

violent conflict and distrust. 

Inside, the Museum’s art displays also 

deal with themes of dialogue and 

coexistence, exploring diverse ways for 

bridging the gaps between seemingly 

incongruent populations and using art as 

a means to help foster understanding of 

and respect for the “other”. As Etgar notes, 

“If people can learn to see the ‘other’ as 

they see themselves, we have a chance 

for peaceful coexistence.” 

“Bullet marks serve as 

a permanent 

testimony to the cost 

of violent conflict” 

The Museum sees conflict as an issue 

common to humanity as a whole and 

believes that we can all learn to see ourselves 

in the conflicts of others. To this end the 

Museum hosts works of artists from both 

Israel and abroad. A recent exhibition, 

for example, depicted the poignant and 

moving photographs of Anja Niedringhaus 

who worked from 1993-2000 as a 

photojournalist in war zones around the 

world, a woman in an exclusively male 

domain. The current exhibition, Dead 

End, is the first in a series of changing 

exhibitions planned by the Museum. The 

exhibition calls on visitors to examine 

their own path and not to stand idly by. 

Indeed, Dead End portrays a difficult 

reality that has turned violence into the 

language of daily life; a language which 

threatens the existence of human society 

everywhere, not just in the Middle East. 

The Museum also initiated and produced 

an unusual and thought provoking giant 

outdoor art exhibition entitled Coexistence 

that is currently touring the world. The 

exhibition is composed of visual 

images of coexistence created by 

artists from around the world. The 

Museum held an international 

competition and a prestigious 

international jury selected the best 

works to form the nucleus of the 

exhibition. As Coexistence travels, 

local competitions are held in host 

cities and the most intriguing works 

are added to the exhibition during its 

journey. 

In 2004, nearly 15,000 people from around 

the world visited the Museum. The visitors 

are those who are invited to answer the 

questions and to re-examine their opinions, 

beliefs and positions regarding the reality 

in which we live. As one Birthright 

participant said following her tour of the 

Museum, “This was really enlightening; 

it made me look at myself all over again 

and re-think almost everything!” 

Donor: 

von Holtzbrinck Family, Germany 


Photo: Tal Glick 

A Taste of the Mediterranean 

Exploring the spices and seasonings of the Mediterranean Basin 

ood has always exerted 

a powerful force on human 

society, from Biblical times 

to modern traditions and 

holidays revolving around food. Nowhere 

is this more true than in the Middle East 

and Mediterranean basin. A quick leafing 

through of both the old and new testaments 

reveals a number of biblical stories 

involving food in symbolic and central 

roles, and food is often used to symbolize 

such milestones and key life-motivators 

such as fertility, love, marriage, family 

and more. Many of the Jewish, Muslim 

and Christian holidays celebrated 

throughout the Mediterranean basin involve 

intricate displays of special foods, as 

indeed do regular, everyday family meals. 

It is safe to say that people here take their 

food very seriously! 

The A Taste of the Mediterranean 

conference held in mid-June at the Konrad 

Adenauer Conference Center at Mishkenot 

Sha’ananim brought together an 

Tal Glick 

F 

“From the moment Eve was seduced 

to bite the apple; food played a vital 

role in the symbolic language of the 

Bible. Reading the Bible through a 

chef's eye uncovers a fascinating 

array of food references, recorded 

meals and detailed accounts of a 

changing way of life.” 

international array of chefs, writers and 

professors of various disciplines, from 

everything from archeology to nutrition, 

to explore the unique and aromatically 

spicy secrets of the Mediterranean kitchen, 

the nutritional make-up and benefits of 

the Mediterranean diet, the central place 

of Mediterranean food in culture and more. 

Some of the topics discussed included 

the many uses of olive oil in Mediterranean 

cooking and an exploration of the 

ingredients and spices typical to the area 

and their singular qualities and benefits. 

The conference also focused on the role 

food plays in Mediterranean culture, 

including the relationship between borders 

and recipes and the possibility of using 

food to foster dialogue between diverse 

cultures. 

Appropriately, participants came from 

many different backgrounds and parts of 

the globe, including the United States, 

Europe, Africa, Israel and the Palestinian 

Authority. Despite their many differences 

everyone was united by their love for food 

and enjoyed sharing their diverse perspectives 

and insights into the Mediterranean kitchen. 

Moshe Basson, chef and food archaeologist 

of Chefs for Peace, captured the spirit of 

the conference when he used the following 

parable to describe the Mediterranean 

kitchen: Raising his hand he compared his 

palm to the Mediterranean sea surrounded 

by five fingers which, although different, 

are all part of the same hand. 

Accompanying the conference was an 

exhibit of photography entitled Tastes of 

the Mediterranean by Tal Glick and an 

exhibition of work by students of the Bezalel 

Academy of Art & Design. At the end of 

the conference some of Israel’s most 

renowned chefs shared their craft. The chefs 

worked their magic on stage, releasing 

mouth-watering bouquets that wafted through 

the enraptured audience, most of whom 

were furiously scribbling notes so that they 

could later reproduce the colorful dishes 

being produced on stage in their own homes 

around the globe. 

Mishkenot Sha'ananim 


11

Heaven’s Special Children 

The Jerusalem Foundation Prize in Honor of Teddy Kollek For Leadership and Public Excellence in 2005 

Teddy Kollek Prize 

When a routine DMT vaccination left 

Malky and Kalman Samuels’ second son 

Yossi blind, deaf and crippled just before 

his first birthday, their life became nearly 

impossible. Every day Malky had to take 

care of Yossi, who needed around-theclock 

intensive care and attention, in addition 

to the couple’s other children and their 

regular needs and activities. 

It was very hard, draining both her physical 

and spiritual strength every day. 

“One day while I was crying bitterly,” she 

recalls, “I made myself a promise: that if 

G-d would help me and there would be any 

kind of breakthrough, I would help other 

mothers, so they wouldn't have to cry like 

I did.” 

And a breakthrough did come, and Yossi 

learned to communicate with his surroundings 

through letters signed into the palm of his 

hand. He was eight years old at the time, 

and suddenly a whole new 

world was opened up for him 

and his parents. 

Together with her husband, 

Malky made good on her 

promise and established 

Shalva, which means “peace 

of mind” and is an acronym 

for Freedom for the Family 

and the Handicapped Child. 

And, notes Malky, “that is 

really the whole idea: to relieve 

families from the pressure, 

while giving quality time to 

the children.” 

Shalva's seven-floor home 

in the Har-Nof neighborhood 

was opened on Hannukah 

four years ago. The building 

is very spacious and decorated 

with fun patterns and designs 

and bright cheerful colors. 

It is a virtual Disneyland for 

special children. Everything 

“The moment 

I discovered Shalva, 

my independence 

and sanity returned.” 

Esther Waxman 

From right to left: Dr. Arturo and Karin Constantiner look on as Ruth Cheshin presents the 

Teddy Kollek Prize to Kalman and Malky Samuels. 

is aimed at bringing them joy and happiness. 

The breathtaking view of the Jerusalem 

hills, beautifully framed in the building’s 

design, also adds to the calm and joy. 

The building houses classrooms, computer 

rooms, a multi-sensory room, a hall for 

psychodrama, a library and playroom, video 

room, music and art therapy rooms, an 

animal petting corner, a home-economics 

area, an auditorium for 

concerts, an outdoor play yard, 

a state-of-the-art therapeutic 

swimming pool, overnight 

dormitories and a synagogue. 

Since its inception Malky and 

Kalman have expanded their 

activities beyond the initial 

vision of keeping children 

busy in the afternoons. Each 

of Shalva’s children sleeps 

over in the center’s dormitories 

one night a week so their 

parents and siblings can have 

a day off for other engagements 

and quality time. Each of the 

children also stays over one 

weekend in the month to give 

the family a further, welldeserved 

respite. 

Recently a research institute 

was inaugurated, providing 

the information and tools 

necessary to implement 

Shalva's methods and programs, which have 

aroused great interest in therapeutic and 

academic circles in Israel and worldwide. 

Today Shalva treats some 350 children and 

infants a day, as well as thousands of their 

family members, in and around Jerusalem. 

Shalva provides the children with the skills 

they will need to manage in life and an 

opportunity for them to develop themselves; 

it also gives family members support, 

guidance and counseling. 

In May, 2005 Malky and Kalman were 

presented with the Jerusalem Foundation 

Prize in Honor of Teddy Kollek for 

Leadership and Public Excellence. The 

Prize was presented at the Bloomfield 

Science Museum in Jerusalem in the presence 

of members of the Prize committee, including 

the Former President of Israel Prof. Ephraim 

Katzir, the President of the Jerusalem 

Foundation Ruth Cheshin, Director of the 

Mandel Foundation Professor Shlomo Fox, 

Director of the Jerusalem Intercultural 

Center Avner Haramati and Arturo 

Constantiner and his wife Karen representing 

the family, who donated the Prize. 

The Jerusalem Foundation prize in honor 

of Teddy Kollek for Leadership and Public 

Excellence was awarded for the 7th time 

this year. The prize was begun by Dr. Jaime 

Constantiner from Mexico, generous donor 

to Jerusalem and Israel and a personal 

friend of Teddy Kollek. 


The 2003 & 2004 Marthe Prize 

Honoring Tolerance and Democratic Values in Jerusalem 

The 2003 and 2004 Marthe Prizes were awarded on June 1, 2004 at Ein Yael 

in the presence of a representative of the donor family. 

Marthe Prize 

The 2003 Jerusalem Foundation 

Marthe Prize was given to the 

Bnei Shem program at the Ein 

Yael Living museum. The 

program brings Jewish and 

Arab at risk youth together at 

the Museum and provides an 

important opportunity for 

healing and interpersonal 

interaction, based on the idea 

that handcrafts and joint 

creativity help develop 

interpersonal ties. The program 

is designed to meet participants’ 

specific needs and takes into 

account that youth at risk on 

both sides often have similar 

negative views about one 

another as well as similar social 

issues. 

The prize for 2003 was also 

given to the educational 

program Red Lines in Israeli 

Democracy at the Yitzchak 

Rabin Youth Hostel which 

encourages a critical look at 

the difficult issues Israel’s 

democracy faces today, 

encourages awareness of 

democratic values and provides 

visitors with the tools they need 

to enhance intelligent political 

and social discussion in society. 

Using a modular multimedia 

presentation, a computer 

seminar and group discussions 

participants delve into the thorny 

issues of democracy in Israel, 

such as the limits of dissent 

and the role of the media for 

example. 


