The Jisrawi Heritage Center hosted a group of participants in the “Multicultural Community Leadership Training” program, run by the Mabat Association in cooperation with the Jewish-Arab Regional Partnership in the Carmel Coast area. The meeting aimed to strengthen learning and networking, as well as promote cooperation between the two sides. The organizers also sought to introduce both groups firsthand to the cultural and human experience behind the establishment of the Jisr al-Zarqa Museum, as well as to other distinctive initiatives in various fields throughout the village.
Sami Al-Ali, director of the Jisrawi Heritage Center, presented the initiative to establish the Jisr al-Zarqa Museum, led by Al-Wafaa School for Special Education, highlighting the experience of cooperation and partnerships that resulted in a sustainable and impactful project. He also outlined the center’s journey of social, cultural, and educational initiatives, highlighting a wide range of projects that emerged and developed over the past decade in Jisr al-Zarqa through the efforts of the local authority and civil society.
Al-Ali also discussed women’s, youth, and sports initiatives connected to heritage and the sea. He presented educational and community programs aimed at strengthening local identity and empowering different groups within the community.
Al-Ali emphasized the importance of networking and building partnerships among local and regional institutions, given their pivotal role in developing community initiatives and ensuring their sustainability, while also expanding their human and developmental impact both within and beyond the community. He pointed to the role of joint social initiatives in creating an integrated, inclusive framework for community work in the village.
The program also included a field tour of the separation wall between Jisr al-Zarqa and Caesarea, passing through the new neighborhood and the fishermen’s village. Participants heard an informative presentation by community activist Mahmoud Sadeq Amash, who addressed planning schemes and their implications for the village. He also presented the community, environmental, tourism, and sports initiatives established along the beach under the leadership of local fishermen, while introducing participants to the heritage of fishing and the sea as an integral part of the identity and collective memory of the place.
The visit concluded with a summary emphasizing the importance of building partnerships. Participants expressed great interest in the pioneering community experience that combines preserving local memory with strengthening and organizing joint, sustainable community action.
