Hand in Hand Holds First Strategic Planning Retrea

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Hand in Hand Convenes First Planning Retreat

by Lee Hiromoto and Ira Kerem

Retreat Participants Engage in Discussion

Participants engage in vigorous discussion during the retreat.

Over 50 principals, teachers, parents, as well as board members from both Israel Hand in Hand and the American Friends organization met on Thursday April 3, 2008 for Hand in Hand's first Strategic Planning Retreat. Held at Hand in Hand's new Max Rayne Jerusalem School, the event offered participants the chance to learn about the multifaceted successes of Hand in Hand while exploring potential avenues for future growth and development. For the first time, stakeholders from all four schools and abroad had the chance to meet and engage in serious strategic planning.

Reflecting on Success
In an act symbolic of the cross-Atlantic partnership between the American Friends of Hand in Hand and the Israel-based organization, Magda Zaher, Chair of the Israeli Board, and Stuart Brown, Chair of the American Board, gave a joint opening speech that praised Hand in Hand's pioneering work in the field of Jewish-Arab relations. Brown pointed out that there are "lots of opportunities" for donors to support projects in Israel, but few that are "making a real difference" like Hand in Hand. Zaher echoed these comments by thanking the American board members present (Brown, Julie Bram, and Paula Blumenfeld) for traveling to attend to the meeting, whose objective she defined as helping Hand in Hand move to the "next stage" after ten years of continuous success.

Israeli Board Chair Magda Zaher and American Board Chair Stuart Brown deliver joint opening remarks.

President and Co-Founder Amin Khalaf followed the opening remarks with a presentation of Hand in Hand's values and mission statement. An initial mission statement that was presented included "the goal of promoting and developing cooperation between Jews and Arabs on an equal basis in the field of education." Participants then presented their different suggestions for improving Hand in Hand's vision statement. Among the thoughts presented were a more specific definition of the organization's methodology and a greater emphasis on the importance of excellence in education. This is a work in progress with more thought to be invested in this issue in the future.

Each of the four schools (Jerusalem, the Galilee, Wadi Ara, and Beer Sheva) also presented their achievements and future challenges. The Jerusalem School looks forward to opening the world's first bilingual Arab-Jewish high school, while the Wadi Ara School will soon open the first middle school (ages 12-15) that will bring Jewish youth to an Arab village. The Galilee school detailed its successful organically developed curricula in fields such as human rights and interfaith understanding. This year the school will devote energy to broaden the number of schools and educators who will be exposed to these unique curricula. Representatives of the Galilee School also outlined the challenge of recruiting students from a geographically broad area where the population is widely dispersed. Hand in Hand's new Beer Sheva School contrasted its successful opening with the future challenge of finding a suitable space for expansion beyond the current kindergarten and pre-school classes.

Khalaf presented the overall success of Hand in Hand, whose highlights during the past year were the opening of the new Beer Sheva School, the completion of new campuses in the Jerusalem and the Galilee, publication of a bilingual curriculum, and growing international recognition. Challenges for the future, according to Khalaf, included future expansion to the upper-secondary (high school) level, the question of new schools, and how Hand in Hand might best reach out to community members.

Organizational and Strategic Introspection
In this vein, New Executive Director Sam Shube, based at Hand in Hand's international headquarters in Jerusalem, posed a number of questions regarding the organization's future development. Central to this discussion was the future allocation of Hand in Hand's resources. Regarding the organization's focus, Shube offered possible paradigms such as focusing on the existing four schools, opening more new schools according to a venture capital model whereby Hand in Hand's support has a defined start and end, or stepping back from school management all together. He raised the issue of expansion to the high school level, asking theoretically whether it would be preferable to focus on primary schools rather than face all the financial and bureacratic problems of extending through 12th grade.. Shube also mentioned the need to ensure cost effectiveness in implementing Hand in Hand's groundbreaking two-teacher model. Other ideas included the creation of a visitor center to generate revenue while sharing the group's pioneering work with a broader public, creation of a summer program, and putting more emphasis on expanding Hand in Hand's circles of influence within the community.

Shube's questions for discussion gave impulse to brainstorming prior to the retreat's closing. One major conclusion reached by the group was the importance of supporting the current four schools in their development processes. Further emphasis was placed on the importance of communication within Hand in Hand's different organizational appendages (the principals and parental steering committees of the four schools, the staff and boards of American Friends of Hand in Hand, and Hand in Hand Israel).

A number of other important issues were raised during the course of the retreat: the need to strengthen "excellence" in the schools; the importance of promoting use of the Arabic language amongst Jewish children and teachers; public relations and outreach directed toward the greater community; expanding training and consultative opportunities for teachers from all the schools; physical plant expansion; fundraising challenges. The plenum also proposed that Hand in Hand strive for a goal of ten schools in the long term.

Looking to the Future

American Board Member Julie Bram of Los Angeles and Jerusalem Parents' Committee Chair Nihad Ershid have formed a new friendship through Hand in Hand.

In order to forge a consensus among the diverse opinions put forth and take first steps toward a focused plan of action, the stakeholders proposed setting up various working groups under the direction of Sam Shube. It was suggested that these groups investigate the issues discussed such as opening new schools, the relationships between the current schools, research and development of bilingual curricula, and how to best support the organization's 120 teachers. Participants left the meeting excited by the many new possibilities to be explored in the wake of Hand in Hand's first day of strategic planning.

Israeli Director of Development Bob Fenton—who has been involved with Hand in Hand for over eight years—best summarized the day's impact by stating that "it helped us to raise and focus our hopes for Hand in Hand's critical mission of promoting peace and equality between Arabs and Jews."