Climatologist Prof. Oded Potchter tracks the level of the Mediterranean Sea over the last centuries, and its effect on cities along Israel's coast. Citing archeological evidence and other historical sources, he proves that the sea level has risen dramatically over the years, altering the Mediterranean coastline.
Dr. Liat Yakhnich, Head of Beit Berl's Department of Youth Development, addresses the problems of at-risk immigrant youth in Israel – specifically, the complex identity issues facing adolescents and the changing parent-child relationship following immigration.
Dr. Orly Haim also touches on the immigrant experience – highlighting her research about the acquisition of second and third languages, namely Hebrew and English, by immigrants arriving in Israel from non-English speaking countries.
Prof. Dan Geva, the prize-winning documentary filmmaker, describes the Ethics Lab he founded at Beit Berl. The Ethics Lab gives students the tools to navigate their moral landscape and to better understand themselves by analyzing ethical dilemmas in group settings.
Dr. Wurud Jayusi, Director of Beit Berl's Center for the Advancement of Shared Society, explains her approach to Peace Education in Israeli society, advocating the importance of encounters between Jewish and Arab youth and of integrating Arab teachers in Jewish schools.
Dr. Oren Ergas gives an overview of his field of expertise, Contemplative Education, which incorporates practices such as mindfulness, yoga and tai chi in education, from pre-Kindergarten through university. This field has evolved in the past two decades, based on their ancient sources as well as the science behind these practices.
Prof. Nurit Buchweitz, Dean of the Faculty of Society and Culture, speaks about her research on 21st century writing, focusing on Postmodernism and Posthumanism, and particularly the writings of authors Michel Houellebecq, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro and Etgar Keret.
Prof. Linor Hadar discusses how education for critical thinking is implemented in curricula and teaching. Her Curriculum Analysis Project examines curriculum documents and studies students' opportunities to engage with high cognitive demand, utilizing high level thinking, as opposed to passive learning.
Dr. Shoshi Reiter, an organizational consultant, researcher and lecturer, discusses the model she developed for Entrepreneurial Educational Leadership. She explains how educational leadership is facing more challenges than ever, especially during the pandemic.
Dr. Tali Yaakobi Shahar, a senior Life Sciences lecturer, works with stem cells involved in repairing damaged tissues. Specifically, her research focuses on arthropods, a group of animals that includes scorpions and insects that can be harmful to us but also provide valuable contributions to a variety of fields, including agriculture, industry, medical devices and space research. She is developing a new approach to these creatures, emphasizing their benefits to humans.
The series was produced for Beit Berl's Department of International Academic Relations by Shaked Katzir, a young filmmaker and alumna of Beit Berl's Film Department, and video photographer Yuval Horovitz,
Watch the Beit Berl Portrait series here.
