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 sensitized to topics like solidarity, respect, and tolerance? These were the central themes of Yonathan Bar-On’s stay in Berlin in the summer of 2025, as part of the Netzwerk Israel Fellowship Program, funded by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ).
Who is Yonathan Bar-On?
Yonathan Bar-On has been a teacher at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa for 15 years. In his classes, he combines the English curriculum with civil society topics such as human rights, remembrance culture, and migration—often in cooperation with the organization Centropa. Yonathan brings extensive experience from international educational projects, including collaborations with schools in Germany, interfaith workshops, and exchange programs between Jewish and Arab students.
You can find more insights of his stay and projects in his detailed blog post online.
A Children’s Book for Dialogue
At the heart of his stay in Berlin was the project “The Man in the Clouds”—a trilingual children’s book translated and illustrated in collaboration with Israeli, Arab, and German students. The goal of the project is to use the book as a starting point for intercultural and interfaith education in schools—in Arabic, Hebrew, and German. During his time in Berlin, Yonathan worked with the team at 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 memorial sites, monuments, and museums in Berlin dedicated to the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust. The map, titled “To Warn and Remember,” serves as a practical guide with background information, opening hours, locations, and links—for teachers, students, and anyone wishing to explore Berlin through the lens of remembrance culture.
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 educational material in schools in Israel, Germany, and Palestine in the future.
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