Galil Jewish-Arab School
Encyclopedia
Galil Jewish-Arab School is the first joint Arab
-Jewish primary school
in Israel
, founded in 1998 by the Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel
, which also runs three other bilingual schools in Israel. It is located in Eshbal
, a Jewish Kibbutz
in the Misgav
area of the Galilee
, near the Arab
town of Sakhnin
.
In 2007, 200 Jewish and Arab students of different faiths (Jewish, Muslim
and Christian
) studied together at the Galilee School, from first to ninth grade. The students come from the local Misgav
, Sakhnin
, and Sha’ab municipalities, whose residents and municipal authorities have given their support for bilingual, multicultural education.
, Galil School strives to maintain an equal number of Arab and Jewish students; each class has two teachers, one Arab and one Jewish, the school has two co-principals, Arab and Jewish (currently Tagreed Hatib and Orna Eylat).
Hand in Hand's approach to bilingual education
aims to create equality, understanding, and coexistence between the Arab and Jewish populations of Israel, who often live segregated from one another. Classes at Hand in Hand schools are co-taught by an Arab and Jewish teacher, each teaching in his or her native language. Teachers do not translate, providing a strong incentive for students to attain fluency in the second language.
The school exposes the students to the three cultures: Jewish, Islam
ic and Christian
, and demonstrates in a straightforward and practical way the principles of democracy
and social equality
.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
-Jewish primary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, founded in 1998 by the Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel
Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel
Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel is a network of award-winning bilingual schools where Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel can study together...
, which also runs three other bilingual schools in Israel. It is located in Eshbal
Eshbal
Eshbal is a small kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Lower Galilee near Karmiel, it falls under the jurisdiction of Misgav Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 53.The village was founded in 1979 as a Nahal settlement...
, a Jewish Kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in the Misgav
Misgav
Misgav, Misgab may refer to the following:* Misgav Regional Council , a regional council in Israel* Misgav Am, a kibbutz in Israel* Misgav Dov, a moshav near Gedera* Misgav Ladach, a private, limited-service hospital in Jerusalem...
area of the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, near the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
town of Sakhnin
Sakhnin
Sakhnin is a city in Israel's North District. It is located in the Lower Galilee, about east of Acre. Sakhnin was declared a city in 1995. Its population of 25,100 is Arab, mostly Muslim with a sizable Christian minority. It is located on the site of the ancient Jewish town Sikhnin, which...
.
In 2007, 200 Jewish and Arab students of different faiths (Jewish, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
) studied together at the Galilee School, from first to ninth grade. The students come from the local Misgav
Misgav Regional Council
The Misgav Regional Council is a regional council in the Galilee region in northern Israel. The regional council is home to 22,000 people, and comprises 35 small towns, mostly community settlements but also several Kibbutzim and Moshavim. The population of 29 of these is primarily Jewish, and 6...
, Sakhnin
Sakhnin
Sakhnin is a city in Israel's North District. It is located in the Lower Galilee, about east of Acre. Sakhnin was declared a city in 1995. Its population of 25,100 is Arab, mostly Muslim with a sizable Christian minority. It is located on the site of the ancient Jewish town Sikhnin, which...
, and Sha’ab municipalities, whose residents and municipal authorities have given their support for bilingual, multicultural education.
The educational model
As in all Hand in Hand schoolsHand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel
Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel is a network of award-winning bilingual schools where Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel can study together...
, Galil School strives to maintain an equal number of Arab and Jewish students; each class has two teachers, one Arab and one Jewish, the school has two co-principals, Arab and Jewish (currently Tagreed Hatib and Orna Eylat).
Hand in Hand's approach to bilingual education
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
aims to create equality, understanding, and coexistence between the Arab and Jewish populations of Israel, who often live segregated from one another. Classes at Hand in Hand schools are co-taught by an Arab and Jewish teacher, each teaching in his or her native language. Teachers do not translate, providing a strong incentive for students to attain fluency in the second language.
The school exposes the students to the three cultures: Jewish, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic and Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and demonstrates in a straightforward and practical way the principles of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and social equality
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
.