Kolot-Aswat - 'Voices of the Carmel Coast' and the Reform Center organization recently concluded Face to Face, a joint learning program exploring Jewish–Arab shared life along Israel’s Carmel Coast.

The program brought together around 25 participants from Reform Jewish communities in Zichron Yaakov, Pardes and Caesarea for a series of six learning encounters and field visits during the winter of 2025. Through guided tours and dialogue, participants met local activists, community leaders and residents from neighboring Arab communities, learning firsthand about social realities, local initiatives and the challenges and opportunities of shared living in the region.

The program included visits to Furaydis, Jisr a-Zarqa, Ein Hud, Ein Ghazal and Tantura, where participants engaged in conversations on community development, local history, cultural heritage and the complex questions of memory, identity and coexistence in the Carmel Coast area.

The series concluded with a shared Ramadan Iftar gathering hosted in Furaydis, creating a meaningful interfaith encounter and an opportunity to reflect on the journey and future cooperation.

Despite the current difficult regional circumstances, the program demonstrated the importance of sustained dialogue, personal encounters and community partnerships in strengthening mutual understanding and shared society.

More about Mabat and the Carmel Coast initiatives:
https://www.kolot-aswat.org