Meeting of Minds and Hearts

Article originally appeared here
Edited by Dena Udren

It's now a full-fledged tradition: For the fourth year in a row, a gathering was held this month between hundreds of religious and secular high school students – leading to increased fraternity and unity in Israel.

Photo courtesy of Yesha Council

Tenth-grade students of Yeshivat Halichot Olam and of Bnei Akiva's Yeshivat HaShomron, both in Karnei Shomron, met with 190 students of the Kfar HaYarok (Green Village) High School in a spirit of friendship. The event took place in Karnei Shomron, a town in western Samaria, not far from Kfar Saba and Raanana, with a population approaching 9,000.

The students sat together in small groups, discussing such things as the establishment of a mixed religious-secular community. The importance of living as one society, despite the many differences among the individuals, was a given. In addition, the Yesha Council reports, teachers and students of both schools attended a fascinating panel session.

One Kfar HaYarok student concluded the meeting by saying, "How great it is that we came! We have learned that we are more alike than different."

Rabbi Yaakov Maitlis of Yeshivat HaShomron said, "We believe that only through direct meetings of this kind will we be able to bring down the walls of stigma and prejudice between the sectors and create true links and partnership."