Our first scholarship holder is in Germany!
Get to know Natalie Baruch, who, in cooperation with the Maimonides Educational Institute, has developed workshops on the perspectives of Mizrahi Jewish women in Israel and Muslim women in Germany.
Our first fellow has arrived! Natalie Baruch is currently in Germany as part of the short-term scholarship program ‘Network Israel’ – Solidarity with the Democratic Civil Society in Israel.
Together with the Maimonides Educational Institute in Ingelheim am Rhein, she is developing workshops that address the perspectives of Mizrahi Jewish women in Israel and Muslim women in Germany. The aim is to create space for exchange and to make diverse perspectives visible.
This exchange also promotes dialogue between the two participating organizations. Natalie is taking part on behalf of ACHOTI, a feminist organization in Israel founded by Mizrahi Jewish women that advocates for social justice. Both organizations are engaged in educational and cultural work aimed at strengthening and supporting marginalized groups in Israel and Germany.
After October 7, 2023, both organizations were confronted with unprecedented challenges – both internally and in their cooperation. Planned workshops had to be canceled.
The short-term scholarship now provides an opportunity to resume the Israeli-German exchange and to continue and deepen the dialogue.
In her first report from Germany, Natalie writes:
“As part of my scholarship, I am taking part in a series of meetings [with colleagues from the Maimonides Educational Institute] focusing on joint projects and a renewed engagement with Mizrahi culture, identity, and memory. I will be spending several days both in a hotel and at the Maimonides premises, where I am organizing joint events with them.
These encounters highlight a powerful truth: Mizrahi culture – whether Jewish, Muslim, or from another background – carries the potential for healing, for building bridges, and for creating shared spaces of exchange. It is a journey with the goal of forging connections – between communities and identities, as well as between past and future. I am honored and full of anticipation to be here, to amplify these voices and to help shape a culture of peace.”
‘Mizrahi’ refers to Jews from countries of the Middle East and North Africa, particularly those whose family roots go back to Jewish communities in the Arab world.
The Maimonides Jewish-Muslim Educational Institute, based in Ingelheim am Rhein, was founded to promote understanding and cooperation between Jewish and Muslim communities. The institute offers lectures, discussions, and workshops that emphasize the shared heritage and strengthen the cultural dialogue between the two religions – with a special focus on their intertwined history and the potential for cooperation.
With support from the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ), the scholarship program of ‘Network Israel’ strengthens the networking between German and Israeli civil society actors and creates space for exchange and support in challenging times.
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