Where Does the Hate Come From?

Where does hatred originate? How does it develop in us and in others? How can we free ourselves from these patterns? And how can art help with that? These questions are the focus of an intercultural theatre project “Where Does the Hate Come From”, developed by students from Germany and Israel. Two groups from Israel travelled to Hamburg, one of which identifies as Jewish and the other as Arab-Israeli. In Germany, they meet peers from the Wilhelmsburg district, who are mainly second- or even third-generation Germans. As hosts, they are trying to build bridges between the two groups, which isn’t an easy task for young people struggling with their own experiences of discrimination. A process of self-discovery and reappraisal begins. It is an attempt to think about one’s own experiences in a context of current and historical conflicts and view the world through someone else’s eyes.