Likrat Dialogue

In the first part – the Likrat leadership project – Jewish adolescents are prepared for later encounter exercises with boys and girls of school age and of different religions. The programme is aimed at young Jews between the ages of 16 and 18 who want to broaden their knowledge of Judaism and Israel, discuss their questions with experts and their age peers and talk about them with young non-Jewish people, in order to break down prejudices.

Training rounds beginning every eigtheen month

The training rounds start every eighteen months, and each runs over a period of four to five months in the form of weekend workshops and a core seminar. The workshops are led by recognised experts, rabbis and university lecturers. Overall programme management  is in the hands of Dr. Simon Erlanger, journalist, historian and lecturer at the University of Lucerne, Zsolt Keller, historian and teacher, lic. phil. Jonathan Kreutner, historian and General Secretary of the SIG and Eva Pruschy, Jewish Educator and Responsable for Education in the SIG. The programme concludes with communication training, which heightens awareness in young Jewish people and prepares them for their role in encounter situations. A further feature of the training is the support given to management and leadership skills.

Part project for mixed religion school classes from the ninth school year

The second part – the Likrat dialogue project – is aimed at public schools from year 9 where teachers deal with the subjects of Judaism or Israel in class. The intention is that encounters with Jewish peers who have learnt the necessary skills in the Likrat leadership project should give schoolchildren a deeper grasp of knowledge gained in class, enable them to experience Judaism at first hand and discuss current religious and social issues. So, at a single stroke, intercultural learning has the twin effects of preventing racism and anti-Semitism.

As part of these encounters the young Jews screen a film specially produced for the Likrat project and then answer the questions posed by the boys and girls during a teaching module on Judaism. These encounters are spread over two teaching lessons. Since 2003, approx. 4,800 schoolchildren have been reached in 240 encounters.

The SIG co-funds the project

The project is funded by the SIG and various foundations. A contribution towards expenses of SFR 120 is charged for school classes. The young people are paid for the work they do.

Invitations to take part in the Likrat leadership project are sent out via the communities. Part of the registration process involves writing an essay on the subject ‘What concerns me about Judaism.’ The SIG chooses which young people to include in the project whilst ensuring that young people from different communities are all treated on board.