Marthe Prize for 2004 was 

presented to He’ezinu (Listen), 

a joint production by Jewish 

and Arab high school students 

of a music CD at the Jerusalem 

School of Photography, Media 

& New Music Musrara, with 

the aim of exploring and 

understanding one another’s 

cultures. Youth from all over 

Jerusalem come together to 

communicate and bridge the 

cultural divide through music, 

in the process learning not only 

about music and recording 

methods, but also about each 

other’s culture, folklore and 

heritage. 

Yossi Fischer was the individual 

recipient of the 2004 award for his 

more that 40 years of work on behalf 

of the underprivileged and towards 

equality and understanding between 

Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. Since 

1966 he has labored tirelessly to 

make Jerusalem a better place to 

live for everyone, first as Deputy 

Director of the International 

Community Center for Youth in 

Jerusalem, then as Director of the 

Beit David Community Center and 

lastly, until his retirement in 1999, 

as Director of the Jerusalem 

Foundation Projects Department 

and Assistant Director General. 

Even after his retirement he has 

continued to work tirelessly for the 

betterment of underprivileged 

communities in Jerusalem. 

The Jerusalem Foundation Marthe Prize for Tolerance and Democratic Values in Jerusalem totals NIS 140,000: 

NIS 100,000 for the winning project and NIS 40,000 for the winning individual, each year. 

The distinguished awards committee is headed by Prof. Menachem Ya’ari, winner of the Israel Prize and member 

of the Jerusalem Foundation Board of Governors, and includes Ruth Cheshin, President of the Jerusalem 

Foundation, Prof. Michael Sela of the Weizmann Institute, Prof. Mordechai Shani, Director of the Sheba Medical 

Center, Avner Haramati, Director of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center, and George Sama’an, Director of the 

International YMCA Jerusalem. 


13

The Teddy Kollek 

for Significant 

Teddy Kollek Award 

he Jerusalem Foundation 

presented the Teddy Kollek 

Award for a Significant Contribution to 

Life in Jerusalem for the sixth consecutive 

year on Jerusalem Day, June 6, 2005. The 

Teddy Kollek Award is given each year 

to outstanding friends of Jerusalem for 

their support and involvement in the 

development of Jerusalem as a tolerant, 

pluralistic and open city for all its residents 

and visitors. 

The Teddy Kollek Award was presented 

at the Knesset under the auspices of MK 

Avraham (Beige) Shochat and in the 

presence of Speaker of the Knesset MK 

Reuven (Rubi) Rivlin, Minister for 

Mr. Teufel has been a true friend and 

supporter of Jerusalem and its people for 

many years. In 1993 he became Chairman 

of the Jerusalem Foundation Germany. 

He has played a leading role in orchestrating 

support and friendship for Jerusalem in 

Germany and has been instrumental in 

garnering support for key projects in the 

city, not the least of these being the Konrad 


Sha'ananim. Mr. Teufel’s tireless efforts 

help maintain Jerusalem as a true center 

of cultural thought and undertaking. 

● The Sourasky-Constantiner Family 

of Mexico and the United States has been 

instrumental in the growth and development 

five children - Roberto, Arturo, Victor, 

Teodoro and Leon. Their collective 

contributions include: the Avner Shalev 

Chairman's Award at Yad VaShem for an 

outstanding filmmaker of topics relating 

to the Holocaust, the Joan Sourasky- 

Constantiner Holocaust Multimedia 

Research Center at the Jerusalem 

Cinematheque, art donations to the Israel 

Museum, the annual Teddy Kollek Award 

for a distinguished Jerusalemite, the Joan 

Constantiner Auditorium in the Center 

for Studies at Yad VaShem, the Jaime 

Constantiner Fellowships at the Hebrew 

University, Constantiner Fellows at the 

Mandel Institute to prepare leaders in 

education and much more. 

Erwin Teufel 

Elias Sourasky 

Joan S. Constantiner 

Jaime P. Constantiner 

Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan 

Sharansky and Jerusalem Foundation 

President Ruth Cheshin. 

2005 Award recipients were: 

● Prime Minister Erwin Teufel of 

Germany — Life Achievement Award. 

of Jerusalem. Family patriarch Elias 

Sourasky’s personal relationship with 

Teddy Kollek and the Jerusalem Foundation 

and his tradition of philanthropy and 

commitment to Jewish causes and especially 

the city of Jerusalem was carried on by 

his daughter Joan Sourasky-Constantiner 

and her husband Jaime and today by their 

● Allen Model of the United States has 

been a valued member of the Jerusalem 

Foundation Board of Directors since 1985. 

His father, Leo Model, was among the 

earliest and foremost friends of the 

Foundation. He donated numerous parks 

and gardens and encouraged friends and 

acquaintances to become involved with 


Award 2005 

Contribution to the City of Jerusalem 

the Jerusalem Foundation. Allen Model 

is a staunch supporter of the arts, coexistence 

and business development in Jerusalem. 

Projects he has supported through the 

Leo Model Foundation include: the Leo 

Model Library in Gilo, the Leo Model 

Hall - a vibrant cultural center in downtown 

Jerusalem, the Beit David Community 

Center serving several thousands of young 

and old residents in East Jerusalem, and 

the Jerusalem Development Business 

Center. Allen Model’s support has ensured 

a better quality of life for countless 

Jerusalem residents. 

● Heskel Nathaniel of the United 

Kingdom retired early and he and his 

Nathaniel found a truly fitting way to 

honour her memory, donating a major 

gift to the Jerusalem Foundation which 

facilitated the renovation of what is 

undoubtedly Jerusalem’s most beautiful 

hall for the performing arts: The Mary 

Nathaniel Golden Hall of Friendship at 

the YMCA. 

● Simon Rothschild of Switzerland has 

always been committed to Jewish issues 

in Switzerland and Israel. He has supported 

the Israel Museum and Yad Sarah among 

other endeavors. As a member of the 

Christian-Jewish Society he has sought 

to improve relations between Jews and 

Christians in Switzerland. Yet is has been 

Jerusalem and the Ben Yehuda School 

for mentally chalanged children. 

● John Whitehead of the United States 

visited Jerusalem as Deputy Secretary of 

State and became acquainted with the 

city and the work of the Jerusalem 

Foundation. Interested in making a singular 

contribution to the preservation of the 

city’s important Christian heritage, Mr. 

Whitehead and his late wife Nancy 

Dickerson helped restore the approaches 

to the room of the Last Supper on Mount 

Zion. He also helped the Assyrian 

community renovate its main church in 

Jerusalem and the Muristan area in the 

Old City. With the approach of the new 

Allen Model 

Heskel Nathaniel 

Simon Rothschild 

John Whitehead 

wife Mary, with whom he shared an 

interest in issues related to peace in the 

Middle East, divided their time between 

Jerusalem and Europe. Heskel and Mary 

Nathaniel’s first project in Jerusalem, 

a respite home for the frail elderly, was 

a milestone in elderly care throughout 

Israel. When Mary passed away Heskel 

his membership in the Jerusalem 

Foundation Zurich which has resulted 

in his support of the city of Jerusalem 

and its people, their cultural undertakings 

and their welfare. Among his outstanding 

contributions is his involvement in the 

restoration of the Tower of David, now 

home to the Museum of the History of 

millennium and the impending visit to 

Israel of Pope John Paul II, Mr. Whitehead 

and a prestigious group of friends provided 

the Jerusalem Foundation with funds to 

restore the Via Dolorosa leading to the 

Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Mr. Whitehead 

is also a valuable member of the Board of 

the Jerusalem Foundation. 


15

There is no better way to experience 

the beauties and wonders of 

Jerusalem and to understand the 

issues its residents face than by 

visiting the city itself. This is precisely 

what Jerusalem Foundation board 

members and friends from around 

the world did between June 5-7, 

2005, joining local staff members 

for site visits, informative talks, 

Jerusalem Day festivities and the 

Teddy Kollek Award Ceremony at 

the Knesset (pgs. 14-15). 

For more photos from the events: 

http://www.jerusalemfoundation. 

org/news.php?id=375 

June 

Mission 

to Jerusalem 

US Board of 

Directors Meeting 

The US Board of Directors were 

joined by their international 

counterparts from Europe and 

Canada and by Jerusalem 

Foundation staff for a very productive 

and meaningful board meeting at 

the David Citadel Hotel. Participants 

shared fundraising strategies and 

ideas and discussed current trends 

in Jerusalem and the short and 

long-term responses and goals of 

the Jerusalem Foundation. As one 

participant said, “Having this meeting 

here, in the heart of Jerusalem, 

has made it so much more 

meaningful. This trip has already 

been really inspirational and we 

are all eager to get back and get 

to work for Jerusalem.” 

The Jerusalem Foundation’s 

International Meeting in Jerusalem

1 2 3 

View from the lookout point at the Richard and Rhoda 

Goldman Promenade 

Exploring the scale model of Jerusalem used for urban 

planning at City Hall 

Visiting the Jerusalem Cinematheque, slated for 

expansions 

4 5 6 

Laying the cornerstone of the Jerusalem Foundation donor park 

overlooking the old city and the Judean desert 

Tour of the Tower of David Museum 

for the History of Jerusalem 

7 8 9 

MK Yitzhak Herzog speaks over dinner at the Tower of 

David Museum 

Performance by popular Israeli singers and the “Ethnix” 

band at the Merrill Hassenfeld Amphitheater 

Visiting the Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab 

Education (bilingual school) 

10 11 12 

Lecture by John C. Whitehead at the Konrad Adenauer 

Conference Center at Mishkenot Sha'ananim 

Q & A with Minister Matan Vilnai at the American Colony 

Overlooking the Hizme military checkpoint at the edge 

of the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev 

13 14 15 

“Building Blocks of Democracy” at a kindergarten 

in Pisgat Ze’ev 

Learning Hebrew in ulpan at the Jacob and Sara 

Feldman Community Center in Pisgat Ze’ev 

Dedication of the renovated Roman road in honor of 

Teddy Kollek by former Vienna Mayor, Dr. Helmunt Zilk

From North America 

Desk Director: Moshe Fogel 

Senior Director, New Leadership Group: Oren Rosenstein 

United States 

Board Visit to Jerusalem 

U. S. Board Chairman Alan G. 

Hassenfeld led an unprecedented delegation 

of Board Members and visitors from the 

U.S. on a 3-day visit to Jerusalem from 

June 5- 7, 2005 (see pages 16-17). One 

of the highlights of the visit was the Teddy 

Kollek Award Ceremony at the Israel 

Knesset at which John C. Whitehead, 

Allen Model and the Constantiner family 

all received awards for their significant 

contributions to the city of Jerusalem (see 

pages 14-15). In the context of the visit, 

the U.S. Board convened an official meeting 

in Jerusalem for the first time, with the 

participation of Board Members from 

Europe, Israel and the Jerusalem 

Foundation's staff. The meeting focused 

on projects chosen for implementation 

by the Project Review Committee of the 

U.S. Board and future directions for donor 

outreach. Board Members and staff 

discussed upcoming trends and goals of 

the Foundation and how to employ the 

"best practices" method in the operation 

of the Board. A team of architects and 

planners presented ideas for the construction 

of a donor park in honor of Teddy Kollek 

and brainstormed about how best to draw 

visitors both from Israel and abroad. Board 

Members were unanimous in their 

enthusiasm and all shared an overall feeling 

of renewed inspiration for the future of 

Jerusalem. 

