August 21, 2024
Friends of Givat Haviva July 2024 Newsletter: Education, Empowerment and Hope
Message from Givat Haviva's CEO Michal Sella:
Dear Friends,
As we approach the beginning of the school year, we find ourselves once again dealing with uncertainty that impacts our ability to prepare. As a society, we are living with unrelenting anxiety and suffering, unending war and the hostages still not home, and daily life experienced under an all-encompassing threat, unlike anything we have known.
These feelings and this reality, do not spare the children and youth, but the Israeli education system is not providing an adequate response. The students long for certainty, calm, and a normal childhood, but they also need a space to engage with what is happening around them.
The events of October 7th and the war in Gaza clearly affect relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel in general and in schools in particular. Today it is clear that the Jewish-Arab rift in Israeli society is a significant and central challenge to Israel's ability to function as a democratic society. Still, most of the education offered around living together takes place here, in civil society organizations, and is not institutionalized within the education system or part of the school curriculum.
If Israel’s educational program does not change, Israel’s young people will not receive any education or messaging on the most burning topic in Israeli society today: Jewish-Arab relations. Jewish students will complete their schooling without the ability to say a simple sentence or even introduce themselves in Arabic, and a large portion of the Arab students will finish 12 years of study in the Israeli public education system and will not be able to speak Hebrew well enough to function in the Israeli labor market, let alone study at an Israeli university and communicate with Jews who speak only Hebrew.
This is not destiny, it can and should be changed: it is possible to create a strategic education plan for a shared society and eradicate racist violence. The government’s budget for meetings between Jewish and Arab students could be increased tenfold with a simple step - through the government’s GEFEN program that allows administrators to choose educational programs. It is possible to earmark part of the budget to be designated for education for a shared Jewish-Arab society. Programs can be funded that enable Jewish and Arab teachers to teach in each other’s schools. It is possible to add more advanced language studies that will create an opening for conversation, and reduce the extremely high levels of fear and inequality between young Jews and Arabs in Israel.
The beauty of education is that inaccurate conceptions can be corrected at a relatively low cost, before they claim lives or tear society apart. Now is the time to act.
Michal Sella
Executive Director, Givat Haviva
The Jewish-Arab Center for Peace
The Narratives in Israeli Society program is underway
The program, targeting Arab and Jewish public leaders, examines the various narratives in Israeli society, especially in light of October 7. The program seeks to reduce the distance between Jewish and Arab citizens through familiarization and deep exploration of the issues faced in each society.
Fifteen participants from a variety of fields in Arab society discuss topics such as statehood and democracy in Israel, the perception of national security before and after October 7, the evolution of narrative theories, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli culture, currents in ultra-orthodox society, and military recruitment.
The events of October 7 and the long war since then have affected all citizens of Israel. The Jewish population experienced and is still going through shock, from an altered sense of personal security, to fear and deep concern for the hostages, the soldiers, the many victims, and the many residents who have been evacuated from their homes for ten months. The Arab public in Israel also experienced shock, as people from Arab society were killed and injured, and they continue to watch helplessly as horrors are happening to their relatives in Gaza. The personal security of Arabs in Israel has been violated, and they are under constant threat and attacks on their freedom of expression. With all of Israel’s citizens experiencing upheaval, we choose to observe the changes in narratives and question whether they are destined to deepen the polarization between the two societies, or are we able to tell a common story of rebuilding and rapprochement?
The program started with a group from Arab society and in the coming months we will work with a group from Jewish society.
30 Jewish and Arab social leaders meet in a Shared Society Laboratory
Co.Lab, the laboratory for shared society funded by the Jewish Federation of New York and the Jewish Arab Center for Peace at Givat Haviva, joined forces to lead a new group of social leaders from both societies, promoting social cohesion through joint action.
The program offers a space where people of various identities can connect, learn, and deepen their connections in Israeli society, and transform diversity into a source of action, growth, and social resilience. The laboratory combines human encounters that require leaving one’s comfort zone and offers an innovative model for promoting shared society in Israel.
The program is in full swing with surprising connections and an innovative and groundbreaking learning experience that allows for in-depth acquaintance along with understanding barriers and boundaries.
The Taskil Project: a dedicated camp for learning spoken Hebrew in the Town of J'daida Macher
Led by the Education Department of Givat Haviva’s Jewish-Arab Center for Peace, this month we completed a dedicated summer camp for 45 boys and girls from 5th-8th grade from the town J’daida Macher, for practice, learning and exposure to spoken Hebrew.
Our young participants enjoyed four days packed with activities, workshops, creativity, and experiential learning of Hebrew.
We are proud to be part of the Taskil project of the Arab Education Division in the Ministry of Education, which accompanies and supports education departments in the Arab authorities. A big thank you to the J’daida Macher local council’s department of education for the fruitful cooperation.
Preparing for next year: two days of Shared Language teacher training
The Shared Language program is dedicated to strengthening spoken Hebrew among Arab youth. The program integrates Jewish teachers in Arab schools, enabling a significant personal encounter between the two societies. The weekly meetings with a native Hebrew-speaking teacher throughout the school year enrich students’ conversational skills and encourage social, occupational, and academic integration.
Shared Language, which started as a small pilot in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, today combines and connects dozens of teachers and schools across the country. We are proud that the program continues to break barriers and promote familiarity and connection far beyond language instruction.
The Hi-Tech Seeds program celebrates a decade of programming
Hundreds of graduates and students of High Tech Seeds gathered at Givat Haviva this month with their families, the Givat Haviva administration team, and the dedicated staff to mark the program's 10th anniversary, noting the decade of investment and empowerment for hundreds of Arab young men and women whose entry into the high-tech world began here.
Graduates shared moving personal stories, dedicated mentors and supporters were recognized for their significant contributions, and for the centerpiece of the event, we heard technological entrepreneur Dr. Hassan Abbasi’s fascinating and inspiring story. Leaders of recruitment for high-tech companies took part in the conference alongside government representatives and civil society organizations that deal with Arab youth employment in high-tech.
A decade of work on this program is a proud milestone for us, and we are committed to continuing the mission. Hi-Tech Seeds offers vision and action to help young people in Arab society realize their inherent potential and achieve full economic and social equality.
As always, we are so grateful for all your support and encourage you to forward this email to friends and family who may be interested in our work.