The Seminar
This workshop focuses on the exploration of personal, collective, and social identity and how it shapes perceptions, attitudes, and relationships within a shared society. Through an experiential and reflective process, participants examine biases in how they perceive those who are different from themselves, alongside the emotional and social dynamics that influence interactions between groups and identities.
Throughout the seminar, participants engage with questions of belonging and similarity: Who do we feel connected to? How do clothing, language, and cultural practices shape our perceptions of “us” and “the other”? And how do these perceptions influence conflict, polarization, and our willingness to reconsider deeply held views?
The workshop combines group learning and discussion with an introduction to the mission of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem and the School of Civic Discourse. It also includes a guided exploration of Jerusalem that examines identity, stereotypes, and stigma as integral elements of the city’s shared social fabric.
The seminar concludes with both personal and group reflections, the development of a practical action-oriented takeaway, and a deeper consideration of how insights can be translated into everyday life. Its goal is to strengthen personal and social responsibility while combating polarization through a deeper understanding of identity and a greater capacity to engage with those who hold different perspectives.