West Coast Representative 

Doron Nesher has been appointed as the 

Jerusalem Foundation's West Coast 

Representative responsible for development 

and donor outreach, primarily in Los 

Angeles and San Francisco. He has had 

a wide-ranging career in Israel that included: 

acting, stand-up comedy, talk-show host, 

novelist, journalist, teacher, director of 

TV commercials and political strategist. 

He also wrote a screenplay for one of the 

best-known films in Israel, "Late Summer 

Blues," about a group of high school 

students in the late 70s, during the summer 

before the Yom Kippur War. Doron has 

worked in non-profit development in San 

Francisco for the past five years and will 

work for the Foundation in marketing and 

fundraising efforts in California. 

Donor Reports 

The Crown Family Foundation in 

conjunction with the Jewish Federation 

of Chicago has generously allocated funds 

to fight poverty in Jerusalem. Single parent 

families in two Jerusalem neighborhoods 

will benefit from a two year program 

designed to empower families below the 

poverty line and help mothers and children 

enter the mainstream of life in Jerusalem. 

Guilford Glazer from Los Angeles has 

chosen to support the Info Program at the 

Mishkenot Sha’ananim Culture Center. 

The program is designed to provide foreign 

journalists based in Israel with the 

information and updates that are vital to 

presenting Israel’s point-of-view to the 

mass media. Elias Buchwald, former 

senior partner of the Public Relations 

Firm Burson-Marsteller, is overseeing 

the project and evaluating it in order to 

ensure its success. 

Bill Ackman, former Chairman of the 

U.S. Foundation, has pledged to renovate 

the Beit David Sports Hall in East 

Jerusalem. Bill's understanding of the 

needs of East Jerusalem residents inspired 

him to join Allen Model, a long-time 

supporter of Beit David, in upgrading its 

facilities and services. 

Irving Taylor has chosen to fund a major 

Young Friends of the Jerusalem Foundation hosted Bilingual School co-principle 

Alah Khatib and founder Lee Gordon at the home of Julian Steinberg in April. 

renovation of the Rose and Isaac Taylor 

Community Center. Renovations are 

commencing in 2006. 

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation has 

allocated funds for the restoration of the 

antique Conegliano Veneto Italian 

Synagogue built c. 1626. The synagogue 

is a shining example of the richness of 

the Italian Jewish heritage and continues 

to proudly serve the Italian Jewish 

community in Jerusalem today. 

18 

Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006

Free in June opened at the Tower of David on June 3, 2005. Over 25,000 

Jerusalemites and out-of-towners attended the various free venues 

throughout the city. 

The Righteous Person's Foundation 

continues to support programs aimed at 

providing assistance to medical staff in 

Jerusalem as the latter continue to deal 

with victims of terrorist attacks. Exposed 

to the horrors of terrorist attacks the 

hospital staff often suffer from exhaustion. 

The Helping-the-Helpers Program plays 

a significant role in reinforcing the important 

work performed by hospital staff. 

Leon Constantiner and his wife Michaela, 

recipient of the 2005 Teddy Kollek Award, 

pledged generous support for the 

Cinematheque and it's ongoing activities 

in Jerusalem. 

Long-time Jerusalem Foundation supporter 

and Board Member Alan C. Greenberg 

and his wife Kathy decided to help upgrade 

the educational work being done at the 

Esther Greenberg School in Gilo. Students 

will benefit from the New Educational 

Enhancement Program, which will be 

launched at the start of the new school year. 

The Ridgefield Foundation has continued 

its support of the Erna Leir Kindergarten 

Program at the Jerusalem YMCA. This 

generous support enables the kindergarten 

to continue educating new generations 

on coexistence and the need for mutual 

understanding between all people. 

The William S. Paley Foundation 

continues its generous support of the Paley 

Art Center in East Jerusalem, encouraging 

youth to broaden their horizons and develop 

their artistic potential. 

Reception for Hala Amas 

Harriet Vicente warmly 

welcomed Hala Amas, Director 

of the Beit David Community 

Center, at her lovely home on 

November 9, 2005. A large 

gathering of her friends came to 

hear Hala speak about the many 

programs at the Community 

Center, but in particular about 

the Independent Skills Workshop 

Program for Young Arab Women 

which Harriet has been supporting 

for almost ten years. Many of the 

guests were interested to learn 

that through Harriet’s involvement, 

these women had a real opportunity 

to better their lives. The Jerusalem 

Foundation is grateful to Harriet for her 

commitment and concern for these young 

ladies. 

Free In June and Moonlight Cinema 

“Free In June” opened at the Tower of 

David on June 3, 2005, and continued to 

draw visitors throughout the month. An 

estimated 25,000 Jerusalemites and outof-towners 

attended the various events 

offered, marking a 66% increase in 

participation from last year. Special thanks 

to the sponsors of “Free In June,” Arie 

and Ida Crown Memorial, USA, The 

Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel 

Philanthropic Fund, USA, The Jerusalem 

Foundation New Leadership Group, 

New York. 

NLG members are happy to announce 

that one of the activities they support - 

the Moonlight Cinema - has found a new 

home at Ha MaAbada (the Lab), a 

performing arts venue located in Jerusalem’s 

old train station. Moonlight Cinema is a 

three-day outdoor film festival initiated 

by the NLG five years ago. It has become 

a much anticipated summer event in 

Jerusalem. The new venue allows 1500 

individuals to take part in the festivities 

each night, which is three times more 

than its former home, Liberty Bell Gardens, 

could accommodate. Many thanks to NLG 

Vice-Chair Craig Reicher and long time 

foundation supporter Bill Ackman for 

making this move possible. 

The New Leadership Group hosted the Vertigo dance 

troupe in Riverside Park in July. 

New Leadership Group 

On May 20th, New Leadership Group 

Executive Committee member Ed 

Dougherty hosted a cocktail party in his 

Park Avenue home for the Group. The 

event introduced the work of the Jerusalem 

Foundation to several individuals new to 

the Foundation: Israeli Entrepreneur Rony 


19

Zarom and his wife Yael, attorney Dara 

Diamonde, as well as Esther Gitman. 

Foundation Senior Director Oren Rosenstein 

gave guests an update on Jerusalem. 

On July 26th the New Leadership Group 

held a picnic in Riverside Park, followed 

by a dance performance by Vertigo, 

Jerusalem’s leading modern dance troupe. 

The Jerusalem Foundation has supported 

Vertigo for a number of years and was 

happy to be able to show support for the 

Troupe during its New York tour promoting 

its newest act Birth of the Phoenix, 

connecting art to the environment. 

Young Friends of the Jerusalem 

Foundation 

On April 11 members of the Young Friends 

of the Jerusalem Foundation gathered at 

the home of Julian Steinberg for a cocktail 

reception and discussion with Bilingual 

School co-Principal Alah Khatib and 

Founder Lee Gordon. Attendees Laura 

Ruth Abel, Laura Redniss, Luke Weil, 

Edward Dwek, Morty Singer and Alex 

Charriol were inspired by the discussion 

and confirmed their commitment to help 

raise funds for the school. 

recent months. In November, at a special 

meeting of the Board of Directors, several 

distinguished new members were welcomed 

to its ranks. Elected as new National 

President of the board of directors 

was Mr. David J. Azrieli, C.M., 

C.Q., M.Arch., President of Canpro 

Investments Ltd. which designs, 

builds, and manages shopping 

centers and office buildings. He 

established the first enclosed 

shopping mall in Israel and today 

is the leading shopping centre and 

real estate developer in Israel. He 

received the Order of Canada in 1985 and 

has received many other awards including 

the Prime Minister’s Jubilee Award in 

1998 for his contributions to the Israeli 

economy and most recently the Jerusalem 

Prize. Joining Mr. Azrieli on the renewed 

Board of Directors are Toronto and Israel 

based real estate developer, and immediate 

past president of UIA Canada, Mr. Shoel 

Silver, Me. David Berger, former Canadian 

Ambassador to Israel; Mrs. Ariella Cotler, 

a powerful community advocate, active 

in numerous philanthropic arenas (and 

wife of Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Minister 

On September 29 a cocktail party at the 

Kush Lounge on the Lower East Side 

took place to raise awareness and funds 

for the Bilingual School in Jerusalem. 

The Committee, consisting of Edward 

Dwek, Barbara Wilhelm, Julian 

Steinberg, Edmond and Marielle Safra, Ian Leventhal and Shoel Silver discuss 

Mortimer Singer, Alejandro Santo plans at a meeting of the Toronto 

20 Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006 

Domingo, Federico Sada, John Khoury, Advisory Council. 

Fabiola Beracasa, Eugenia Silva and 

Stanley Shashoua worked tirelessly to 

make the evening a success. And it was 

- the lounge was packed, with Charles 

Rockefeller, Fredrick Fekkai and 

Jaquetta Wheeler amongst the 150 

attendees. Funds raised will go towards 

creating an award program at the school 

recognizing outstanding educators. 

of Justice); Ottawa resident, Me. Arthur 

Drache, recognized as the preeminent 

tax expert in the arena of philanthropic 

tax laws and a regular contributor to the 

National Financial Post of Canada; Mr. 

Boris Levine a past president of the Jewish 

Community Federation of Montreal and 

partner in the accounting firm Zitrer, 

Siblin, Ernst & Young; Me. David Golden 

a past NLG Toronto leader; Professor 

Canada 

Jean Ouellette, a leading academic in 

Desk Director: Steve M. Solomon the francophone sector and highly 

accomplished at the Université de Montréal; 

The Jerusalem Foundation of Canada has 

witnessed a dramatic renewal in its 

organizational capacity and leadership in 

and Amy Platt representing the young 

guard in Toronto. These and several other 

distinguished new board members have 

David J. Azrieli 

been welcomed by Mr. Manuel G. 

