Comments on: Last Arab-Jewish public school in Israel may close its doors http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/ Independent commentary and news from Israel & Palestine Fri, 24 May 2013 17:27:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: ARTH http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16737 ARTH Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:37:47 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16737 This article is misleading: This is a secular Jewish/Hebrew school at which the majority of students are Arab. Many Arab parents would like and do enroll their children in Hebrew/Jewish schools, rather than the Arab schools, because they are better funded and have a higher quality of education and opportunity. The issue here is that the parents of the Jewish students do not want their children to study in a school in which the majority of the students are Arab. The question of assimilation is two-fold here: On the one hand, the Arab students follow the Secular Jewish Israeli curriculum in which they learn about Jewish holidays, history and the official Jewish version of the History of the State of Israel. Many of them will graduate more capable of reading Hebrew then they ever will Arabic. On the other hand, the Jewish students will be studying their curriculum in classes with Arab majorities. This article is misleading: This is a secular Jewish/Hebrew school at which the majority of students are Arab. Many Arab parents would like and do enroll their children in Hebrew/Jewish schools, rather than the Arab schools, because they are better funded and have a higher quality of education and opportunity.
The issue here is that the parents of the Jewish students do not want their children to study in a school in which the majority of the students are Arab. The question of assimilation is two-fold here: On the one hand, the Arab students follow the Secular Jewish Israeli curriculum in which they learn about Jewish holidays, history and the official Jewish version of the History of the State of Israel. Many of them will graduate more capable of reading Hebrew then they ever will Arabic. On the other hand, the Jewish students will be studying their curriculum in classes with Arab majorities.

]]> By: Umm Einav http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16615 Umm Einav Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:21:52 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16615 I certainly hope that the Weizmann school will be kept open as bringing Jewish and Arab students in the same classroom breaks down stereotypes, and encourages understanding and recognition of the other. My kids attend the Hand in Hand school in Jerusalem, which is considered a public, but specialized school, partially funded by the municipality and partially by the Hand in Hand organization. While the elementary school seems to be surviving, the high school especially has trouble keeping Jewish students. Parents are concerned that the high school isn't good enough, in addition to "social" issues (which I think refers to dating). The decisions to leave the school seem to emanate from the parents, and not from obstacles put up by external forces (such as the municipality ). Fortunately, the high school graduating class did excellent on the Bagrut, and hopefully greater efforts will be made to keep both Jewish and Arab students in the high school. I certainly hope that the Weizmann school will be kept open as bringing Jewish and Arab students in the same classroom breaks down stereotypes, and encourages understanding and recognition of the other.
My kids attend the Hand in Hand school in Jerusalem, which is considered a public, but specialized school, partially funded by the municipality and partially by the Hand in Hand organization. While the elementary school seems to be surviving, the high school especially has trouble keeping Jewish students. Parents are concerned that the high school isn’t good enough, in addition to “social” issues (which I think refers to dating). The decisions to leave the school seem to emanate from the parents, and not from obstacles put up by external forces (such as the municipality ). Fortunately, the high school graduating class did excellent on the Bagrut, and hopefully greater efforts will be made to keep both Jewish and Arab students in the high school.

]]> By: Lauren Joseph http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16535 Lauren Joseph Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:25:32 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16535 Hagar is indeed an incredible community and recognized as a public school as part of the Ministry of Education. Hagar is indeed an incredible community and recognized as a public school as part of the Ministry of Education.

]]> By: Issa http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16529 Issa Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:47:26 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16529 Hagar sounds like a terrific project but despite the support from the Ministry of Education, Hagar is not a considered a public school. Hagar sounds like a terrific project but despite the support from the Ministry of Education, Hagar is not a considered a public school.

]]> By: Lauren http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16508 Lauren Thu, 21 Jul 2011 06:42:09 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16508 The HAGAR community in Beer Sheva is proud to have a blooming public school for Arab and Jewish children to learn and grow. Celebrating our fifth year, we have 190+ children from over 120 Arab an Jewish families attending day care, 3 kindergartens and first through fourth grade. The HAGAR School is supported by the Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Beer Sheva, with additional assistance of the NGO. For more information: www.youtube.com/TheHagarAssociation The HAGAR community in Beer Sheva is proud to have a blooming public school for Arab and Jewish children to learn and grow. Celebrating our fifth year, we have 190+ children from over 120 Arab an Jewish families attending day care, 3 kindergartens and first through fourth grade. The HAGAR School is supported by the Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Beer Sheva, with additional assistance of the NGO.

For more information:
http://www.youtube.com/TheHagarAssociation

]]> By: Issa http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16505 Issa Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:54:09 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16505 Weizman school is the only *public* mixed Jewish-Arab school in Israel. The rest of the schools mentioned above are private initiatives. Michael, I suggest you look more into the Hand in Hand Org in Jerusalem. The school practically has 0 Jewish students graduating this year. 0! Weizman school is the only *public* mixed Jewish-Arab school in Israel. The rest of the schools mentioned above are private initiatives.

Michael, I suggest you look more into the Hand in Hand Org in Jerusalem. The school practically has 0 Jewish students graduating this year. 0!

]]> By: Michael http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16477 Michael Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:39:34 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16477 The Weizmann school is far from the last mixed Arab-Jewish school in Israel. Besides the school at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the Hand In Hand Organization operates four school, in Jerusalem, the Galilee, Wadi Ara and Beersheva. These schools are all affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Education. More information: http://www.handinhandk12.org/ http://nswas.org/ The Weizmann school is far from the last mixed Arab-Jewish school in Israel. Besides the school at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the Hand In Hand Organization operates four school, in Jerusalem, the Galilee, Wadi Ara and Beersheva. These schools are all affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Education.
More information:
http://www.handinhandk12.org/
http://nswas.org/

]]> By: Ben Israel http://972mag.com/last-arab-jewish-public-school-in-israel-may-close-its-doors/19055/comment-page-1/#comment-16413 Ben Israel Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:23:33 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=19055#comment-16413 (1) I recall in the 1980's and 1990's there was a lot of publicity given to the Neveh Shalom mixed Jewish and Arab community located near Latrun. I presume they had a mixed education system. I also recall there were some difficult social problems there. I haven't heard anything about them for a long time. Does anyone know what happened to them? If the Jaffa school is the last mixed school, that would indicate that Neveh Shalom no longer has a mixed school. (2) Are the Arab students given instruction in Islam or Christianity, whichever faith the kids are born into? Or is it like a secular Israeli Jewish school where religious studies are deemphasized as compared to the Orthodox/religious Israeli schools? (1) I recall in the 1980′s and 1990′s there was a lot of publicity given to the Neveh Shalom mixed Jewish and Arab community located near Latrun. I presume they had a mixed education system. I also recall there were some difficult social problems there. I haven’t heard anything about them for a long time. Does anyone know what happened to them? If the Jaffa school is the last mixed school, that would indicate that Neveh Shalom no longer has a mixed school.

(2) Are the Arab students given instruction in Islam or Christianity, whichever faith the kids are born into? Or is it like a secular Israeli Jewish school where religious studies are deemphasized as compared to the Orthodox/religious Israeli schools?

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