INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT – WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO!

MAKOTO OTZUKA

Mr. Makoto Otzuka, President of Holocaust Education Centre, Fukuyama, Japan, visited Ein Gedi Hotel this month and inspired and impressed us with the wonderful work he and his wife are doing regarding keeping the awareness of the Holocaust in the hearts of all visitors. Ms. Ofra Gazit and myself, Alison Ron, took Mr. Otsuka lor a tour around Kibbutz Ein Gedi and its beautiful botanical gardens whilst all the time learning about the Education Centre in Fukuyama and how we can create a programme of co-operation between the two regions.

Holocaust Centre, Japan

BAD KISSINGEN EXHIBITION

It was with great pride that, Mr. Nir Wanger, Mayor or the Tamar Regional Council, opened the Bad Kissingen – Tamar exhibition celebrating 25 years of friendship at the Avni Theatre Hall in Kibbutz Ein Gedi.

Bad Kissingen Exhibition 1a

The exhibition was a representation of the ‘common ground’ between the two regions and was produced by the International Relations Departemnt. The exhibition was a copy of the exhibition that Bad Kissingen held in their Town Hall last February. Visitors came from the region, including the youth exchange programme, to view, listen and learn that this relationship has gone from strength to strength and proves that when small seeds are planted great blooms grow.

The opening ceremony was followed by a wonderful concert from the Raanana Symponette Orchestra, a sound of classical, pop and modern contemporary music with voices – a treat for everyone in the audience.

Bad Kissingen Exhibition 6

PROFESSOR HENRY MARKRAM

Prof. Henry Markram

Science plays a major part of our everyday lives without us truly realising quite how much. Yesterday evening the Mayor of Tamar Nir Wanger and the International Relations Department manager, Ms Ofra Gazit, met up for a brief, friendly meeting with the well-renowned scientist Professor Henry Markram. Also at the meeting was our dear, longtime friend and fellow scientist Dr. Mira Marcus. A friendly meeting discussing a variety of topics but focussing mainly on climate change. Professor Markram, of Frontiers, Open Access, has had a remarkable career in the fields of neuroscience and spent the evening discussing with us the future of the climate crisis and how the extreme temperatures at the Dead Sea, and our ability to enable agriculture to survive, animals and humans alike to thrive, research and discover systems, practices and behaviours that cope with the extreme conditions could and should be a teaching tool for the West. Why? Because we are living their future!!

Our grateful thanks to the Tel Aviv University who hosted Professor Markram and to Dr. Mira Marcus for arranging the visit to Tamar.