Batshaw, immediate Past President of 

the Board along with continuing board 

members Mrs. Neri Bloomfield, Mrs. 

Elaine Goldstein, Mr. Stephen 

Rosenhek, Mrs. Doris Schwartz 

and Mr. Morton Wexler. The 

newly constituted board is 

expected to be further expanded 

by the inclusion of several 

members from communities 

outside the Montreal-Ottawa- 

Toronto corridor. 

A new group of luminaries have also 

joined the Canadian leadership as 

Honourary Board Members. They include 

long time supporter, Senator Yoine 

Goldstein, along with Gina Godfrey, 

Toronto artist and wife of the Toronto 

Blue Jays owner Paul Godfrey, world 

renowned Architect Moshe Safdie, with 

offices in Jerusalem, Montreal and 

Massachusetts, and Charles Coffey, the 

Executive Vice-President of Government 

and Community Affairs for RBC Financial 

Group. In his role at the bank, Mr. Coffey 

has helped establish various charitable 

projects including the National Children’s 

Agenda. He also serves on the boards of 

many advocacy groups, co-chairs 

Champions and The Canadian Council 

to Promote Equality and Respect. 

Also welcomed at this Board of Directors 

meeting were the two new Executive Staff 

of the Foundation in Canada, Mrs. Monica 

E. Berger (National and Montreal) and 

Ian Leventhal (Greater Toronto Area). 

Canadian leadership feels strongly about 

the important relationship between the 

Jerusalem Foundation of Canada and 

Jerusalem. Senator Goldstein passionately 

described the importance of maintaining 

“a quality of life for Jerusalem residents… 

including the Christian, Muslim and Jewish 

communities,” while Julia Koschitzky 

described the Foundation “as fulfilling 

an important mission…in sustaining 

Jerusalem” and of “… the centrality of 

Jerusalem in Jewish life…” David Azrieli 

talked about his profound personal 

engagement to Jerusalem and expressed 

his belief that the Foundation is the best 

instrument through which to strengthen 

Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Foundation of Canada 

has moved its Montreal office to a new 

location at 5165 Queen Mary Road, Suite 

204, Montreal, PQ H3W 1X7. The 

Jerusalem Foundation of Canada expresses 

its sincere appreciation to the State of 

Israel Bonds (Canada) in making it 

possible to share common space and to 

lease office space for our Head Office 

staff. The new Toronto office is located 

at 267 Champagne Drive, North York, 

ON M3J 2C6. 

Donor Reports 

The Henry and Berenice Kauffman 

Foundation made two grants to the 

Jerusalem Foundation of Canada this year. 

One grant was designed to support the 

Free in June program, which saw record 

numbers of Jerusalemites attending the 

many cultural and social events provided 

throughout Jerusalem. Janice Levine, 

Executive Director, was particularly 

pleased that this grant could support The 

Vertigo Dance Company. A second grant 

was made to support the presence of the 

Nalaga’at Theatrical troupe in its Toronto 

performance at the Bluma Appel Theatre 

in September 2005. 

Jules Lewy who along with his family 

has supported the Fred and Irene Lewy 

Youth Centre at Beit Elisheva, increased 

his level of giving in order to support the 

growing needs to provide after school 

services to youth living in communities 

struggling with limited resources. The 

Lewy Centre provides after school meals, 

tutoring, sport and recreation and computer 

instruction and access to youth who might 

otherwise be on the streets. 

Dr. Joseph Caspi of Montreal recently 

established the Cyril Caspi Memorial 

Scholarship to provide educational 

assistance for teachers at the unique Kerem 

Institute in Jerusalem. This institute trains 

Newly elected officer Amy Platt with 

her husband Aaron at a recent event. 

the top tier of teachers in ways to integrate 

Judaic material in a humanistic fashion 

so that they can blend Judaic text and 

background with the general studies 

curriculum. 

In July 2005 Henry Korenblum son of 

past board member and donor Ellie 

Korenblum visited sculptures that were 

donated by his family in the various parks 

and neighborhoods of the city including 

Har Nof, the German Colony and Baka. 

Two generous contributions were received 

through the Canadian Christians for 

Israel from Guert and Emmy Hoekman 

and from Mr. Sidney Harkema for one 

of the Jerusalem Foundation's centerpiece 

coexistence programs, Caring 

Communities. This program, located in 

Neveh Ya’akov, has been a model program 

furthering better understanding among 

communities and supporting the needs 

of lower income members of Jerusalem 

society. 

The ELDEE Foundation, with the support 

of Neri, Harry & Evelyn (Schacter) 

Bloomfield continues to provide support 

for one of the major achievements of the 

Foundation, the Bernard M. Bloomfield 

Science Museum. The Museum recently 

opened an exclusive Einstein exhibit. 

After many years of quiet support, one 

of our long standing donor families recently 

committed itself to providing the necessary 

funding which will allow the Foundation 

to acquire the land on which the Ein Yael 

Living Archeological Museum stands. 

This outstanding interactive outdoor 

museum also provides many programs 

and activities which strengthen Jerusalem’s 

coexistence activities. 

Thanks to a contribution of past president 

of the Canadian Board, Morty Wexler, 

a new cheetah was purchased for the 

Tisch Family Zoological Gardens. Thanks 

to donors such as Mr. Wexler, this unique 

Biblical Zoo is able to acquire and maintain 

a range of exotic animals in as natural 

a habitat as possible. When next in 

Jerusalem make sure to visit the biblical 

zoo. 

From the United Kingdom 

Desk Director: Nurit Gordon 

T he Jerusalem Foundation is 

delighted to announce that the Rayne 

Foundation have decided to name the 

new campus of the Bilingual School in 

memory of Lord Rayne. Construction 

of the school has already begun and is 

scheduled to be completed at the beginning 

of 2008, by which time 500 Jewish and 

Arab children will be learning together. 

The Jerusalem Foundation welcomes 

Peter Halban to the UK board. He is a 

long-time and second generation friend 

of Jerusalem. 

The Foundation was deeply saddened at 

the untimely loss of Vivienne Wohl, a true 

and dear friend of the Jerusalem Foundation, 

and also mourns the passing of Henny 

Gestetner CBE, one of the first donors to 

the Foundation and a great friend and founder 

of the Khan Theatre. (see page 30) 

Events in London 

Dan Meridor and Ruth Cheshin came 

to London for a packed few days of 


21

Sylvia and Richard Smouha to visit the 

meetings to introduce the Foundation to Visitors to Jerusalem 

22 Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006 

new and old friends. Martin Paisner, 

Smouha Sports Ground in Katamon, which 

Chairman of the Board, hosted a cocktail 

Dame Vivien Duffield, Chairman of the was donated in 1996 in memory of Wing 

at the Garrick Club. Matthew Lindsay 

Clore Israel Foundation, accompanied Commander Edward Teddy Smouha OBE, 

and Andrew Goldstone of Mishcon de 

by her son and daughter in law, George Olympic Medallist, by his family of 

Reya invited a group of young businessmen 

and Melinda Duffield and by her daughter London and Geneva. The Sports Ground 

and colleagues to a breakfast. Trustee 

Arabella Duffield. The family visited is part of a WIZO youth complex and is 

Guy Naggar brought his friends to his 

Jerusalem on the occasion of the opening being used regularly for basketball and 

home for an informal breakfast and Stephen 

of the new Museum at Yad Vashem. They football practices and games by youngsters 

O’Brien, with the help of Harold Paisner, 

visited the Tower of David Museum, the from the neighbourhood as well as by 

hosted a lunch for a group of people very 

Clore Israel Foundation's major project teams from elsewhere in the city. 

interested in our coexistence work. Everyone 

in the city, as well as the city model, the 

was eager to hear about Dan’s views of 

working tool for the city’s architects and Lord Puttnam was the guest speaker at 

the current situation, and this was also an 

planners for the development of the city the gala opening of the 22nd International 

opportunity for Dan to speak about the 

centre. 

Film Festival at the Jerusalem 

challenges that Jerusalem is facing and 

Cinematheque in July and toured 

the way the Foundation is responding. 

Jerusalem Foundation 

coexistence projects. He also 

Events in Jerusalem 

met with first year students of 

the Sam Spiegel Film and 

The Jerusalem Quartet, consisting of 

Television School’s new Film 

Alexander Pavlovsky on violin, Sergei 

Producers’ Course. 

Bressler on violin, Amichai Grosz on viola 

and Kyril Zlotnikov on cello, performed 

Adam Spiegel son of the late 

at the Fifth Harry Weinrebe Concert in 

Sam Spiegel, to attend the Sam 

Spiegel Film and Television 

April at the Mary Nathaniel Auditorium 

School’s 15th Anniversary 

at the YMCA to standing ovation. 

celebrations, which included the 

On the occasion of his 85th birthday, 

Ralph Freeman received the Jacques 

Lipschitz Award for his and Eva’s 

naming of the Sam Spiegel Alley 

and a screening of a retrospective 

of the school’s work. 

generous support of Jerusalem through 

the RD Freeman Charitable Trust for 

the training of handicapped children 

in Arts and Crafts at a ceremony at the 

Musrara School of Photography, Media 

Stephen O’Brien and Lord 

Andrew White to hear about 

the Jerusalem Foundation’s 

coexistence work. They are 

and new Music in May. 

looking to promote investment 

in the region. 

Michael Phillips made his third annual 

presentation in June of the Phillips Trophies A gala dinner was held in honour of Lord Marion and Guy Naggar in 

Leonard Wolfson and the Wolfson Foundation 

for the Best Sportsman and Sportswoman 

April to visit the School of 

in recognition of their contributions to Israel 

of the Year at the Sieff and Marks School. 

and Jerusalem. The Gala was organized by 

Photography, Media and new 

Michael also met with students in the the various organizations which benefited from Music, which they have adopted 

school to discuss their future plans. 

the Foundation’s generous help over the years. as their new project. 

