The schools bringing peop
Israeli and Palestinian children are learning to build friendship.
In November last year a school in the city of Jerusalem won an international award. The Max Rayne Hand in Hand school teaches Palestinian and Israeli students alongside each other in a region where the two groups are deeply divided. Jerusalem is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are mostly Jewish, and Palestinians are mostly Muslim. Most Palestinians are also Arabs, an ethnic group in the Middle East.
Why were the schools opened?
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians goes back many years. The two sides disagree over who owns different areas of land and who should be allowed to live in certain places. The conflict has got much worse recently.
In 1997, Amin Khalaf, a Palestinian who lives in Israel, and an AmericanJewish man called Lee Gordon came up with an idea. They wanted to see Palestinian and Israeli children go to school together in a region where 99% of Jewish and Arab pupils live separate lives. The pair opened two preschools in Jerusalem and Galilee, which is in Israel, and welcomed 50 students.
What is the schools’ mission?
The teachers and leaders of the Hand in Hand schools believe that education can help bring about change in the region and develop trust between Palestinians and Israelis. They think that when the students grow up and maybe become leaders, they will have a good understanding of their neighbours and will want to work together for peace in the area. The schools also aim to bring communities together through the families of the students.
How do they do that?
Every class is taught by two teachers, one Jewish
and one Arab. Both the Palestinian language, Arabic, and the Israeli language, Hebrew, are spoken in class and given equal importance. Hand in Hand schools celebrate Muslim, Jewish and Christian festivals and teach students about all three cultures. Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan are all part of the school calendar. The schools also organise activities for families, such as the Iftar meal, which is traditionally celebrated by Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Alongside regular school subjects, pupils can take part in cooking, yoga and gardening.
Has the idea worked?
Former students of Hand in Hand schools explain that their education taught them not to fear each other. Vicky Makhoul, an Arab pupil who is now a law student in Tel Aviv, Israel, said the school gave her “an environment that really allowed me to speak but also to be open to others and hear their stories.” It’s not just the children who mix. Their families get together outside of school, becoming friends, celebrating birthdays and special occasions together and carrying out projects like planting a community garden.
Looking forward
There are now six Hand in Hand schools in Israel, teaching 2,000 students aged three to 18. In October last year, the schools closed for two weeks after fighting intensified before they reopened and helped the pupils to talk about what had happened.
The schools’ director, Dani Elazar, said that despite all the worry and distrust across the region, “with many questions, we came back together”.