Building Bridges Through Books – an Educational Project by Yonathan Bar-On
As part of our scholarship program “Network Israel – Solidarity with Democratic Civil Society in Israel” funded by the Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation (EVZ), we welcome 15 scholarship holders in different partner organisations in Germany.
How can children be encouraged to engage with values such as solidarity, respect, and tolerance—across cultural and religious boundaries? These questions were at the heart of Yonathan Bar-On’s stay in Berlin in the summer of 2025, as part of the Network Israel fellowship program, supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ).
Who is Yonathan Bar-On?
Born in the Netherlands, Yonathan Bar-On has been living and working in Israel for more than 30 years. For the past 15 years, he has taught at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. In his classes, he combines the standard English curriculum with civic themes such as human rights, culture of remembrance, and migration—often in cooperation with the organization Centropa. Yonathan also brings extensive experience from international education projects, including partnerships with schools in Germany, interfaith workshops, and exchange programs between Jewish and Palestinian students.
You can find more insights into his stay and projects in his detailed blog post online.
A Children’s Book for Dialogue
At the center of his stay in Berlin was the project The Man in the Clouds – a trilingual children’s book translated and illustrated together with students from Israel, Palestine, and Germany. The aim of the project is to use the book as a starting point for intercultural and interreligious education in schools—in Arabic, Hebrew, and German. During his stay, Yonathan worked with the team at the House of One to develop educational materials to accompany the book. The content is based on the book’s universal values: sharing, respect, and empathy.
The House of One is planned as a shared place of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The foundation stone was laid in 2021, with the opening scheduled for 2029. The project is unique worldwide: a single building that will house a synagogue, a church, and a mosque. Beyond that, it is intended to be a space for encounter, learning, and exchange among people of different faiths as well as those without religious affiliation.
Making Memorial Sites Visible
In addition to the book project, Yonathan developed a digital overview of 69 memorials, monuments, and museums in Berlin dedicated to National Socialism, the Holocaust, and resistance. The map To Warn and Remember serves as a practical guide with background information, opening hours, locations, and links—for teachers, students, and anyone interested in exploring Berlin through the lens of remembrance culture. The guide is complemented by Yonathan’s personal perspectives and recommendations.
The fellowship gave Yonathan the opportunity to engage creatively and sustainably with remembrance culture, education, and interreligious dialogue. The plan is to use the book and its accompanying materials in schools in Israel, Germany, and Palestine in the future.
The stay was made possible through the program of Network Israel and the EVZ Foundation. The aim is to provide dedicated civil society actors from Israel with space, exchange, and new impulses – and to connect them with partners in Germany.
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