Family and friends from both Israel and 

Angela Camber to a performance of a Trustees of the Kennedy Leigh Charitable 

abroad attended the rededication of the 

Jewish-Arab drama student workshop, Trust to meet founders and participants 

Ber-Harris Garden in memory of Ansel 

which takes place in the Alma Birk of Ma’agan - The Jerusalem Support 

Harris in Katamon in August. The garden, 

Rehearsal Room at the Khan Theatre and Center for those affected by Cancer, which 

tucked away on a quiet corner, serves the 

to visit the Bilingual School. 

provides support activities to strengthen 

neighbourhood’s youngsters and elderly 

patients emotionally, reducing anxiety 

alike. 

Martin Paisner, Chairman of Jerusalem 

and increasing their confidence in being 

Foundation, UK, Howard Leigh, Trustee, 

Leni Ehrenberg attended the 10th birthday 

able to cope with the disease. 

Trevor Leigh for the International Council 

of The Rose Music Library in Emek 

Meeting in June (see pgs. 16-17). 

Refaim. The birthday was celebrated with 

Tim Joss, Director of the Rayne Foundation. 

a music and dance performance by students 

and teachers at the Hasadna Music 

Conservatorium. 

Heskel Nathaniel, UK recipient of the 

Teddy Kollek Award, and his family and 

friends in June (see pgs. 14-15). 

Sir Harry and Carol Djanogly to visit 

projects.

Al'adin Maherali to visit coexistence 

projects. 

Jack and Janice Livingstone and Jonny 

and Avril Manson, Victor and Carol 

Marks, Stuart and Maxine Marks, from 

the Manchester Group, to meet with the 

team at Elwyn regarding the Katie Manson 

Sensory Garden currently under 

construction and to visit Bet Joanna, their 

previous project. 

The following pledges and donations 

were received. New pledges for 

2005 almost doubled that of 2004, 

for which we are extremely 

fortunate: 

Ruth and Henry Amar for the AMCHA 

project 

Anonymous for coexistence projects at 

the Centre for Arab-Jewish Coexistence, 

the Museum of Italian Jewish Art 

Anonymous for the computerisation of 

the Jerusalem Foundation archives and 

for Science & Technology Students 

scholarships 

Aviva plc. (Pehr Gyllenhammar) for I 

Am You Are video project for Jerusalem’s 

Jewish and Arab Youth at the Cinematheque 

Lord Bernstein for Speaking Art, 

Conference II on coexistence and the 

Producers Course at the Sam Spiegel Film 

School 

B’nai B'rith Leo Baeck (London) for 

the elderly 

S.H. & Audrey Burton for the Beit Alpert 

Jewish and Arab Orchestra 

Clore Israel Foundation for maintenance 

costs and the Train Exhibition at the Tower 

Michael Phillips with outstanding athletes 

from the Sieff and Marks School. 

of David Museum and for a sports field 

in Bet Safafa 

Dent Charitable Trust for various projects 

Sir Harry and Carol Djanogly for 

maintenance of their existing projects 

Dorset Foundation for subsized tickets 

at the Khan Theatre and for Misholim 

Eranda Foundation for I Am You Are 

video project for Jerusalem’s Jewish and 

Arab Youth at the Cinematheque 

Estate of the Late Kate Kemper for the 

welfare of Jewish children 

Ralph and Eva Freeman for the Gaby 

Centre at the Tisch Family Zoological 

Gardens and an endowment from the The 

R.D. Freeman Charitable Trust for the 

Training of Handicapped Children in 

Arts and Crafts to support the programme 

for children with special needs at the 

Jerusalem School of Photography 

Rita Greenstein for the Jerusalem Music 

Centre 

Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust for 

programming at Ma’agan the Jerusalem 

Support Center for those affected by 

Cancer 

Morris Leigh Trust for the Alonim 

School carpentry workshop 

Lewis Family Charitable Trust for the 

Community Centre and Intel Clubhouse 

in Neveh Ya’akov 

Marcus Margulies for Philip ans Sally 

Leon Community Centre renovations 

Guy and Marion Naggar for the 

Photography School 

P.F.I. for children 

Phillips Michael for repair costs at the 

John Rubens Sports Centre and air 

conditioning at the Bet Hakerem 

Community Centre 

Rayne Foundation to name the Bilingual 

School after Lord Rayne 

Smouha Family for renovations to the 

Edward Smouha Sports Ground in Katamon 

Vivian Sunlight for the upgrade of the 

Sunlight Pool at the Botanical Gardens 

VITA Charitable Foundation for the 

Intel Clubhouse in Neveh Yaakov 

Wolfson Foundation for the Visitors’ 

Centre at the Tower of David Museum 

of the History of Jerusalem 

Fred and Della Worms for various 

projects. 

From the German Speaking Countries 

Desk Director: Irène Pollak, M.A 

Special Advisor to the President: Ambassador Yissakhar Ben-Ya’acov 

T 

he Jerusalem Foundation 

welcomes Astrid Gottwald, M.A. 

who recently joined the team of the 

Desk for German-speaking Countries. 

Ms. Gottwald will be 

contributing her expertise 

and experience as a 

former member of staff 

at the Israeli Embassy in 

Berlin. 

The Department for German-speaking 

countries also started operating the 

German-language edition of the 

Jerusalem Foundation’s website that 

can be visited at: 

www.jerusalemfoundation.org/german 


23

Austria 

In the first half of 2005, Austrian support 

of the Jerusalem Foundation was highlighted 

by two major events: 

Jerusalem's new Herzl Museum on Mount 

Herzl was officially opened on May 19th, 

2005. The opening marked Israel's first 

official Herzl Day, set on the10th day of 

the Hebrew month of Iyar to coincide 

with Herzl’s birthday. The Jerusalem 

Foundation was able to support the 

Museum, which presents Herzl, his life 

and his work in an innovative, multimedia 

format, with help that came predominantly 

from Austria. In the presence of Israel's 

President, Moshe Katsav, as well as 

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, the 

this important project, Prof. Jacob 

Allerhand and Mrs. Rudolfine Steindling, 

who unveiled the donors' plaque. Close 

to the opening, yet another Austrian donor 

joined this list, contributing generously: 

The Government of Styria, Waltraut 

Klasnic, Governor. (See also the Jerusalem 

Foundation’s website under http://german 

.jerusalemfoundation.org/article.php?id 

=226). 

During a festive dinner at the Konrad 


Sha’ananim with representatives of the 

Jerusalem Foundation, Austrian Secretary 

of State Franz Morak, the members of 

his delegation and other guests were 

introduced to the A. and E. Libsch music 

project - in memory of the Jewish Austrian 

Foreign Minister Dr. Ursula Plassnik. 

During her visit to Jerusalem in June 

2005, Dr. Plassnik also met with the 

Jerusalem Foundation’s President, Ruth 

Cheshin, and promised that Austria would 

contribute to the Center for Jewish-Arab 

Education. (See below about the visit of 

Austria’s Minister of Education, Science 

and Culture Mrs. Elisabeth Gehrer). 

Dr. Jankowitsch used his visit for touring 

projects supported by donors from Austria. 

On the schedule were, in addition to the 

new Herzl Museum and the Living Museum 

at Ein Yael (see below), the Vienna Garden 

in the Park of Nations at the Wohl Rose 

Garden, the Nittel Traffic Education Park, 

the Jerusalem Teachers’ Seminary, the 

Rehavia High School (Gymnasium) and 

its Leon Zelman Hall; he also was informed 

on past work done with Austrian help on 

the Via Dolorosa in the Old City and the 

Arab Omariya School, as well as on 

ongoing research at the Jerusalem Zoo. 

The tour culminated in a stop at the Hand 

in Hand School for Jewish-Arab Education 

- for which the Jerusalem Foundation is 

building a new, comprehensive campus 

that also enjoys support from Austria (see 

last Windows). 

The inauguration of the Herzl Museum: (from right to left) Austrian Secretary 

of State Franz Morag, Israeli President Moshe Katzav, Jerusalem Foundation 

President Ruth Cheshin, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, Jerusalem Foundation 

Chairman Dan Meridor and Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin. 

Dr. Plassnik’s visit was followed by a visit 

from Austria’s Minister of Education, 

Science and Culture, Mrs. Elisabeth Gehrer 

in November 2005. At the construction 

site of the Bilingual School, Mrs. Gehrer 

presented her ministry’s pledge for the 

new campus, a pledge that is shared with 

the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) 

and the Austrian Federal Chancellery. 

Chairman of the World Zionist Organization 

and the Jewish Agency, Sallai Meridor, 

and Jerusalem Foundation President, Ruth 

Cheshin, the ceremony was attended by 

a sizeable delegation from Vienna. The 

delegation was led by Secretary of State 

for Art and Media in the Office of the 

Federal Chancellor of Austria, Franz 

Morak, and also included the Austrian 

Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Kurt Hengl, 

Director of the Vienna Opera, Mr. Ioan 

Holender, Director of the Schoenberg 

Center Vienna, Dr. Christian Meyer, 

and General Director of Casino Austria, 

Dr. Emil Metzgolits, as well as two 

sponsors out of a long list of donors for 

composer Arnold Schoenberg - and to 

the decision to have a Rudolfine Steindling 

Plaza in the Jerusalem Zoo. 

Earlier the same day, the Konrad Adenauer 

Conference Center had hosted an 

International Conference entitled It is 

Not a Dream: Herzl 2005. Among the 

participants were the President of the 

Jerusalem Foundation Austria, Dr. Peter 

Jankowitsch, who opened the conference, 

and Israeli writer Amos Elon. The 

conference was supported jointly by the 

Jerusalem Foundation and the Austrian 

Cultural Forum of the Austrian 

Embassy and received the help of Austrian 

Another important event that took place 

within the framework of this year’s 

international June event was the 

inauguration of the Vienna Road, the Via 

Vindobona, at the Living Museum Ein 

Yael on June 7th, 2005. In the course of 

several years, the open-air museum had 

been comprehensively renovated and 

enlarged through the initiative of Vienna’s 

mayor, Dr. Michael Haeupl, who supported 

the project in honor of former Jerusalem 

mayor and Jerusalem Foundation founder 

Teddy Kollek’s 90th birthday, with the 

assistance of deputy mayor Dr. Sepp 

Rieder. The festive act of naming the 

ancient Roman road leading through the 


museum, which was attended by Vienna’s 

former mayor, Prof. Dr. Helmut Zilk, 

by representatives of the Austrian Embassy 

and by many friends of the Jerusalem 

Foundation from Israel and abroad, was 

the high point of this long-term commitment. 

supported by it, hosts a large number of 

international conferences and meetings, 

which are also sponsored by German 

donors. The main points of emphasis of 

For further information on the Konrad 

Adenauer Conference Center at 

Mishkenot Sha’ananim, please contact: 

mishken@actcom.co.il, 

The Jerusalem Foundation, its members 

and its staff, express their deep and 

heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Rudolfine 

Steindling and the Gertner family on 

the loss of Danek Gertner, Vienna. 

