Jerusalem is one of the ideal places to meet numerous cultures cohabiting. Precisely at the Israel Goldstein Youth Village, Music For Human Rights has once again brought together about forty talented young adults from Bosnia&Herzegovina, Germany, Italy, Israel, Portugal and Serbia. 

Amongst the first days activities and team building games that set a friendly atmosphere and encouraged human relations, the participants had the opportunity to meet Adele Judas, an Holocaust survivor lady that was three years old when her family was taken on a train ignoring what her future could have been.

It has definitely been an enlightening exchange moment that paved the way for following discussions between the attendants: “I was intrigued when Adele talked about how she met her husband who was also a survivor from the same concentration camp and how with him and her family she could overcome her trauma”. Teodora, from Banja Luka, said.

By listening to her testimony, I realised how a group of people from different parts of the world could connect with each other through personal stories, both amazing and painful. 

The variety of cultures in Israel and especially within this project have had the power to set a totally open-minded environment where the youth and adulthood cross their path in the name of human and children rights with the aim to engender a change, firstly in everyone’s life and progressively into the world.
On Tuesday evening, the participants took part in the so-called international dinner made of traditional food and drinks from all the six countries. The evening was full of highlights from the opening session of amusing popular Israeli dances to the closing entertaining jam session that made people dance again for a memorable night.

The next day, everyone went to the old city of Jerusalem to closely see the three biggest monotheist religions worldwide coexisting in the same place. The ones that took some time to talk to locals could realise how many incredible stories these residents could tell. These special moments are essential to get to know other countries’ situations and moreover to comprehend that still each individual’s experience and background is unique.

The project Music For Human Rights s co-founded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union – EU.
European Commission is not responsible for any upload content. Such content represents the view of its author only.
Thanks to JUGEND für Europe for cooperation.

Comala, Farra Fanfarra, Narandžasti, Roter Baum Berlin, Zdravo Da Ste OC, The Israel Goldstein Youth Village of HaNoar HaTzioni.

Written by Angela Cantaro

Pic by Ana Monteiro and Milica Duzdevic