Following the 31st Program Committee Meeting in Israel in 2008, this year’s conference took place in Heidelberg at the DKFZ from March 15 to March 18, 2009 in combination with the 11th Workshop. During the latter, the progress of the running projects was presented by their Israeli and German Principal Investigator or their PhD student, respectively. These events started with an informal welcome dinner on March 15 (image 1) during which scientific and private topics were discussed vividly. One German Principal Investigator was pleased to say that this cooperation program not only allows scientific achievements but also insights into other cultures.

On Monday, March 16, the 11th Workshop was opened by Wilhelm Krek’s (ETH Zürich) whose Keynote lecture (image 2) on the “Molecular Basis of the von Hippel-Lindau Cancer Syndrome” was heard by numerous very interested scientists of the DKFZ. The first evaluation round for ongoing projects followed the lecture. After lunch, the German and Israeli scientists went by bus to see the Martin Buber House in Heppenheim (image 3) where Barbara Fruth gave a vivid report on the C.V. of Martin Buber, the famous mediator between Jews and Christians. One of the members of the scientific program committee, Michael Schlesinger (Hebrew University), followed the talk or most attentively as he had known Martin Buber personally. Rev. Dick Pruiksma, the Secretary General International Council of Christians and Jews (www.schalomnet.de/mbhde/), then gave an insight into the activities of the institution. Afterwards, the participants had the opportunity to discuss this multitude of information while enjoying coffee and cake at Fachwerkstube (image 4) close by.

The next destination was Worms – the Jewish Quarter (image 5) where the group had been expected already by two competent city guides, Mrs. Mattes and Mrs. Storf-Felden. Besides the synagogue, the Rashi-House and the Jewish Cemetry (image 6) Michael Schlesinger could also have a look at the house where he had been born. This excursion to Worms turned out to be a "back to the roots" trip for Michael Schlesinger and he shared his memories in a talk entitled “My Worms” during a reception in the evening. His mother had worked as a physician in Worms before the family emigrated to Palestine during the Nazi regime. Monday, March 16, a diversified day was concluded harmoniously by the reception with the spring quartet and a buffet dinner.

Tuesday was foreseen for further project evaluations and meetings of the scientific program committee. The statements of the ongoing projects by the committee and decisions on the approval of five new projects (running period: 01.07.2009 – 30.06.2012) were important topics on the agenda. Additionally, plans were made for the preparation of a summer school for the students of the cooperation program in autumn this year in Israel, as well as for the next winter school in Pichl 2010.

The meeting ended in the evening of March 18 with a dinner (image 7) at the "Restaurant zum Hackteufel", a typical Heidelberg restaurant and was followed by a cultural highlight at the Stadthalle Heidelberg where a concert was given by the Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra. After a strenuous four days everyone relaxed to music by Haydn and Rimski-Korsakow.
In summary, the motto of the program “Cooperation and Friendship” proved true once again.