ASF in Israel

Last week, Uriel Kashi, ASF Country Representative in Israel and Director of Beit Ben Yehuda, took part in ConAct’s Think Tank Seminar in Berlin, “Commemorating the Shoah in Challenging Times – Challenges & Discourses in German-Israeli Encounters.” The seminar brought together professionals from Germany and Israel to reflect on …

Following the outbreak of the recent war with Iran, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ASF) was forced to withdraw its volunteers from Israel. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding when a safe volunteer service in the country will be possible again, the two volunteers decided to continue their service in other countries. But how have …

An evening with Holocaust survivor Eva Erben at Beit Ben Yehuda.
On April 15, more than 60 guests gathered at Beit Ben Yehuda. The room was filled to capacity – a strong indication of how great the need for encounter and dialogue remains, even in these challenging times.

Last week, we received the news that Tamar Landau passed away at the age of 95. Over many years, she remained in close contact with numerous ASF volunteers. For many of them, she was far more than a Holocaust survivor: she was a thoughtful conversation partner and, not infrequently, a friend with whom contact continued long after their volunteer…

As part of our ASF study trip, we visited Kivunim in Haifa, an Israeli organization that supports young adults with disabilities on their path toward independent living. Kivunim combines supported housing, educational programs, and psychosocial guidance into a structured transition from the parental home to independent living and employment. For…

A defining day of our ASF study trip was the visit to the border region with the Gaza Strip, to Kibbutz Nir Oz. There, we met Efrat Machikawa, former spokesperson for the German-Israeli hostages, who shared with us the events of October 7 and their consequences from the perspective of the affected community.

Over the past four months, we have become increasingly aware of how deeply October 7 remains present in Israeli society. This was the reason why, as part of our mid-term seminar, we felt it was essential to engage more closely with what happened on October 7 and to visit the places directly affected by the attacks. Our journey began in Nir …

The following report was written by our ASF volunteer Daniel, who is currently serving at Yad Vashem: As part of his inaugural visit to Israel, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Yad Vashem this Sunday — the place where I am currently serving my voluntary year with Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF).

From November 24-26, the ConAct conference took place with around 300 participants. The conference not only covered youth exchange, but also vocational training and voluntary service.

Gabriel Daus was a close friend of our work in Israel. He accompanied us closely in Jerusalem for decades and provided valuable support. Gabi, as he was known to everyone, passed away on the morning of July 12, 2025, at the age of 86—just a few weeks before his 87th birthday on July 26. We are very saddened by his passing.

This month, we held our second Lishmor al Kesher gathering – a series of encounters with Holocaust survivors at Beit Ben Yehuda, held in cooperation with our partner AMCHA. And once again, the house was full.

As part of the EKBO/BMW delegation trip to Israel-Palestine (September 3–7, 2025), we had the pleasure of welcoming:

We stand in solidarity with Hanoar Haoved VeHaLomed (NOAL) and Hashomer Hatzair and strongly condemn their recent expulsion from the International Falcon Movement (IFM).

On Monday, 10 November 2025, we gathered once again for our Lishmor al Kesher meeting – our regular gathering in partnership with Amcha at Beit Ben Yehuda, where we invite Holocaust survivors to come together for dialogue, remembrance, and community.

On Saturday, November 1, 2025, the President of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), André Kuper (CDU), visited Beit Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem together with a delegation to engage with German volunteers about the significance of German-Israeli exchange.

25 junge Freiwillige sind im September nach Israel gekommen. Sie werden für ein Jahr in sozialen und historischen Projekten engagieren. Los ging es mit einem Vorbereitungsseminar in der ASF-Begegnungsstätte in Jerusalem.