Academics see Israel
"Late each night, left to my own company after a packed day of activities in this superbly organised tour, my mind would be racing as I tried to get my head around what I had witnessed.
The Canberra contingent of the group of 17 Australian academics who took part in the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ)’s 10-day study tour of Israel and the West Bank in January 2023 had a reunion last week to share stories and discuss current events.
Professors Frank Bongiorno, Fiona Jenkins and Kim Rubenstein, together with Associate Professor Joshua Neoh and Dr Kim Huynh met with ECAJ tour coordinator Lynda Ben-Menashe over lunch in Canberra.
Professor Bongiorno, who is also president of the Australian Historical Association, said the tour was “unforgettable”.
“To immerse oneself in such a place at such a time – listening, watching, questioning, thinking – was an enriching experience and an enormous privilege. We met people – from each side of the undoubted divide between Israelis and Palestinians – who are extraordinary, responding to the hand history has dealt them with humanity, grace, imagination, courage and conviction,” he said.
“Late each night, left to my own company after a packed day of activities in this superbly organised tour, my mind would be racing as I tried to get my head around what I had witnessed.
“How could these peoples grapple with the tragedies and traumas of their entangled histories, as well as the complexities and dangers of their shared present? I did not come away with an answer, but I did feel that I was at least equipped to get a little closer to asking the right kinds of questions.”
In September, the full contingent of the 2023 participants from across Australia will reunite, ahead of the start of recruiting for the January 2024 study tour.
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