A week full of encounters, exchange, and shared experiences: In December 2025, young people from Berlin and Holon met at the wannseeFORUM for a German-Israeli youth exchange. Together, they explored questions of the future, responsibility, and coexistence. They gained new perspectives and forged international friendships.
In December 2025, a German-Israeli youth exchange took place at the wannseeFORUM, bringing together young people from Berlin and participants in the Young Ambassadors Program from Holon. For one week, the young people lived, learned, and worked together in Wannsee. The aim of the exchange was to get to know each other, discover new perspectives, and reflect together on the future, coexistence, and responsibility.
A highlight was the visit to Tiergarten Town Hall. There, the participants met Christoph Keller, District Youth Councillor of Berlin-Mitte, and Miriam Notowicz, contact person for Jewish life and victims of antisemitism in Mitte. Afterwards, the councillor emphasized once again why youth exchange is so important:
„"When people meet, listen to each other, and empathize with one another, prejudices can disappear and common ground can be discovered. Then they can dream together, develop together, and implement together. If this opportunity is consciously and supportively offered early in life, it is often experienced as a great enrichment. The curiosity and openness learned and experienced here are difficult to unlearn later and, in my opinion, are the foundation needed for peaceful and democratic coexistence. I thank all the staff and volunteers who make this adventure possible, and all the participating curious young people and their families."“ (District Councillor for Youth, Christoph Keller)
The first activity of the meeting was bouldering, a team-building exercise. Climbing together allowed the participants to build trust, support each other, and grow together as a group. This experience formed an important foundation for the week that followed.
A key element of the program was the visit of Mirka Tielemann, project coordinator of ICJA e. V. She presented the international peace project Kyiv–Tel Aviv–Berlin. Together with the young people, she led exercises that made the importance of dialogue, nonviolent communication, and conflict resolution tangible. The participants engaged in intensive reflection on their own attitudes and exchanged ideas on how to treat one another with respect.
As part of the exchange, the group also visited the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial and educational center. During a guided tour of the house and the exhibition, the young people gained a powerful insight into the historical background of the Nazi crimes. Afterwards, there was time for discussion, questions, and shared reflection.
The group also visited the Centrum Judaicum and received a guided tour of the New Synagogue in Berlin. During the visit, the participants learned more about Jewish history, culture, and contemporary life in Berlin.
Over two days, the young people participated in creative workshops. They could explore the theme of the future artistically in either a collage workshop or a cyanotype workshop. The resulting works reflected personal impressions, thoughts, and feelings, and were presented together at the end.
Another item on the agenda was a sightseeing tour of Berlin, which the participants helped to plan. The route led from the Victory Column to Alexanderplatz, passing by important city landmarks. The tour concluded with a visit to the Moses Mendelssohn Jewish High School, where the group gained further insight into Jewish life in Berlin today.
On Friday, the young people celebrated Shabbat together. The celebration offered a peaceful and unifying moment within the intense week and strengthened the group's sense of community.
On the last day before their departure, the group visited the Memorial at Platform 17. There, the participants commemorated the victims of the Shoah together. To conclude the week, Hanukkah was also ushered in with a small ceremony.
The seminar week was characterized by encounters, openness, and mutual respect. The week together fostered new friendships and provided the young people with valuable insights for their personal and social futures.
Seminar results
The collage workshop was one of two workshops that took place over two days during the seminar week.
The cyanotype workshop was one of two workshops that took place over two days during the seminar week.
