Filipino-Israeli dialogue

January 12 was an extraordinary day for some Filipinos who joined and participated in an inter-cultural dialogue with a group of MA students from the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. It was held at the MELABEV Community Clubs for Elder Care, in Talpiyot, Jerusalem. This encounter was made possible through the Philippine Embassy and Ms. Galia Heled, a lecturer from the Schechter Institute.

The dialogue revolved mostly around how we, as Filipinos, are coping with Israeli culture and society as a whole, how does it feel to leave our families back home and work as caregivers for others, why we choose Israel and how we view Israelis. It was interesting to realize that we, the caregivers, had overlooked different aspects of these issues, helped to see things differently through some of the questions that we were asked. As a whole, the encounter was brief, but it was a great opportunity for both sides to learn more about the other. It was a great experience and we look forward to more opportunities such as this one.