The Josef Burg Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance and Peace

The Josef Burg Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance and Peace was founded in 1995 at Bar-Ian University, Israel in honor of Dr. Josef Burg who was born in Dresden Saxony.

The State of Saxony contributed generously toward the establishment of the Chair and continuously supported its activities.

In 2000, The Chair was awarded the prestigious status of a UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, Peace, Democracy, Tolerance and International Understanding.

The Chair aims to cultivate awareness of multiculturalism, pluralism and tolerance and human rights in general, with a particular focus on Israeli society. The mission of the Chair is to provide educators with research, insight, and the practical guidance they need in order to give a meaningful future to the historic process of change and renewal that is taking place in Israel and throughout the globe today.

The Chair addresses the need for peaceful coexistence within three circles of Israeli society:

     1. Jewish Society

     2. Jews and Arabs 

     3. Israeli-Palestinian conflict
 

Mission

The mission of the Dr. Josef Burg Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance and Peace is to enable scholars at Bar-Ilan University’s School of Education to provide educators with research, insight, and practical guidance on issues ranging from mutual understanding and tolerance to absorption of new immigrants in order to build a strong, healthy and democratic society. Faculty members and Doctoral Students of Bar-Ilan’s School of Education are involved in research and training relating to issues of values, tolerance, and peace. The team of researchers has gained experience involving Jewish particularistic values and humanistic and universal values. Bar-Ilan University’s students reflect the diversity of Israeli society, its religious and secular nature, ethnic composition and socioeconomic background and the synthesis among them.

Aims

1. Theoretical-philosophical research: clarifying the problems of education for values, human rights, tolerance, and peace, as a basis for special learning programs.

2. Historical-social research: Conflict and conciliation among nations and within societies in exposing the roots of past conflicts in order to draw conclusions for harmonious co-existence in the present.

3. Applied research: Creating models, evaluating different parameters of tolerance in Israeli Society – religious, ethnic, political and minorities.

4. Research in the area of "Education for Democracy" in Israeli society.

5. Creating unique educational programs with the intention of clarifying values in the light of Jewish tradition and humanistic universal traditions and to internalize the values of tolerance, democracy, and peace.

6. The role of schools in furthering their students’ capacity to understand society and internalize values.

7. Evaluation of the intervention methods to determine the effectiveness of the programs.

Areas of Activities

• Facilitating exchanges between Israeli and international academics through conferences.

• Initiating and supporting research.

• Producing and publishing, educational and instructional materials for all education levels.

• Conducting tolerance workshops within the School of Education’s teacher training department.

• Establishing cooperation between Israeli and international institutions as UNESCO and the Anti-Defamation League to create programs within the Israeli educational system.

• Establishing a data center for research, literature and curriculum material to serve academics and educators in Israel and throughout the world. Service to the community.

Bar-Ilan University

Ramat Gan, 52900

Building 905, Room 104

Tel: 03-5318591 / 03-5317881

International Tel: 972-3-5318591 / 972-3-5317881

Fax: 972-3-5348705

Website: www.biu.ac.il/SOC/se/burg