The idea behind Hands across Borders?

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel in 2025, the Hands across Borders program brings together young people from Israel and Germany who are actively engaged in volunteer work in their respective countries.

Since the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, Israeli civil society has accomplished incredible feats in dealing with the political and social aftermath of the attacks. At the same time, German civil society is facing growing challenges due to increasing anti-democratic developments. Especially in times of crises like these, we want to promote and strengthen respectful dialogue and democratic engagement within and between both countries.

With Hands across Borders, we aim to do exactly that: first, by honoring the 60-year-long diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel, and second, by looking toward the future and asking: What should our societies look like in the years to come? What can we do to strengthen civil society in both countries and create new opportunities for exchange between Germany and Israel?

What happens during the program?

As part of Hands across Borders, 22 young people from Israel and Germany first meet in Berlin and subsequently in Israel to get to know each other, exchange ideas and experience civil society and volunteering in both countries through active participation in various organizations and workshops.

Throughout the program, short videos are created to document the journey and provide insights into different aspects of civic engagement in both countries.

With Hands across Borders, we aim to foster a shared learning environment that highlights the diverse forms of volunteer engagement and the people who bring those to life. We want to connect young volunteers from Germany and Israel, integrate them into the German-Israeli dialogue, and inspire new approaches to democratic engagement.

The program is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.