TIMELINE

1999 – The Beginning

The educational initiative that later became East–West Dialogue began in 1999 within the German organization Building Bridges, founded by Peter Staffa. At that time, the first connections were formed between educators in Germany and Israel, including Mara List from Kibbutz Ein Shemer. From this partnership, a shared educational vision developed, based on direct human encounters between young people from different cultural backgrounds.

Early 2000s – Laying the Foundations

The first youth delegations between Israel and Germany were launched, later expanding to Poland. These encounters included joint educational activities, family hosting, and the creation of meaningful personal connections. At the same time, the initiative connected young people from diverse backgrounds within Israeli society — religious and secular Jews, Druze, Arab citizens, Christians, and other communities — alongside international dialogue.

2005–2010 – Expansion

During these years, the activity grew and became more structured. Educational programs were developed around themes such as:

Personal and collective identity  |  Historical memory 

Cultural understanding   |  Open dialogue in complex social realities

Delegations included seminars, workshops, and collaborative group work.

2010–2017 – Ongoing Annual Cooperation

The partnership between the Israeli and German teams deepened, 

and activities took place almost every year. 

This period included: 

Youth delegations  |  Meetings between educators 

International seminars   | Joint projects 

Strong personal bonds and a wide alumni network were formed.

2018–2025 – Continuity

The initiative continued through educational and community-based collaborations, maintaining long-term relationships between teams, participants, and alumni.