A MOMENT OF REFLECTION

The fact that education has a profound impact on society has inspired a tremendous amount of investment in Hand in Hand since its founding in 1997. This generous investment comes in all formsinspired leadership of directors, principals and teachers; financial support from contributors around the globe; visionary political commitments from local leaders in Jerusalem, Wadi Ara and the Galilee regions; and the ultimate commitment of Hand in Hand familiesthe young minds of their children.

Hand in Hand schools are not typical schools, just as Israel is not a typical country. Most schools measure their impact primarily in the achievement of their students. At this normative level, Hand in Hand schools certainly succeed. Hand in Hand studentsJewish and Arab alikeregularly score above the norm for Israeli students, as measured through standardized testing at various grade levels. The passionate investment in Hand in Hands bilingual, multicultural model, however, aims for something further and more difficult to quantify. 

Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel is founded on a core belief that the education of Jewish and Arab children in Israel must prepare students for peaceful coexistence. Segregated schools contribute to a society in conflict, as youth from diverse cultures are formally and informally steeped in inequitable and unresolved notions of social identity. Nine years ago, the founders of Hand in Hand recognized segregated schools as a barrier to peaceful coexistence, and invented a unique multicultural school model to support a stronger civil society in Israel.

From the earliest grades, Hand in Hand students learn in classrooms with equal numbers of Jewish and Arab students, instructed in both languages by Arab and Jewish co-teachers. Formally and informally, students learn to see their own culture and language in context with others. They learn to value their own identity without denigrating a different one. They acquire the skills and experiences to live in a peaceful, diverse society. Nowhere else in Israel do Arabs and Jews spend so much time together, daily working out the small and large issues of coexistencefrom observing holidays to formulating a shared community response when violence erupts. 

In 1997, when Hand in Hand was founded, many outright dismissed the notion of schools that would integrate Israels Jewish and Arab children. Schools in Israel have long been entrenched in a system that reinforces cultural separation. Arab students attend Arab-language schools; Jewish students attend Hebrew-language schools.

Hand in Hand inspired people in Israel to think about education in a different way, and in this small way achieved an impact beyond the schools themselves. In 1998, when two Hand in Hand schools opened their doorsone in Jerusalem, the other in the Galilee region of northern Israelfifty children enrolled in the two schools combined. Although the schools started small, Hand in Hand has been able to demonstrate how just fifty children in Israel can have a significant impact. For each one of the children who enrolled in Hand in Hand schools in 1998, there are now more than 12 new students involved (most of the original fifty are also still with us). The 676 students now enrolled in Hand in Hand schools come from 20 different communities in three regions of Israel (Jerusalem, Galilee and Wadi Ara), from faiths that range from Christian,  to Jewish, to Muslim.

This coming September, we will begin our ninth year of Hand in Hand schools with an expected enrollment of over 750 students. During this coming year we will not only be working to strengthen our three existing schools but also laying the groundwork for the establishment of new Hand in Hand schools in other communities in Israel. Groups of parents and education officials in Haifa, Beersheba and Tel Aviv have all expressed interest in opening schools in their communities. In this manner, by creating top notch curriculum and ensuring a model of educational excellence, and by working toward the establishment of new schools, we are helping to expand our impact in Israel.

Thank you for your support and interest and we look forward to your continued involvement with us.

Lee Gordon

Hand in Hand Co-Founder