| Laisse moi t'aimer....Haifa |
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| Chacun a sa facon, photos, textes, peintures.... |
| Introduction a Haifa La structure unique du temple Bahai, le silo de Dagan, les grues du port, papa se faufilant dans les rues tortueuses...Haifa etait in labyrinthe magique plein de surprises Les couchers de soleil de Haifa J'ai entendu dire que l'on voit les plus beaux couchers de soleil a Haifa. En parcourant ma collection de photos, je me suis rendu compte que c'etait vrai! |
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| aquarelle de Daniele Goldberg |
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| Voici vos messages: Certains sont ecrits en anglais! J'ai peur de ne pas faire honneur au texte en le traduisant. Sami Michael |
| Irene Lancaster came to Haifa in August From: Irene Lancaster Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 12:41 AM I come from Manchester in the north-west of England. It is a very friendly place with the largest and most vastly-growing Orthodox Jewish population per head of population in Europe. On the other hand, many Jews are also feeling very concerned here, both by the growing Islamofascism and the forces of secularism which have combined to cause an atmosphere of contempt for the Jewish community. Last January, my husband, said that he did not want to die in Manchester. He thought that we should look for somewhere to live in Israel. We had spent a Sabbatical in Jerusalem, which he had enjoyed, but I had found hard: the heat, breast-feeding my baby and helping the other daughter with her schoolwork in Ivrit. This Sabbatical, however, taught me Hebrew and how to cope and although in the next 25 years or so, I taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies in England and wrote a book about the great bible commentator, ibn Ezra, who moved from Spain, through Italy and France to England in the Middle Ages, where he was killed in one of the first European pogroms in 1164, I really thought that Israel was 'home'. For the past three or four years I have been taking on the British establishment which, on the whole, is very unsympathetic to Israel, and often also unsympathetic to Jews per se. I have tried to engage with the BBC, the Church of England (the established church) the university unions, who wish to boycott Israel, and others. The 'ordinary' people in England are still great: but they don't seem to have the will or the tools with which to withstand the impending debacle, that I find inevitable. In December, my husband and I visited Netanya and Haifa. I knew I wanted to live on the sea, but don't like the heat: the more northern the better, I thought. Netanya was wonderful and our great friends from Manchester, who had themselves made Aliyah the year before, looked after us. But then, complete strangers from the Anglo community in Ahuza, on Mt Carmel in Haifa, offered to put us up. They organised an estate agent and a lawyer and introduced us to members of the Anglo community. In the end, another couple, living nearby, found us an even better apartment than the one we thought we would buy, and this is on Rehov Einstein, opposite a little park and the Reali School, one of the best in Israel. We are two-thirds of the way through paying for this apartment and have also opened a bank account. My husband was recently appointed the world's first Professor of Transpersonal Psychology and therefore we are making 'split' Aliyah. I am coming first, and he will visit when he can, as I don't think Transpersonal Psychology exists in Israel yet. We are certainly not wealthy and I will have to be very careful with outgoings when I arrive. But I visited four or five professors at Haifa University in December and they were all most welcoming, and some are the absolute experts in their fields and internationally renowned. Plus, they had a copy of my book on ibn Ezra in their university library, which was a sure sign. Haifa is beautiful and magical. It is laid-back and has a good mix of different nationalities and religions and, even more important, all the different Jewish denominations seem to get on with each other. Friends of mine who write for the London Times and work for the BBC respectively suggested I start an aliyah blog. And then the Jewish Agency shaliach in Manchester found out for me that Yoline works in the Haifa Town Hall, helping olim from France and has also started a French blog with Dory, which I have offered to translate, if they need