Intensive Arabic Semester

Hilit Ben Zvi was hired as an education specialist at Givat Haviva in 1997 and five years later took over as the Director of its International Department. In 2008 Hilit realized her dream of using Arabic language learning as a means of promoting peace and coexistence by founding the Intensive Arabic Semester.

Dr. David Mendelsohn is the Academic Director at Givat Haviva Institute in Israel.  Dr. Mendelsohn's area of expertise includes Islamic Studies, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. His current research examines the influence of Hebrew on the dialects of Arabic spoken in Israel. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationships between Middle East countries and militant organizations.

Yisrael Ne'eman works in education as an historian and a nationally licensed tour guide, specializing in Jewish, modern Israeli and Middle Eastern history.  He grew up in NJ, made aliyah (moved to Israel) in 1977, first having lived on a kibbutz and later moved to Jerusalem and the Eshchar community village (1988) attracted by the implementation of a multi-faceted pluralistic Jewish ideal as a lifestyle.  He served in the army and afterwards as a reservist from 1978 – 2001 as a combat medic.  He teaches and guides students at the International School in the University of Haifa, teaches at Givat Haviva's Intensive Arabic Semester and Livnot U'Lehibanot while guiding and lecturing for private groups both in Israel and abroad.  Yisrael is married with four children.

Content coming soon.

Dr. Fawaz Mansour is a lecturer of Middle Eastern Studies and Islamic History, and Director of the Arabic program of the Department of Foreign Languages at Tel Aviv University.  In addition, he teaches Arabic to United Nations employees and Fulbright students in Israel.  Dr. Mansour completed his undergraduate studies at Tel Aviv University, and his graduate studies in the United States.  He has authored two books about Arabic linguistics, and two books about Islamic civilization, and several articles in his field. 

Samia Mahmed is an Arabic teacher at Givat Haviva and a mother of two lovely boys, Weesam and Habib. She is from Mu'awiye village in the Triangle and received her B.E.D from Bet Beryl in Kfar Saba and her M.A. in Arabic Language Studies from Tel Aviv University. 

Lydia Aisenberg originally hails from Wales (where she was born and educated), but has been living in Israel for the past forty-four years. She is a member of Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, a mother of five, and a grandmother of five. She is a freelance journalists for many different publications and is a staff member of the International Department at Givat Haviva Institute where she deals with topics connected to Jewish-Arab relations. She serves as the Guide of Specialized Tours for the Intensive Arabic Program and is an expert on the Wadi Ara Region.