The Israel Department: Provides seminars, workshops and training programs. For: Israeli students K-12 (Jews and Arabs – Hebrew and Arabic); Educators; Adults; IDF

Seminars for veteran Israelis The Israel department taught fifty seven seminars and workshops on Jewish identity, Zionism, democracy, civil rights, good citizenship, human rights, preparation for the IDF, majority/minority rights, Holocaust, multiculturalism and reached 5,445 Israeli high school students. The length of the seminars ranged from a 4 hour program in which one or two subjects were covered to three day intensive seminars with nine to twelve educational units per day.

Seminars for New Immigrant Israelis the Israel Department also conducted seminars for Russian and Ethiopian new immigrants. 520 high school students participated in eight three day seminars; 105 in two 2-day seminars and 57 in a one day seminar. These seminars focused on Jewish identity, Zionism, understanding the reality of Israel, the Shoah and Jewish history.

Israeli Constitution A Knesset committee interested in generating discussion with world Jewry over the state of Israel in order to promote collaboration and deepen the dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora asked Melitz to develop educational programs that promote dialogue and incorporate the needs of both Israeli and Diaspora Jews. Melitz is currently developing discussion kits for organized dialogue among leaders from the spectrum of North American Jewry and for Israeli schools.

Religious – Secular Dialogue In November Melitz facilitated 225 students in a religious-secular dialogue tent focusing on “How does a split society deal with differences of opinion in a democratic way?” The gathering was to mark the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Preparation for the IDF The Ministry of Defense contracted Melitz to design programs teaching “Army Preparation” for high school students, and to train officers enabling them to implement the courses. Course content includes Judaism, democracy, citizenship and the importance of enlisting in the IDF. The program is being implemented in cooperation with Hemdat, a non-profit organization encouraging cultural freedom.

Teacher training seminars Ongoing throughout the year, nationwide. Special clients included counselors in the Marvah Overseas Volunteer IDF program and Birthright program counselors.

The Immigrant Department: Providing programs in Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Amharic and Russian, specializing in long-term programs, including leadership. For: children, youth, Pre IDF, adults.

Seminars The New Immigrant department reached 3,433 Russian, Ethiopian and South American new immigrants through seventy-eight seminars (either half day or full day) on topics including Jewish Identity, Israel as a Multi-cultural Society, History and Jewish Culture, Belonging, Freedom and Equality, My Personal Identity Card, Non-verbal Communication, the Jewish-Arab Conflict, Leadership Styles, Israeli Society, Israeli Society and Democracy, Jewish-Democratic Society, Jewish Culture and Democracy, The Arab Minority, Rights and Obligations in a Democratic Society, Tu B’Shvat, Purim, Pesach, Independence Day, and the Jewish Calender.

Leadership Training Ethiopian Leadership Training Program in Ashkelon, whose thirty graduates are now planning their own projects, including an elementary school enrichment program for young Ethiopian children.

New Immigrant Involvement in the General Israeli Dialogue Four multi-unit community involvement programs, designed to convey the elements of the Kinneret Declaration and their importance for a healthy vibrant Israeli society, were conducted for immigrants to Israel in their mother tongue. A core group of fifteen educators was selected from the program participants to develop and implement “community involvement programs.” This core group also participated in a special forum where they acted as a referent group for “field queries” from programs in progress. This stage-two project allowed the newly trained cadre of leaders to implement programs based upon the “Kinneret Declaration” in immigrant communities. This program is the second stage in encouraging immigrant involvement in Israeli dialogue. The goals of the project were to:

• Continue disseminating the message of unity through the vehicle of the Kinneret Declaration in immigrant communities throughout Israel.
• Assist Olim to participate in the general Israeli dialogue.
• Encourage participants to become active advocates of a shared vision of renewal for Israeli society.
• Fortify newly trained educational leaders’ ability to work within the community.
• As a result of the program by the end of 2005, project participants carried out four community projects in Carmiel, Bat Yam, Ashkelon and Jerusalem