it. And both of them have been absolutely wonderful and I know they will help me when I arrive, because the official organisations don't seem to know much about Haifa at all. So I would say to all prospective olim or those who just don't feel safe in France any more, try it out: come to Haifa and look around. As the registrar to the Manchester Bet Din (one of the strictest in the world) told me last week: Haifa is both the most secular city in Israel, but it also has the greatest kedushah. My blog is at http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/new_beginnings.html and don't hesitate to contact me. You could even put a posting on my blog, if you wish. I am making Aliyah on August 6th and my goods leave for Israel soon, on June 12th. Dr. Irene Lancaster FRSA Trustee: Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East Centre for Jewish Studies University of Manchester UK |
| Ma ville adoree. «Nous, les Arabes de Haifa, sommes dans la meme situation que les Juifs : enfermes dans nos maisons», dit Salah Abassi, ecrivain, editeur de livres en arabe. Ici, Juifs et Arabes se comprennent. Ce n'est pas comme a Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem ou Acre, meme les guerres de 1967 ou de 1973 n'ont rien change a nos relations. Je ne quitterai pas ma ville adoree. Publie dans Liberation le 17 juillet 2006 |
| A Jordanian student includes an Israeli city in her dissertation and is pleasantly surprised Everyone I contacted or met with in Haifa was genuinely welcoming and extremely helpful. The graduate student who shares my research interests received me - a complete stranger - in her home, helped me to settle down in Acre, and supported me throughout my stay with contacts, interviews, and so much more. The professors at the Technion met with me, provided official and technical support for my research, linked me with professors and students with similar research interests all over the country, and invited me to present my work in their department. The professors at Haifa University were no less welcoming or generous with their time, advice, and offer of support. It was simply overwhelming. From the gentleman at the train station that first night, to Arab and Jewish cab and sherut - communal taxi - drivers, to students at the Technion and Haifa Universities, everyone was simply nice. I PARTICULARLY enjoyed a trip from Haifa University down to the city, where the gregarious voice and contagious laughter of the Arab sherut driver, combined with the mix of Arab, Druse and Jewish students (probably more, but that was all my inexperienced eye could detect) bewildered me. All smiled and helped, offered advice on the best transportation back to Acre. Some even went out of their way - despite my objections - to take me literally by hand to the train station. Similarly, and after a trip to the Technion, a student, also unaffected by my answer to his question about where I was from, went off the bus with me and walked me to my next stop. While waiting for one of my meetings at a small local caf in downtown Haifa, I observed how Arab owners interacted with their wide mix of clients. Everyone smiled, acted cordially and respectfully to each other; something - unfortunately - I thought other cities lacked. Looking back, I realize that Haifa was the only place where people sincerely smiled, where the air was not thick with tension, and where there existed a wonderful mix of all backgrounds, religious and ethnic. Not only was there diversity - Israel is generally diverse - it was how people enjoyed the mix that distinguished Haifa. One might speculate more about what makes Haifa so special, and propose theories that range from geographical compositions to demographic ones. What is important is that, like many other visitors, I will always cherish my Haifa memories. The writer, a Jordanian architect-planner, is doing her doctoral work at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning the University of Michigan. Lettre publiee dans le Jerusalem Post 27 Juin 2006 |
| Israel, modele de liberte et de tolerance
