MUSLIM, Jewish and Christian schoolchildren were among more than 1,500 who broke a Guinness World Record in Israel for the largest-ever magic lesson.

    The 10 to 11-year-olds, led by Israeli magician Cagliostro, gathered in the Haifa International Conference Center to break the record.

    The event, dubbed Haifa Magic for Peace and held in conjunction with Beit Hagefen, a cultural center that works to foster dialogue and coexistence between the Jewish and Arab communities in the city, was attended by 25 schools.

    Representatives from every ethnic and religious community, including Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bahais and Druze, attended.

    The lesson began with Cagliostro teaching the children how to perform a card trick with a specially prepared pack of cards bearing words like peace, coexistence and dialogue in Hebrew and Arabic.

    The youngsters were encouraged to ask a friend to pick a card and place it back in the pack, after which the budding magicians would make the chosen card rise above the rest with the aid of a magic wand.

    Under the instruction of Cogliostro, they all raised their pack of cards and performed the magic trick in unison while uttering the magic words: “Peace Be With You” in both Hebrew and Arabic.

    Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav addressed the crowd saying, “It is vital that Haifa Magic for Peace breaks the Guinness World Record.

    “Around the world, people are unaware that here in Haifa, we have been living together in peace for over a century. I hope that the world over, people will learn this special magic trick for peace and think of the peaceful coexistence that we cherish here daily in the city of Haifa.”

    Cogliostro said, “This is not just any magic lesson, this is a magic lesson with representatives of every faith and community in Haifa, this is Haifa Magic for Peace.”(SD-Agencies)