Communicated by the Israeli Embassy in Brussels, October 18, 2006:
The Jewish-Israeli Ganenu School in Brussels, numbering some 800
pupils, has for the last 10 years maintained a twinning arrangement with
the Catholic Saint-Pierre School in the city. As part of the twinning
project, joint events are held, educating the children to openness,
tolerance and mutual awareness.
The 10th anniversary of this partnership was recently celebrated at
the Ganenu School, with the participation of H.R.H. Belgian Princess
Mathilde - wife of Crown Prince Philippe and the future Queen of
Belgium - as well as important religious and political figures. Princess
Mathilde attended joint workshops attended by pupils of both schools,
listened to the joint choir singing “Salaam-Shalom” and heard lectures
on the Holocaust and the
Sukkot holiday (Feast of Tabernacles). She also watched the Jewish
and Catholic pupils performing Israeli folk dances.
The highlight of the event was the Princess’ visit in the school’s “sukkah”,
where she received an explanation of the four species. She expressed her
deep appreciation of the program and the activities of the school.
The visit by H.R.H. Princess Mathilde was the first by a member of
the Belgian royal house in a Jewish school, symbolizing recognition of
the Belgian Jewish community as a whole.
