Professional Development Program – I ASK: Peaceful Nuancing

A Practical Deep Dive – Series of 3 Online Workshops

In the past two years, more than ever, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has had an impact on our societies here. With the war finally coming to an end, tension in our societies will hopefully ease somewhat, yet at the same time, we are well aware of the ongoing relevance of this topic for many visitors. Since October 7, 2023, Jewish museums have received questions, demands for speaking out for or against, and emotional responses, often out of deep concern or anger. Some museums report that visitors or school groups avoid contact, deliberately or out of discomfort. Some museums even encounter outright hostility. Sometimes, old and well-known stereotypes and prejudices come into play. Many museum professionals struggle with ways to respond to visitors. Also, museums grapple with their programming: what can be addressed and in what way?

We are happy to offer a series of online, interactive training workshops of 2,5 hours each, that aim to:

• offer practical ways of dealing with difficult remarks;
• help distinguish between different situations, requiring a different approach;
• offer professionals from European museums a space to share their experiences and learn from and with each other;
• invite participants to create a clear framework for programming with regard to the topic of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. as well as other sensitive topics, in line with the vision of your museum.

This workshop series aims to offer a space to share experiences, as well as practical tools. It is a deep dive into the skill of Peaceful Nuancing, which is part of the I ASK method, which has been developed by the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam, together with TACT.

Program

Workshop 1: Peaceful Nuancing – engaging in conversation part 1
Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CET
What do you do when you are confronted with a difficult remark revealing prejudice or a lack of nuance, related to Israel/Palestine (or any other topic) on your museum floor. These are challenging situations. We know that every Jewish museum has its share of examples. In this workshop, we offer you the skill of peaceful nuancing, which can help you stay effective and contribute nuance, even a little bit. We offer clear steps, including sample phrases, to inspire you in situations when you are at a loss for words. We work with real-life examples to discuss and practice.

Workshop 2: Peaceful Nuancing – engaging in conversation part 2
Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CET
Whatever the situation, the first step of Peaceful Nuancing is to focus on yourself. In this workshop, we go into more depth and offer practical tools to stay calm or maintain enough inner peace so that you can stay effective during the interaction. This requires self-awareness and deliberate actions.

Workshop 3: Peaceful Nuancing – a framework for programming
Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 2025, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CET
Programming around topics like the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is sensitive, especially for Jewish museums. Stakeholders (employees, visitors, donors etc) want the museum to take a particular position or to engage in a certain way. What helps to stay in the driver’s seat is to formulate a clear Intention (desired Impact) and a framework for programming. We will share with you how the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam did this and explore how this works in your museum. For the remainder of the time, we will reflect on situations you encountered during the previous weeks and explore how you applied the learnings. This will help you strengthen your skills even further.

Participation & Registration

This offer is for AEJM members only and comes at no charge.

• Participation is limited to 25 participants to ensure interactivity.
• The program is delivered via Zoom.
• Members of the AEJM interested in participating are kindly asked to contact registration@aejm.org.

About I ASK
Developed in the Jewish Cultural Quarter in collaboration with TACT, the I ASK method provides practical tools for professional museum education. Over 50 museums have participated in I ASK training programs and workshops.