Memory of the Sea: an art-science collaboration across generations in two Arab villages in Israel

People who live by and off the sea have a collective memory of it and how it has changed over the generations. This memory is a vital part of the connection between them and their environment, and can provide important scientific insights on how the sea has changed over time (e.g. species and habitat abundances, pollution, etc.). It can help guide the community as it searches for ways to responsibly harness the sea while conserving it for future generations. In this project, we explored means of recording the memory of the sea in collaboration with teenagers living near the coast of Israel from the two Arab villages of Jisr-az-Zarqa and Fureidis. The project included several field trips to the coast, each focusing on a different geological and ecological aspect, after which the teenagers interviewed and recorded their elders (parents, grandparents and/or fishermen) describing their memories of the coastal environment. These included songs about the sea, the role of women and their connection to the sea, descriptions of fish and plants, and more. The interviews were accompanied by photographic portraits, and initial scientific measurements were carried out by the students to assess current pollution in a nearby river. More advanced measurements are planned for the near future. A major challenge in the project was overcoming the language barrier and cultural differences between the academic researchers and the teenagers. This was facilitated by having the project led by educators from the villages themselves and/or other Arab communities. Efforts to finalize the interviews and translate the recordings into English and Hebrew are ongoing, and the more advanced scientific data has not yet been collected, with the project running into complications due to the current war between Israel and Gaza. The final aim is to have the project stay in the local communities as a cultural archive by housing the Memory of the Sea at a local museum in Jisr-az-Zarqa and in other venues around Israel.