![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/may-30-cov.30.Galilee-Dreamers-First-Nations.jpeg\")
<\/a>\u201cThe intention was to create as many opportunities as possible for interaction with different parts of the Vancouver community, in order to better understand the local realities and challenges,\u201d said Ravid. \u201cIn parallel, we aimed to connect the visiting students with the natural environment, the region\u2019s history and its diverse cultures.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlongside school visits with Jewish students \u2013 where we discussed the core values of the Galilee Dreamers and universal values such as solidarity, listening, compassion and empathy \u2013 our students also learned what daily life looks like for peers their own age in a different society.<\/p>\n
\u201cA key element of the itinerary was community volunteering,\u201d said Ravid, and, at the Jewish Community Garden, the group spent some time working and learning.<\/p>\n
The host families also \u201cinitiated activities rooted in their own strengths and passions, allowing each student to experience something unique within each household,\u201d added Ravid.<\/p>\n
One of those families \u2013 Tal and Avital Jarus Hakak, who had two Jewish students stay at their home \u2013 \u201chosted a dinner that included another host family of two Druze students and a hike afterwards. One of us also helped with a tour of UBC,\u201d the couple said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe positive impact of this trip on the students\u2019 attitudes towards their peers and teachers from different communities and cultures was heartwarming. We felt like these impacts have a great importance for the future,\u201d said the couple, who were motivated to take part because, they said, \u201cThe idea of a youth program for facilitating dialogue between Jewish, Arab and Druze sounded very appealing and interesting, particularly in this time of local and global conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kristin McIlhenney found out about the visit from a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing I had previously hosted international students, she encouraged me to consider it,\u201d said McIlhenney, who hosted a student from the Bedouin school and teacher Hujeirat, \u201cwho also serves as the principal overseeing multiple schools in his village.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an educator, I deeply believe in the transformative power of travel and intercultural exchange to build empathy and global awareness,\u201d she said. \u201cThat belief, combined with my background, made me genuinely enthusiastic about supporting the Galilee Dreamers by becoming a host.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond providing room, board and transportation for her guests, McIlhenney said \u201cthe experience organically evolved into something much richer. Groups often gathered in the evenings, leading to shared dinners and deeper connections, both in our home and in others\u2019. It was incredibly moving to hear three languages spoken under our roof, and to learn everything from simple cultural details \u2013 like the high price of sushi where they live \u2013 to complex and personal perspectives on life in a conflict-affected region.\u201d<\/p>\n
For McIlhenney, there were two particularly special benefits of being a host. \u201cFirst,\u201d she said, \u201cmy two elementary-aged sons formed a strong bond with the student who stayed with us. A gifted soccer player, he spent hours playing with them and they even accompanied him to a match where they watched [Lionel] Messi play against the Whitecaps \u2013 a memory they\u2019ll cherish for years. Second, as a former educator, I deeply appreciated the profound conversations I had with the principal. Whether while preparing meals, driving or winding down in the evening, our discussions gave me a rare and meaningful glimpse into his reality \u2013 and helped me reflect more critically on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both McIlhenney and the Jarus Hakaks would \u201cabsolutely\u201d host again. And trip co-organizer Rom would \u201cdefinitely help bring those kids in the northern Galilee next year if they want to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rom, Margalit\u2019s brother and Galilee Dreamers co-founder Dr. Desmond Kaplan all went to high school together in South Africa, explained Rom of the local connection to the program and how the Vancouver stop came to be.<\/p>\n
Rom and Margalit found the host families, and Margalit, who was out of town when the visit took place, \u201cgave this program \u2018legs\u2019 in the early stages of planning,\u201d said Rom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to help because I believe that dialogue and interaction of the Jewish, Bedouin and Druze high school youth in the northern Galilee is one of the most impressive paths to peace in that region,\u201d said Rom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most moving part,\u201d she added, \u201cwas when the youth and host families all met together one evening to talk about life in northern Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, and what this program means to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor my part,\u201d said Margalit, \u201cI agreed to assist in arranging the visit when I heard that the group would be made up of students from the Bedouin, Druze and Jewish communities. At this time of tensions between Israel and Palestine, I felt this was a particularly important aspect of the visit, and of daily life in Israel, that would be very important for the Vancouver Jewish community to hear about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the region faces heightened tensions and conflict, the lack of mutual understanding and shared vision between Arab and Jewish communities threatens the very fabric of society,\u201d said Ravid. \u201cThese divisions are compounded by systemic separations: Jewish and Arab teenagers grow up in separate neighbourhoods and towns, attend schools where different languages are spoken, and rarely \u2013 if ever \u2013 encounter one another in meaningful ways that could challenge stereotypes and foster understanding. Frameworks that nurture mutual respect, empathy and collaboration are critically absent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis reality not only affects the people of Israel,\u201d she said, \u201cbut also perpetuates a global lack of awareness about the rich and diverse voices that make up Israeli society. Around the world, young people often have little understanding of the complexities of life in Israel and few models for overcoming divisions to build shared futures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Galilee Dreamers \u201ccreates safe and meaningful spaces where young people from different backgrounds \u2013 who might otherwise remain strangers \u2013 build real relationships based on trust, empathy and common purpose,\u201d said Ravid.<\/p>\n
\u201cEqually important is the program\u2019s impact on the communities that host us \u2013 whether in Israel or abroad,\u201d she continued. \u201cBy sharing their personal stories and experiences of living in a complex, multicultural society, Galilee Dreamers offer host communities a window into what grassroots peacebuilding can look like. These encounters inspire interfaith dialogue, foster global solidarity and leave lasting impressions on local families, educators and youth who engage with the group. The mutual learning is profound, and many host communities describe the visit as hopeful, eye-opening and deeply moving.\u201d<\/p>\n