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  May 18, 2026

  Givat Haviva, University of Haifa Conference on Hebrew Education in Arab Society

  Although Hebrew fluency is essential for success in Israel’s economy, academia, and public life, speaking Hebrew remains a challenge for many Arab citizens of Israel, who often have limited exposure to the language in daily life. To address this challenge educators from across the country gathered at the University of Haifa on May 6 for a conference on the future of Hebrew-language education in Arab schools. Co-organized by Givat Haviva, the “Hebrew as a Key” conference focused on improving Hebrew instruction as a way to expand opportunities for Arab citizens and strengthen their integration in Israeli society. Prof. Mouna Maroun, the University of Haifa Rector, warned that declining Hebrew proficiency among Arab youth, largely due to changing media habits, deepens separation between Jewish and Arab students on campus and weakens Arab students’ confidence in academic settings. Universities, she stressed, have a responsibility to help bridge that gap. Ola Najami-Yousef, director of the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace at Givat Haviva, framed Hebrew as a path toward opportunity, belonging, and connection between communities. She spoke candidly about her own experience with learning the language. “There were mistakes, moments of insecurity, and moments when I wanted to give up,” she recalled. Still, she described how each new word and sentence gradually became “another door that opened.” Today, she said, Hebrew represents far more than communication: “It is a key to integration, to studies, to employment, and, most importantly, to a sense of belonging.”

• May 14, 2026

  A Young American Jew Working for Shared Society at Givat Haviva

  In early 2026, central Tel Aviv filled with Israelis—Jewish and Arab alike—demanding action against rising crime in Arab communities and criticizing government inaction. Among the demonstrators was Sami Jinich, a young Jewish American working at Givat Haviva. The calls for equality and security for all citizens resonated deeply with him. “When minorities are safe, everyone is safe,” he says—an idea that felt instinctive to his American Jewish upbringing. Israel had played an important role in Sami’s life from an early age. The son of Mexican-Jewish parents, he grew up in a pluralistic Jewish community in Washington, D.C., attending a Jewish primary school where he learned Hebrew, addressed teachers as Geveret and Adon, and sang the Hatikva, in addition to the pledge of allegiance, every week. “I was told from a young age that I had a stake in this country,” he recalls. Regular visits to Israel, where he has relatives, strengthened that sense of connection.

Recent Events

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  Jan

  19

  Special Briefing: Survey of Israeli Jews, Arabs

  On Monday, January 19th, 12 pm (ET) Friends of Givat Haviva held a special briefing on the new Givat Haviva survey of Israeli Jewish and Arab citizens. The annual Givat Haviva Partnership Index provides vital insights into public opinion on critical issues affecting Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and the work of Givat Haviva. Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella, Director of Strategy Mohammad Darawshe, and Adi Sidi, presented the survey results and discussed their implications for advancing Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. This special briefing was the first time the Givat Haviva 2026 Partnership Index was presented in English, and follows the Givat Haviva Conference for a Shared Society that took place on January 6.
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  Jan

  6

  Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella Opens Shared Society Conference

  The 2026 Givat Haviva conference for a shared society comes at a time when “we are more divided, more hateful, and more fearful of one another then ever. This government continues to incite us against each other,” Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sella declared in her address opening the January 6 event, attended in person by more than 500 people. “This conference is taking place at a critical moment, a volatile moment, a moment in which the ground could slip from beneath our feet,” Sella said. “Therefore, it is also a moment when responsibility passes to us: to civil society, to local leadership, to educators – to demand from our politicians and leaders, to struggle, and to propose an alternative.” “A shared society is not a luxury,” Sella emphasized. “It is a condition for security, for democracy, and for a future in this land. Without equality, without fair law enforcement, and without civic and political partnership – there will be no future here.” Sella thanked the more conference participants “for choosing to come and say: we do not give up. This is the time for repair, recovery, and partnership.” Read Michal Sella’s full speech.