Case study: Identity Workshop "The Jewish Experience of Modern Germany"
Initial Position
Young US American Jewish students and other multipliers visited Europe for several weeks as participants of the international program “Bridge of Understanding”. The intention of the event was to get to know Germany as a part of the European Union, to give an insight of the political situation and the relationship between Jewish and non-Jewish Germans. After the emigration of their families, the participating students were the first generation that agreed on traveling to Germany – sometimes against the will of their relatives. The visit was meant to afford an opportunity of reducing potential reservations and to offer an up-to-date impression about Germany. One item on the agenda of the European tour, which included an encounter with leading politicians and students, was a three-day workshop for which I led.
Procedure:
In cooperation with the organizers and the program lead we laid down the objectives for the workshop. Together we decided to prepare parts of a training program "A World of difference"®. This concept from the Institute of the Anti-Defamation League concentrates on personal reflections, biographic connectedness, and a change of perspectives. A mix of methodic modules provided for the overall objectives and allowed a process-oriented and flexible adaptation of the workshop to the current state of discussion within the group and own reflections of each participant. The moderation team was set up bi-nationally and bi-religiously: the second person on the team was Gady Gronich, director of European Hillel, a foundation for Jewish campus life.
- Educational Objectives
1st day: Encounter personal Identity and people from other cultures, countries and religions, get an outside view of oneself
2nd day: Move perception, cognition and judgment: Becoming a Group
3rd day: Construct new frames of references - Interactional Categories (Objectives): Atmosphere
(easy, open), group communication (different forms, space to explain,
attention), conflicts (possible), moderation (supporting, catalytic)
Workshop (realized version)
1st day:
• Get to know each other : "The Name Game" (Exercise)
• Identity Molecule: 4 Questions (Exercise)
• Flashlight: Discussion
• Welcome reception at Bavarian State Chancellory, Discussion with the host Prof. Dr. Kurt Faltlhauser, Minister of State at the Bavarian State Chancellory
• Welcome Dinner in the Center for Applied Political Research, Munich, Host: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. W. Weidenfeld, Coordinator2nd day:
• Cluster reasons for the journey
• Open Space: My future Europe...
• Podium discussion with Dr. Erhard Busek, former Vice Chancellor of the Republik of Austria and Jannis Sakellariou, Member of the European Parliament3rd day (realized):
• Presentation of Group Experiences
• Identity Discussion
Bei der Evaluation in der Projektgruppe im Anschluss an den Workshop und das Gesamtprogramm wurden aus den Erfahrungen der LeiterInnen und aus den Rückmeldungen der Teilnehmenden Modifikationen für das Folgeprogramm erarbeitet.
Result
Feedback from Dr. Dagmar Weiler, Director of „Bridge
of Understanding“:
“Our American guests were enthusiastic about the way how you
moderated and ran the Europe workshop in Gauting. Thanks to your work
and commitment our workshop was felt as an important enrichment the students
would not want to miss. I would be very pleased, if you worked with us
again on the program in the years to come.”