May he rest in peace 

On 30 October, 2005 the Bernard 

M. Bloomfield Science Museum, 

which was founded jointly by the 

Hebrew University in Jerusalem and 

the Jerusalem Foundation, opened its 

extraordinary exhibition on Albert 

Einstein, his life and his work. The 

exhibition was previously shown in 

New York, Boston, Chicago und Los 

Angeles, yet in Jerusalem it is presented, 

for the first time, in three languages: 

Hebrew, Arabic and English. It is 

organized in cooperation with the 

Museum for Natural History, New 

York and The Hebrew University in 

Jerusalem and supported by the Israel 

Ministry for Science and Education, 

Teva Pharmaceuticals and Intel, as 

well as the Jerusalem Foundation 

and its friends, among them the 

Austrian Federal Ministry for 

Education, Science and Culture and 

the Austrian Foreign Ministry, the 

German State of Baden-Württember 

and Jack Rudin. The companies 

Ratiopharm AG and Telefunken- 

Racoms from Einstein’s home town 

of Ulm in Germany are supporting 

the project through the involvement 

of Ulm’s mayor, Ivo Goenner. 

Germany 

The growing number of visitors from 

abroad led to an increase in the activities 

at the Konrad Adenauer Conference 

Center at Mishkenot Sha’ananim. Every 

year, this Center, which was established 

by the Jerusalem Foundation and is 

Dr. Heinrich von Pierer, Chairman of the Board of Siemens AG, visiting the Konrad 

Adenauer Conference Center at Mishkenot Sha’ananim in Autumn 2005, with 

Dan Meridor and Ruth Cheshin, as well as Irene Pollak and Yissakhar Ben- 

Ya’acov. 

the programs at the Conference Center 

focus on Ethics and Human Values, Creative 

Work and its Different Aspects, Religion 

and Culture, and Jerusalem as a City of 

Mankind. 

Among the highlights at the KACC was 

a visit by Otto Schily, then Germany’s 

Interior Minister, and a recital by German 

actress Iris Berben from the poems of 

Holocaust victim Selma Meerbaum- 

Eisinger, in October 2005. The event 

took place within the framework of an 

exhibition presenting the “Juergen Serke 

Collection” in honor of the 60 years that 

went by since the end of WWII and was 

sponsored by mdBerlin and the Konrad 

Adenauer Foundation. 

In November 2005, a three-day International 

Cartoon Conference organized by the 

Konrad Adenauer Conference Center at 

Mishkenot Sha’ananim attracted an 

enthusiastic public to visit the KACC. The 

highly successful event hosted cartoon 

artists from 18 countries and was sponsored 

by the Kronen Zeitung, Dr. h.c. Erich 

Schumann, the Zeit Stiftung Ebelin und 

Gerd Bucerius and the German Embassy. 

A special publication with works of the 

participants was published and well received. 

german@jerusalemfoundation.org 

The Chairman of the Jerusalem Foundation 

Germany and former Prime Minister of 

the German State of Baden-Württemberg, 

Mr. Erwin Teufel, came with a delegation 

to attend this year's international June 

events and received the Teddy Kollek 

Award for life achievement at the Knesset, 

Israel's parliament. (see pgs. 14-15). In 

his speech, Mr. Teufel emphasized his 

life-long interest in the welfare of the 

Jewish people and Israel as well as in 

relations between Jews and Germans, and 

profoundly thanked German donors for 

their involvement. 

Prof. Berthold Leibinger and his wife, 

Doris, visited Jerusalem as members of 

Mr. Teufel's delegation and on the occasion 

pledged yet another five-year support of 

Misholim, an organization that takes care 

of children with behavioral disorders. In 

addition, Prof. Leibinger is supporting 

the preparation of new programs at the 

KACC. 

Also in June, a photography exhibition, 

which was sponsored by the Jerusalem 

Foundation with the support of the City 

of Hamburg, the Hamburg-based company 

Hapag Lloyd and the German Embassy 


25

in Israel, with the works of five Jerusalem 

photographers and five photographers 

from Germany, was shown at the Kunsthaus 

Hamburg. In November 2005, the exhibition 

was opened in Jerusalem’s Artists’ House. 

The curators of the exhibition, which 

received a lot of praise from the media, 

were Claus Mewes, the director of the 

Kunsthaus Hamburg, and Nirit Nelson, 

the Jerusalem Foundation’s art consultant. 

Tamar and Teddy Kollek, Ruth 

Cheshin, President of the Jerusalem 

Foundation, and the Jerusalem 

Foundation's staff extend their heartfelt 

condolences to Monika Schoeller, 

Dieter von Holtzbrinck and Karin 

von Holtzbrinck and the entire family 

in view of the loss of their mother 

Addy von Holtzbrinck (1913 - 2005), 

a dear friend of Jerusalem. May she 

rest in peace. 

Tamar and Teddy Kollek, the President 

of the Jerusalem Foundation, Ruth 

Cheshin, and the entire Jerusalem 

Foundation extend their deep 

condolences to Franz, Frieder and 

Dr. Hubert Burda and the entire Burda 

family for the loss of their mother 

Aenne Burda (1909 - 2005), a close 

friend of Jerusalem. May her memory 

be blessed. 

Mr. Franz Cremer of BMW in Munich 

emphasized the company’s continuing 

interest in supporting, via the Jerusalem 

Foundation, the activities of the Adam 

Institute for Democracy and Peace in 

Jewish and Arab schools. 

Dr. h.c. Erich Schumann pledged an 

additional generous gift for the campus 

of the Center for Jewish-Arab Education. 

The School and the project’s building site 

were also visited by Berlin’s Governing 

Mayor, Mr. Klaus Wowereit, and his 

delegation in November 2005. The visit 

was followed by extensive reports on the 

school in the German press and media. 

The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und 

Halbach-Stiftung, headed by Prof. Dr. 

Berthold Beitz, completed a large-scale 

project, which resulted in the renovation 

and adaptation of the Jerusalem Center 

for hearing-impaired Arab children in 

Abu Tor. The Krupp Foundation now 

pledged extensive support of the Jerusalem’s 

Jewish-Arab Hand in Hand School via 

the Jerusalem Foundation, in honor of its 

founder and former Jerusalem mayor, 

Teddy Kollek. 

On May 11th, 2005, 

both the Jewish and 

the Arab director of 

the Center for Jewish- 

Arab Education of the 

Hand in Hand School, 

Daliah Perez and Ala 

Khatib, received the 

Peace Prize awarded 

by the German- 

Israel Association, 

at the Reichstag in 

Berlin, in the presence 

of Germany’s former 

President, Dr. h.c. 

Johannes Rau, as 

well as Prof. Dr. Manfred 

Lahnstein, the president of the 

Germany-Israel Association. 

The Robert Bosch Foundation 

concluded a project concerning the early 

detection of hearing impairment in Arab 

children and is agreed to spons a new 

project. 

Mr. Thorsten Mueller, the son of Dr. h.c. 

Siegfried Mueller of Karlsruhe, paid a 

visit to Jerusalem with a group of friends. 

At the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center 

in Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Mr. Mueller 

jr. accepted, on behalf of his father, the 

title of "Friend of the Jerusalem Foundation" 

awarded for his long-standing and 

unwavering support of the children of 

Jerusalem. Siegfried Mueller’s project at 

the Har Choma Kindergartens is completed, 

and the comprehensive schoolyard 

renovation project at the Hattie Friedland 

School in Kiryat Hayovel for the hearing 

impaired is also concluded. 

Reverends Ulrich Schwemer and Otto 

Schenk as well as a delegation of the 

organization Evangelischer Arbeitskreis 

Kirche und Israel in Hessen und Nassau 

came to Jerusalem in August 2005, and 

visited their long-term project at Kibbutz 

Resheet. 

Switzerland 

Thanks to an initiative and the sponsorship 

of Hans J. Baer, the Jerusalem Foundation 

Zurich - led by its president Dr. Josef 

Estermann and its vice-president Erika 

At the cornerstone laying of the Swiss Classroom 

Building of the Bilingual Hand in Hand School for 

Jewish-Arab Education: Swiss Ambassador F. Chappuis, 

members of Parliament M. Reimann and V. Mueller- 

Hemmi, Dan Meridor and Prof. Dr. Gutzwiller. 

Gideon, an evening was organized in 

March at the Zurich Tonhalle for the 

donors of the Jerusalem Foundation, 

including a concert of the Jerusalem 

Quartet, followed by an après concert 

dinner at the Baur au Lac. Through the 

Baer-Kaelin Foundation, Mr. Baer 

also pledged generous support for the 

campus of the Center for Jewish-Arab 

Education. 

Mr. Simon Rothschild received the Teddy 

Kollek Award (see pgs. 14-15) for his 

significant contribution to life in Jerusalem 

and committed himself to adapt the Ben 

Yehuda Special Education School to the 

needs of its mentally, physically, socially 

and educationally challenged pupils. In 

recognition, the school will also carry his 

name. 

The Laying of the Cornerstone for the 

Swiss donors of the Bilingual Center for 

Jewish-Arab Education took place on 

November 7th, 2005. On the occasion, 

the Jerusalem Foundation received the 


visit of four Swiss members of parliament, 

Mrs. Vreni Mueller-Hemmi, Prof. 

Felix Gutzwiller, Mr. Hans Ulrich 

Mathys and Upper House Councillor 

Dr. Maximilian Reimann, as well as 

Dr. jur. Josef Bollag, representing an 

anonymous donor. The ceremony took 

place in the presence of Swiss Ambassador 

François Chappuis, and the Jerusalem 

Foundation’s International President, 

Dan Meridor, as well as representatives 

of the School, the Municipality, the Hand 

in Hand organization and the Jerusalem 

Foundation. 

In her capacity as Vice President, Mrs. 

Erika Gideon represented the Jerusalem 

Foundation Zurich during the events in 

June. Previously, she and two of her three 

daughters, Gabriela Rabner and Manja 

Kuy, visited the family's projects at the 

Givat Gonen Elementary School, which 

is also supported by additional Swiss 

donors. Mrs. Erika Gideon also agreed, 

after receiving a commitment by the 

municipality for matching funds, to 

generously contribute, through the Jerusalem 

Foundation, to the renovation and equipment 

of the Max and Erika Gideon Dental Clinic. 

