Learning Day at the School for the Culture of Dispute: On Identity, Discourse, and Mind Engineering

The day was dedicated to exploring questions of personal and social identity, the roots of disagreement, and their influence on public discourse in Israel. Participants examined the concepts of “dispute,” “belonging,” and “mind engineering” through experiential workshops and dialogue exercises focusing on empathy, attentive listening, and seeing the other.

During the day, the Ulpana students participated in a workshop exploring the seven principles of disagreement drawn from Jewish sources and practiced conducting discussions using the chavruta (study partnership) method. The Rogozin students took part in a set of activities that examined personal and group identity through role-playing, guided discussions, and mindful exercises in empathetic listening.

The entire day served as a testament to the importance of creating spaces that foster open dialogue, attentive listening, and acceptance of differing viewpoints.