Reda MANSOUR, Atlanta Journal, 5 fevrier 2007 Reda Mansour est Consul general d’Israel pour les Etats-Unis du sud-est. Mon grand-pere, qui a vecu jusqu’a plus de 100 ans, avait l’habitude de dire : « J’en ai vu beaucoup, mais aucun comme les Juifs. » Notre petite ville druze est restee de fait la meme pendant des siecles sous statut ottoman puis, plus tard, britannique. Quand Israel fut etabli en 1948, un developpement rapide s’en est suivi, et, pour la premiere fois, nos maisons ont eu l’electricite et l’eau courante et tous les enfants ont beneficie d’une education gratuite et de qualite. Meme avec toute cette modernite et ce luxe relatif, les plus grandes louanges de mon grand-pere vis-a-vis d’Israel allaient vers la maniere dont le jeune Etat traitait ses citoyens les moins chanceux. Pour la premiere fois de sa vie, mon grand-pere, un ouvrier retraite, a recu une pension et a eu acces a une assistance medicale de qualite. Il disait qu’une societe se jugeait d’apres sa facon de traiter les personnes agees, les malades et les chomeurs, et il ajoutait qu’Israel s’etait montre fort et bienveillant. Assurement, disait-il encore, une telle nation triomphera. C’est l’histoire non racontee d’Israel, une nation qui mesure sa force non par sa richesse ou ses prouesses militaires, mais par la vitalite de sa societe civile et la diversite de son systeme democratique. Dans un pays ou l’orchestre symphonique, le theatre et l’universite ont ete fondes avant les institutions politiques de l’Etat, il y a maintenant plus de 40.000 associations civiles independantes. Elles renforcent notre systeme educatif, protege notre environnement et ?uvrent pour la paix et la justice dans notre region. Israel est une societe d’immigres avec une population diverse : 1,3 millions de ses citoyens sont arabes et appartiennent a divers groupes religieux et ethniques. Certains, en realite, souffrent de la pauvrete et du manque d’investissement egal dans leurs communautes de la part du gouvernement ; mais les Arabes israeliens ont neanmoins un niveau de vie plus haut qu’aucun de leurs freres vivant dans la region. Ils sont des citoyens a part entiere qui peuvent voter et se faire elire dans les postes publics. Ils ont droit a la liberte de culte, de se rassembler et de parler librement sans risque d’intimidation ou d’oppression. Depuis l’etablissement de notre jeune pays, les Arabes les plus libres du Moyen-Orient resident dans l’Etat juif d’Israel. Avec tous les defis auxquels il fait face, Israel demeure la seule democratie du Moyen-Orient. Cela seul ne fait pas du systeme politique israelien un systeme parfait, mais c’est la recherche infinie d’une plus grande egalite qui distingue Israel de ses voisins. Dans ma ville natale, j’ai vu l’accomplissement du reve israelien: de jeunes professionnels de toutes confessions ont reussi avec succes des carrieres en droit, en medecine, en affaires et en diplomatie. Nous venons tous de familles de classes moyennes qui ont eu acces a l’ecole publique et aux universites d’Etat leur permettant de creer un avenir meilleur pour leurs enfants. Aucun d’entre nous n’aurait eu cette opportunite ailleurs que dans la societe libre et ouverte dans laquelle nous vivons. Aujourd’hui, notre liberte est menacee par l’odieuse ideologie de haine deversee par le Hamas, le Hezbollah et les autres organisations du meme acabit. Avec l’aide de leurs soutiens a Teheran et a Damas, ces extremistes font pleuvoir des roquettes sur les villages israeliens et envoient des bombes humaines dans nos bus et sur nos marches. Leurs partisans epousent un narratif mensonger et eternellement victimaire, tentant de justifier chaque acte de brutalite et blamant Israel pour chacune de leurs epreuves. Cette rhetorique creuse ne change pas le fait que leurs obus ne connaissent ni l’age ni l’appartenance ethnique. Et la violence qui en resulte affecte chaque Israelien, quels que soient son groupe ou sa religion. La defense contre cet assaut requiert une action militaire, mais la solution aux problemes complexes qui nous ont menes la ou nous sommes, reside dans le lien fort qui s’est developpe entre Arabes et Juifs en Israel. Si nous coexistons pacifiquement a Haifa et Asifiya, pourquoi ne le ferions nous pas a Gaza, Beyrouth ou le reste de la region ? Il y a peu, j’ai assiste a une ceremonie au Capitole de l’Etat de Georgie pour commemorer la vie et l’?uvre de Martin Luther King Jr. Comme Anouar el-Saddate et Itzhak Rabin, il a donne sa vie pour defendre le reve de la coexistence. Grace a ce que mon grand-pere a vu, mes enfants peuvent vivre ce reve comme citoyens d’Israel. Aujourd’hui, nous regardons nos frontieres en nous demandant quand nos voisins choisiront le reve de la paix plutot que le cauchemar de la guerre. Article original (anglais) : http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2007/02/05/0205edisrael.html |
| Les Tems traversent la mer temoignage sur leur installation a Haifa |