The struggle between Israelis and Palestinians continues to make daily headlines. But in one of Israel’s oldest cities, Arabs and Jews are coming together to start a project that has its origin in Pittsburgh — Manchester Bidwell Corporation arts and jobs training model.
Starting Sunday, 15 to 20 adults in Akko, Israel will begin a program learning how to operate machinery with the hope the training will lead to jobs. Already at least five factories have agreed to absorb the students during their apprenticeships.
This is part of the new Akko Center for Arts and Technology (ACAT). It’s a sister center, or replication center, of Pittsburgh’s Manchester Bidwell Corporation, which started as the Manchester Craftsman Guild in 1968 with founder Bill Strickland, who is now the president and CEO.
“It is a program devoted to working with young people, particularly public school kids in the arts — ceramics, photography, digital imaging and so forth," Strickland said. "And oftentimes we work with school kids who are having difficulty academically."
Strickland said that last year there was a 99 percent graduation rate among the Manchester Bidwell students, and those still in school see improvement in school attendance.
The “Bidwell” part is for adults; in Pittsburgh those 18 years and older are trained in culinary arts, medical technology and pharmacy tech. Strickland said this has led to people successfully gaining employment and lifting themselves out of poverty.
Getting Started In Israel
In Akko, the program doesn’t even have a building yet.
“We are at the ending of the renovation now in Akko, and we hope to open it before January,” said Ohad Segev, the general director of the Municipality of Akko. The machinery program is being hosted by a college until ACAT is up and running.
Segev and several other Akko officials visited the Manchester Bidwell Corporation’s Northside facility this week as they prepare to open ACAT. The Manchester Bidwell model has been exported to several U.S. cities. Akko’s ACAT will be the first to open internationally, but talks have been underway in Vancouver, London and Japan.
Segev said taking something with roots in Pittsburgh is not too far a stretch in his city.
“As in Pittsburgh there are different populations,” he said, “strong and weak populations — you have it in Akko with more things [like] different religions.”
According to Segev, Akko’s population is about 30 percent Arab. Most of that population is Muslim, and about 70 percent of the population is Jewish. That’s a rough estimate, as there are also Christians, non-religious people and new immigrants in the mix. All will be welcome at ACAT.
City Shows Jews And Arabs Can Coexist
The news coming out of Israel has to do mostly with the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, but Segev said that’s not the whole story.
“What you can see on CNN and BBC and wherever is not the real situation in Israel. There are problems, but we have a beautiful life in Israel," Segev said. "Akko is a beautiful, ancient city. To live in Akko is more safe than, I think, to live wherever in the world.”
But there are still challenges with blending religions and cultures in one facility, and issues such as poverty, unemployment and academic struggles are a reality there, just as here. Bidwell’s Strickland said Akko is a good place to start because it has a history of coexistence.
“This will be a very powerful symbol of hope that the Arab community and Jewish community are working together,” Strickland said. “Jewish kids and Arab kids are going to go to school together, they’re going to learn together, hopefully they’ll benefit together and they’ll help, eventually, to set a very high standard for coexistence.”
Program Differences
The programming in Akko won’t be identical to that in Pittsburgh. In fact, none of the replication centers are identical.
“An important part of these replications is they cater themselves to the community and the needs of the community and the culture, so much of it — since it’s not in the United States and it’s such a different culture in the Middle East, we’re very cognizant and very sensitive to cultural differences,” said Mark Frank, chair of the ACAT board.
Frank said the Manchester Bidwell model can work anywhere, and he added that ACAT will show that. Working internationally means occasional visits between sites and consultation via phone and web, but the distance is not seen as a barrier.
“Companies do it all the time,” Strickland said. “IBM’s all over the world. Starbucks is all over the world. So why can’t little Manchester Bidwell be all over the world?”
ACAT is in the process of recruiting teaching staff and participants, which Segev said will not be difficult. He said he expects a full house when it opens.
“We are working together, Jew and Arabs, with a common mission — to have a better life together.”
The first offerings of the ACAT arts program will be digital photography and 3D printing. Officials hope to expand the job training program to include hospitality.
Manchester Bidwell’s U.S. replication centers are in eight U.S. cities and plans are underway for centers in Sharon, Pennsylvania; Tacoma, Washington; Denver and Los Angeles.