The director of the Wendepunkt 

Foundation, Mr. Hans Peter Lang, and 

his wife paid a visit to their project at 

Elwyn in Jerusalem, followed by a visit 

of Elwyn's director, David Marcu, to 

Switzerland where he learned more about 

a computer recycling method from 

Wendepunkt and the strict Swiss recycling 

laws, which could prove useful for Elwyn's 

handicapped vocational projects. 

On behalf of an anonymous donor, 

Dr. jur. Josef Bollag confirmed the support 

of part of the salaries at the Center for 

Jewish-Arab Education. 

Mr. Philippe Bollag and his sister Fabienne 

Shklover-Hofmann, whose late parents 

were the founders of the André und Nicole 

Bollag-Bloch Foundation, visited 

Jerusalem for the festive opening of the 

new home of Bet Rachel Strauss for 

severely physically and mentally challenged 

children and youth. The occasion served 

as a backdrop for a photography exhibition, 

which was also attended by Jerusalem’s 

mayor, Uri Lupoliansky, and which was 

the result of a special course at Bet Rachel 

sponsored by the Bollag-Bloch Foundation. 

Mr. Bollag and his wife Claudia attended 

the opening of the Herzl Museum and 

thus provided a Swiss presence at the 

project that received support from the 

Manor company, Switzerland. 

The Dr. George and Josi Guggenheim 

Foundation made a generous pledge to 

the Jerusalem Foundation. 

The Walter Haefner Foundation as well 

as the Familien-Vontobel Foundation 

also agreed to support the Center for 

Jewish-Arab Education. 

For a complete list of donors, see the 

Jerusalem Foundation’s German-language 

website under 

http://german.jerusalemfoundation.org/ 

article.php?id=226 

From the French Speaking Countries 

Desk Director: Yaacov Loupo 

T he French Desk has gone 

through many changes and would like to 

welcome Miss Fabienne Kakoun, assistant 

to Dr. Yaacov Loupo, Director of the 

French Desk. Miss Kakoun made aliyah 

from France six years ago. Fabienne has 

a MA in History. 

The Traditional French High-School 

In recent years the Jewish community in 

France has been undergoing some soul 

searching and change. With the outburst 

of the second Intifada the number of anti- 

Semitic attacks and acts of vandalism 

against Jewish institutions greatly increased 

in France. The recent uprisings in Paris 

and its surroundings, in which mainly 

immigrants of Muslim origin were involved, 

further heightened the sense of insecurity 

of French Jews. This difficult situation 

Little Dream in Pisgat Ze’ev: Mr. Roger Berdugo, Mr. Jacques Halimi and 

Mr. Serge Hazan of Little Dream, Ruth Cheshin and Yaacov Loupo from the 

Jerusalem Foundation, and leaders of the Community Center. 

has led to an increase of aliya (immigration) 

of French Jews to Israel and of the purchase 

of property and assets in Israel and especially 

Jerusalem. These assets are for the French 

Jews a life line for when the time to leave 

France for Israel comes. The city of 

Jerusalem has a special meaning for French 

Jews and many have immigrated to or 

plan to settle in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem 

Foundation is responding to the needs of 

these latest arrivals in the city and has 

initiated a special project to encourage 

French immigration to Jerusalem and 

facilitate their absorption process. 

The French Desk’s initiative is turning into 

reality. A brochure has been compiled 

describing the project, which includes 


27

enovation of the original building, extension 

of the second floor and the creation biology, 

chemistry and physics laboratories. Enlarging 

the building more than doubles the number 

of students from 100 to 250. The plans also 

include the construction of a synagogue 

with a learning center for Jewish studies 

(Bet Midrash) on the plot of land near of 

the building, as well as the expansion of 

the library. The Israeli Ambassador to 

France, Mr. Nissim Zvili, has agreed to 

help forward this project. At a gathering 

of the Israeli Embassy in France together 

with French personalities, Mr. Pierre 

Besnainou made a generous contribution 

towards the establishment of the laboratories, 

as did Dr Armand Stemmer, President of 

the Lucien de Hirsch High School in Paris. 

The Jewish community in France has show 

great interest in this project which is now 

in the first stages of the architectural planning. 

Little Dream 

On the 31st of March, 2005 the cornerstone 

for the Little Dream Day Care Center for 

babies in Pisgat Ze’ev was laid. Little 

Dream representatives present at the 

ceremony included Mr. Roger Berdugo, 

Mr. Jacques Halimi and Mr. Serge Hazan. 

They were joined by Jerusalem Foundation 

President Ruth Cheshin and Yaacov Loupo, 

as well as leaders of the Community Center 

and parents with small children. The 

ceremony included a festive musical and 

cultural program. The center is scheduled 

to be open in the summer of 2006. 

The Khan Theater 

Reine Kleidman, a theater lover and 

wonderful friend of the Jerusalem 

Foundation, has given new life to the 

Hazira Performance Art Company through 

her generous donations to the arts. The 

company bases its extensive activities in 

the Khan Theater and offers performances 

in dance, music, video art and plays. Hazira 

performed during the Film Festival in July. 

Legacies 

A new initiative is now bring promoted: 

a legacy program. This will help endow 

projects in the educational, cultural and 

social fields. 

The French Desk has a new website. 

Please visit us at: 

www.jerusalemfoundation.org/french 

/home.php 

From Italy 

Desk Director: Tamar Millo 

T 

he Italian board, headed by 

Countess Marisa Pinto Olori del Poggio 

and together with devoted members Princess 

Maria Camilla Palavicini, Mirella Peteni 

Haggiag and Maria-Teressa Venturini- 

Fendi Peri, is working to intensify 

fundraising efforts. Most of the contributions 

are designated for coexistence. 

The Jerusalem Foundation was proud to 

host the New Scarlatti Orchestra of Naples 

for “Four Days of Naples for Peace in the 

Middle East.” The Orchestra preformed 

in Jerusalem and Ramallah as part of efforts 

to promote dialogue through culture as a 

means of peaceful conflict resolution. The 

concert, a joint initiative of the Municipality 

of Naples with the IDIS - City of Science 

Foundation and the University 

L’Orientale, was accompanied by a 

delegation of representatives of local and 

national institutions and from the civil 

society acting as messengers of peace. 

They included some 100 members of all 

of Italy’s political parties, members of 

parliament, Naples Mayor Rosa Russo 

Iervolino and peace activists who met 

with their counterparts in Jerusalem and 

Ramallah. 

Cooperation with the city of Naples is 

also bearing fruit in the area of science 

education, via the development of a 

Mathematics exhibition. The exhibition 

will soon be arriving at our Bernard M. 

Bloomfield Science Museum as well as 

at Al-Quds University in east Jerusalem. 

This coming March, a benefit concert will 

be conducted in Rome, commemorating 

10 years since the untimely assassination 

of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. All the 

proceeds will support the Jerusalem 

Foundation’s efforts to promote coexistence 

and tolerance among the different 

populations of Jerusalem. 

The New Scarlatti Orchestra of Naples performing in the Mary Nathaniel Friendship Hall at the Jerusalem YMCA 

as part of the “Four Days of Naples for Peace in the Middle East” initiative. 


From Australia 

Desk Directors: Steve Denenberg 

P rominent Australian leaders 

including politicians and the head of a 

major welfare aid agency, have featured 

amongst recent Australian visitors to the 

Jerusalem Foundation. 

Stephen Bracks, Premier of the State of 

Victoria, was a guest of the Foundation 

and has subsequently referred to his visit 

in many Australian forums. The Premier 

was particularly keen to see the bilingual 

Center for Jewish-Arab Education at the 

‘Hand in Hand’ school. 

Federal Member of Parliament for 

Wentworth, (New South Wales) 

Malcolm Turnbull also visited and 

was particularly impressed by the broad 

range of projects that the Foundation 

supports, particularly in the areas of 

environment and culture. 

Tim Costello AO, the 

CEO of World Vision 

Australia, was also a 

visitor of the Jerusalem 

Foundation in late April 

this year. Mr. Costello 

is one of Australia's 

leading voices on issues 

such as urban poverty, 

homelessness, problem 

gambling, reconciliation 

and substance abuse. Considerable interest 

was expressed during the visit as to the 

possibilities of a collaborative project 

between World Vision and the Jerusalem 

Foundation. 

A little earlier in the year saw Mr. Jeremy 

Dunkel, CEO of the philanthropic fund 

of the Orion Foundation, visiting the 

Jerusalem Foundation. The Orion 

Foundation has provided support to the 

Food Cooperative as well as the Small 

Business Enterprise Centre. In June, the 

Mr. Jeremy Dunkle of the Orion 

Foundation (right) at the food 

cooperative in Katamon. 

full Board of Governors 

of the Orion Foundation 

held their annual meeting 

in Jerusalem and were 

given a detailed briefing 

of the projects they 

support through the 

Jerusalem Foundation. 

As a consequence they 

happily pledged their 

continued support for 

the coming year. 

The CEO of the Pratt Foundation, Mr. 

Sam Lipski, visited Israel in May 2005. 

During this time the Pratt Foundation 

reviewed its funding priorities for the 

next three years, commencing in 2006. 

The Board of the Foundation, established 

by Richard and Heloise Pratt, has decided 

to place the development of Jerusalem as 

one of its major priorities, and will therefore 

be increasing its cooperation and partnership 

with the Jerusalem Foundation. 

From the Spanish Speaking Countries 

Desk Director: Herzl Inbar 

Ambassador(r) Herzl Inbar, 

who joined the Jerusalem Foundation 

last year, visited Spain several times 

establishing preliminary contacts for 

the creation of an Association of Spanish 

Friends of the Jerusalem Foundation. 

An office was already open in the premises 

of the Madrid based FRIDE (Fundación 

para las Relaciones Internacionales y el 

Diálogo Exterior) who generously agreed 

to host the office. Mrs. Susana Garzon 

was appointed as coordinator. 

Antonio Garrigues Walker, an outstanding 

lawyer and public figure, Ana Palacio, 

a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and 

Maurice Toledano, former President of 

the Jewish Community, are among the 

personalities participating in the preparatory 

committee. 

Recently, the Jerusalem Foundation 

established ties of cooperation with the 

Foundation of the Three Cultures, an 

organization with head quarters in Seville, 

devoted to fostering coexistence and 

understanding between the three 

monotheistic cultures. 

