In March 2015, 22 young people from Germany and Israel met in the youth encounter "Spotlight on ... 50 Years Germany & Israel". The project was a part of the German-Israeli jubilee year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation between the two countries. Within two weeks, the youths came together in bilateral groups and created five short films to portray different aspects of German-Israeli relations from the perspective of the young participants. From developing the concept to cinematic presentation and editing – everything was in the hands of the young filmmakers. They were supported by media educators and inspired by a comprehensive accompanying program. The topics of the short films – the presence of the past, mutual stereotypes or the influence of youth exchange projects on biographies and personal perspectives – were developed by the participants over several days in a discussion process.

The aspects of German-Israeli relations which are covered in the short films can be found in most German-Israeli exchange programs. In the following biligual German-Hebrew booklet "Spotlight on ... Germany & Israel" we present the five short films to make them accessible for your educational work. The films can be used for the preparation of German-Israeli exchange groups, joint working units during an exchange or follow-up measures after an exchange project. In the booklet you also find guiding questions for further discussion and educational methods for a deeper examination of the topics.