Where Hebrew and Arabic Go Hand in Hand

January 31, 2014

Lessons are in Hebrew and Arabic. The children, who follow Hand in Hand's motto—”Learning together, living together”—may look up to the adults for inspiration, but they also have learned to find their own way towards getting along and even beyond—to friendship.

There are currently Yad B’Yad (Hand in Hand) schools in Jerusalem, the Galilee, Wadi Ara and Haifa. A new Hand in Hand bilingual school recently opened in Jaffa with a pre-kindergarten class of 35 Jewish and Arab students. The student bodies are ethnically and religiously diverse—Arab Christian, Muslim, Armenian Christian, Jewish secular, Jewish traditional and more. At the Hand in Hand school, Jewish and Arab students become close friends, carrying these connections back to their families and neighborhoods.