In November representatives of the Remar 

organization, led by its President Miguel 

Diez, visited Jerusalem. This Christian 

organization, based in Spain, works in 

over 40 countries to help those in need 

and also helped establish a hostel for 

travelers in Jerusalem. The group visited 

the Pathway Drug Rehabilitation center 

in Jerusalem and met with Jerusalem 

Foundation President Ruth Cheshin and 

Herzl Inbar. Together they agreed on 

cooperation in the area of drug rehabilitation 

and helping to spread the word on the 

work of the Foundation amongst Spanish 

groups, especially in the United States. 

In December European Union Ambassador 

to Israel Ramiro Cibrián-Uzal visited 

coexistence projects, including the Handin-Hand 

Center for Jewish-Arab Education 

(Bilingual School), the Beit Safafa 

Community Center and the Al Quds 

University. Following his visit Mr. Cibrián- 

Uzal noted the these projects are worthy 

of EU support. 

In Spain the paperwork for the Friends 

of the Jerusalem Foundation is being 

completed and important Jewish and 

general public figures have agreed to be 

part of its board. 


29

In Memoriam: Honoring Friends of Jerusalem 

Henny Gestetner 

Lord Victor Mishcon 

Memoriam 

In 

Henny Gestetner, nee Lang, was the 

embodiment of a true friend and active 

supporter of Israel and Jerusalem. 

Born in Switzerland in 1908, she 

moved to England in 1933 upon her 

marriage to Sigmund Gestetner, who 

was running the family-owned copying 

business. Mrs. Gestetner and her 

husband were very active in the Zionist 

Movement and were prominent in the 

Haim Weizmann network in England. Because of her husband’s 

role as President of the Jewish National Fund and later as 

Treasurer of the JPA (now the United Jewish Israel Appeal), 

they made many trips to Palestine, where they met Teddy Kollek 

for the first time in 1938. After the Second World War, the 

couple turned their farm in Sussex into a kibbutz to help train 

future immigrants to Palestine. Following Mr. Gestetner’s death 

in 1956, Mrs. Gestetner not only continued his tradition of 

Zionist activity, but started to support an ever wider range of 

causes in Israel and Jerusalem. She donated to the creation of 

the Kfar Aviezer Settlement in the Ella Valley in memory of 

her husband; the Hebrew University; the Rubin Academy of 

Music; the Israel Cancer Appeal; the Weizmann Institute; and 

more. One of the Jerusalem Foundation’s veteran donors, Mrs. 

Gestetner was particularly involved with the founding and 

financing for many years of the Khan Theatre. Jerusalem is 

truly richer for her contribution and dedication. 

A pillar of the Anglo-Jewish community 

and of civic life, Lord Mishcon left 

a significant mark on Jerusalem, giving 

generously to a kindergarten in Kiryat 

Hayoval, the Bnei Avraham youth 

center in Ein Kerem and a sport area 

at the Liberty Bell Garden via the 

Jerusalem Foundation. Lord Mishcon 

rose from modest beginnings as the 

son of a rabbi to become a leading 

lawyer and a member of Labour’s front bench in the Lords. In 

1992 he became the first practising solicitor to be appointed an 

honorary Queen’s Counsel. A man of great, yet humble, influence, 

he was awarded the Star of Jordan by King Hussein in 1995 for 

his role in the peace agreement with Israel. He was also committed 

to social causes and served on many committees and boards, 

including the London County Council’s education committees 

and the Inner London Education Authority and the boards of the 

National Theatre, South Bank Theatre and the London Orchestra. 

He was also deeply committed to Jewish causes, serving as 

president of the Association of Jewish Youth, vice-president of 

the Board of Deputies of British Jews, chairman of the Institute 

of Jewish Studies at the University College of London, a member 

of the Council of Christians and Jews and president of the British 

council of Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital, among others. A 

true friend, Lord Mischon’s untiring commitment to Israel and 

the Jewish people will be treasured always. 

Hermine Angelus 

Hermine Angelus passed away at the age of 96 in her North 

West London Jewish old age home. She helped fund an ambulance 

for the Magen David Adom and a kitchen for the Association 

of Jewish Refugees in London. She will be remembered fondly 

for her substantial contributions towards the welfare of the poor 

and underprivileged in Jerusalem, including a new kitchen for 

residents at the Akim hostel for children with special needs and 

support for Tkumat Arieh summer camps. 

and studied at the prestigious Bezalel art school in Jerusalem. 

She had an illustrious career as a painter, with her works garnering 

international acclaim, and also illustrated a number of books 

and was honored with the prestigious Herman Struck Prize. 

Passal and her husband bought a beautiful house in Jerusalem’s 

picturesque Ein Kerem neighborhood and turned it into a center 

for the arts called Eldan House. Here, Passal held unique festivals 

which combined painting, poetry and dance, all with the underlying 

themes of tolerance and understanding. She left Eldan House 

to the Jerusalem Foundation in her will along with an endowment 

so that it can continue to be a creative force in Jerusalem. 

Daniela Passal Geschman 

Acclaimed Artist Daniela Passal left a rich artistic legacy in 

Jerusalem. Born in Poland, Passal made aliyah at a young age 

Ruth Goldmuntz 

Ruth Goldmuntz followed her father’s commitment to Zionism 

and worked tirelessly for the State of Israel, with special 


In Memoriam: Honoring Friends of Jerusalem 

commitments to the Israel Museum and its founder Teddy 

Kollek, with whom she had a lifelong friendship. She left her 

mark on Jerusalem through such projects as the Lowengert park 

in the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood which she did in memory 

of her parents. 

Avram(Dolphi) 

Goldstein-Goren 

Avram (Dolphi) Goldstein-Goren, the founder of the Cukier, 

Goldstein-Goren Foundation, was born in 1905 in Podu Turcului, 

a shtetl in the Tecuci district of Romania. He was a great supporter 

of Israel and Jerusalem had a particularly clear sense of history, 

understanding, identity and purpose. The garden he helped build 

through the Jerusalem Foundation in the Pat neighborhood is 

a fitting tribute to this unique man who passed away in November 

2005 at the age of 100, as is the Day Care Family Center for 

Handicapped Children in Kiryat Yovel, which will continue 

to serve those in need for generations to come. His deep sense 

of philanthropic commitment is carried on by his two sons, 

Alexander and James in New York, and two daughters, Viviana 

and Micaela, in Rome and Milan, Italy. 

Peter E. Haas Sr. 

The Walter and Elise Haas Promenade is a precious gem in that 

stands out in the city of Jerusalem. Peter Haas and the Haas 

family found a fitting and special way to honor their parents: 

with the help and inspiration of world famous landscape architect 

Larry Halprin they created the breathtaking Walter and Elise 

Haas Promenade. Over the years, the Haas and Goldman families 

have visited the Promenade on numerous occasions and Peter 

was always particularly moved by the incredible view of the 

old and new city of Jerusalem and the meaningful role of the 

promenade in the everyday lives of all Jerusalemites. 

John Slade 

Born Hans Schlesinger in Frankfurt in 1908, John Slade was 

arguably the best field hockey goalie in Germany, expected to 

compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. His dreams were, 

however, abruptly cut short by Hitler’s rise to power and the ban 

on Jewish players, and the young Schlesinger immediately 

resigned and helped form an all-Jewish sports club. He later left 

Germany for the United States where he worked for the Bear, 

Stearns investment firm. In 1942, his strong sense of identity 

and pride led him to volunteer in the United States Army in the 

fight against Hitler. He was awarded a Bronze Star for bravery. 

Upon his return to the USA, at the age of 40, he tried out for and 

made the 1948 American Olympic field hockey team. A truly 

remarkable man whose personal story reflects the struggles and 

triumphs of many European Jews of his time, Slade never forgot 

Israel and contributed a sport field for Israeli athletes in the 

Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, a fitting tribute to this outstanding 

athlete and man. 

Preston Robert 

"Bob" Tisch 

An very generous philanthropist, Preston Robert "Bob" Tisch 

helped create the unique Tisch Family Zoological Gardens 

biblical zoo in Jerusalem together with his brother Laurence, 

who passed away in 2003. The Zoo is a truly important asset 

to the city and attracts hundreds of visitors year-round, including 

school children and tourists from around Israel and the world. 

The Zoo is also appropriately home to animals mentioned in 

the Bible as well as many endangered species from around the 

world. Mr. Tisch served as the New York Giants Football Team’s 

Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer and was one of the 

nation’s most respected and successful businessmen and a 

former United States Postmaster General. He also served as 

chairman of the Loews Corporation and was a civic leader in 

New York City for several decades. He is survived by his wife, 

Joan Tisch, and three children. 

Vivienne Wohl 

Vivienne Wohl was a devoted friend of Jerusalem who truly 

cared for its residents and made sure to be involved at the ground 

level. She and her husband Maurice together supported numerous 

religious, medical, educational and cultural projects in the 

United Kingdom and Israel. In 1981, they created an especially 

beautiful landmark in Jerusalem through the establishment of 

the award-winning 25-acre Wohl Rose Park, with its 40,000 

rose bushes overlooking the Knesset. The peaceful tranquility 

and beauty of the roses blooming in the garden are a fitting 

tribute to such a joyous, kind and loving person. Other Jerusalem 

projects include the Wohl Archeological Museum. 

Windows on Jerusalem Winter 2006 31

Song of Songs 

“Behold, thou art 

fair my beloved... 

fairest among women.” 

“An enclosed garden 

is my sister, my bride... 

A hidden fountain, a 

sealed spring.” 

F 

Garden 

brings Bible alive 

for Jerusalem’s children 

or generations, poets and writers have been 

inspired by the imagery and deep love portrayed 

in the biblical book of Shir Hashirim (Song of 

Songs). Now, the feelings and ambiance of this 

great love story are being revisited in the Shir 

Hashirim Garden at the Ein Yael Living Museum 

in Jerusalem. Via sight, sound and scent, the lush 

world of the biblical text is being brought to life 

for all who visit. 

The Garden has been designed as a maze of grape 

arbors, fruit trees and perfume bushes all descending 

to the “locked garden.” Fed by the Ein Yael spring, 

the garden includes the bridal canopy and “king’s 

rooms” alluringly described in the Song of Songs. 

Visitors to this tranquil haven, nestled warmly in 

the Jerusalem hills, will truly feel they have stepped 

back in time to the world of King Solomon and 

the passions he described. 

The Jerusalem Foundation thanks all those who made this special project possible.

Windows Winter 2006 - Jerusalem Foundation

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