In May, the Harry Radzyner Law School hosted a delegation of undergraduates, doctoral students, and lecturers for a joint seminar with the Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany’s Faculty of Law. The seminar, held this year under the guidance of Dr. Galia Schneebaum and Adv. Tal Schulzinger, is a long-standing joint tradition of the two schools, which takes place alternately in Israel and Germany. The seminar is made possible thanks to the generosity of the late Mr. Harry Radzyner, and resumed this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.
During the week of the delegation's visit, there were two days of a professional-academic workshop in which the work of the students in the program was presented. The carefully selected Israeli and German students (a total of 24 from the two schools) prepared presentations, in English, on 12 legal cases dealing with a series of legal questions. The topics chosen this year were the legal handling of the COVID pandemic and legal responses to the climate crisis, and the presentations dealt with diverse issues such as employees' rights during COVID, the tort laws applicable to the pollution of stream water, online legal proceedings during the pandemic, and the legality of the practice of “planned obsolescence” of products so that they break down or become obsolete in a short time, in order to increase the volume of sales.
In addition to the academic program, the week included joint meals and trips by the Israeli and German faculty members and students throughout the country. They toured Jerusalem (including a visit to the Supreme Court), Ariel Sharon Park, Rosh Hanikra, Caesarea, and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. All participants reported having a special experience, both from an academic perspective and, no less importantly, on the social side, which offered an extraordinary cultural and personal encounter.
Ben Jacob Bardlow, a second-year student from Heinrich Heine University, said of his experience: “In May 2022 we had the amazing opportunity to spend one week in Israel as part of a joint seminar with Reichman University. For two days we were exposed to the different approaches of the Israeli and German legal systems to issues related to the COVID pandemic and the climate crisis. The analyses, as well as the international exchange of ideas and proposed solutions to the given cases, were inspiring and offered tremendous added value for all of us! Our stay in Israel concluded with a three-day trip visiting various key sites. The highlight for me was the visit to the Israeli Supreme Court. I am happy and grateful to have had this special experience.”
Noya Shelkovitz, a second-year student in the Accelerated Law-Government track at Reichman University, said, “Participating in Reichman University's annual legal seminar with Heinrich Heine University was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in my academic studies. This year, the seminar dealt with legal issues arising from the pandemic and the climate crisis. These were our guiding themes for a comprehensive study on the way these topics have impacted local law in both Israel and Germany. This task required all of us to leave our comfort zones and face various challenges, both in the preparation of the research and in its presentation – and I am happy and grateful for that. In addition, the joint seminar included tours of various sites throughout the country, including Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Rosh Hanikra. However, for me, the most meaningful visit was to the Supreme Court, and the eye-
opening conversation we had with the Honorable Judge Daphne Barak-Erez."
