Celebrating the Olive Harvest
From Jerusalem to the Galilee, Hand in Hand students are learning about the olive harvest together; its history, significance, and traditions. Kids learned how to pick, preserve, and prepare the olives together. In Jerusalem, all the third graders shared a big feast. And in the Galilee, families made a delicious…
Read moreFirst Day of School 2019!
We are full of excitement and joy as we start the school year across the country, with almost 2,000 Arab and Jewish students in Jerusalem, the Galilee, Wadi Ara, Haifa, Jaffa, and Kfar Saba! It's amazing and inspiring to watch our Hand in Hand community grow, and our young students…
Read moreWe are Excellent!
We are excellent! (according to the Ministry of Education) Our very own Max Rayne Hand in Hand School just received the announcement that the school was included in the Ministry of Education's list of outstanding schools in Jerusalem. The honors were given based on measures of quality and improvement in…
Read moreNewest Hand in Hand Community Launch: Nof Hagalil (Nazareth Illit)
If you haven't heard, Hand in Hand is opening our SEVENTH community – this time in Nof Hagalil (formerly Nazareth Illit). Nof Hagalil is a small and growing city in Israel's North, with about one-third Arab residents. The municipality has yet to build a single school for Arab families, who…
Read moreThank you Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg!
We are thrilled to announce that United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be donating proceeds from an award she recently received to Hand in Hand. The Gilel Storch Award is given by the Judisk kultur i Sverige (Jewish Culture in Sweden) to persons whose work has promoted…
Read moreIn Memoriam: Pierre Schneider (1937–2018)
The Hand in Hand community shares the sorrow of the Schneider family in Luxembourg on the passing of Pierre Schneider. We are deeply grateful to the Schneider family who decided to honor the memory of Pierre by asking his friends and colleagues to donate to Hand in Hand. In a…
Read moreMemorial Day 2019 : A co-teacher conversation
What is it like on Memorial Day in Israel at mixed Jewish-Arab school? Students, teachers and parents at all of our Hand in Hand schools to mark Memorial Day. As usual, our memorial was different than in other schools. In Jerusalem, two co-teachers, Haim and Sirin, stood together at the…
Read moreOptimism and the Elections in Israel: A letter from HIH CEO Dani Elazar
Sarah Sheikh (circled) and fellow Hand in Hand alumni at the country-wide leadership retreat. April 9, 2019 should be an optimistic day for Israeli citizens. 5.8 million Israeli citizens have the right to vote to elect the representatives of the 21st Knesset and determine Israel’s path for the coming years.…
Read moreHand in Hand 12th grade exhibit at the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem 2019
Today was the culmination of the 12th grade art program. Eight 12th grade students presented their work in an exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Jerusalem, where they will stay for the next week for visitors to see. The works of art explored themes of identity - from coping…
Read moreArun Gandhi, Grandson of Mahatma Ghandi, Visits Hand in Hand Haifa
We recently had the honor of welcoming Arun Gandhi, grandson of the renowned Indian peace activist Mahatma Ghandi, to our Hand in Hand Haifa Elementary School. Like his grandfather before him, Mr. Ghandi is an outspoken activist for peace, and through this work, came to know Mr. Salim Joubran, the…
Read moreAnnual Community Retreat Marks 20 Years of Hand in Hand
Representatives from all six Hand in Hand schools convened recently at Kibbutz Nir Etzion in the north of Israel for our annual community conference. Principals, community organizers, staff, teachers, and young alumni came together for two meaningful days of leadership training, brainstorming, dialogue, and bonding. There were meaningful conversations, laughter,…
Read moreTel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai Visits Hand in Hand
We recently had the honor of welcoming Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and council members Abed Abu-Shahda and Lisa Hanania to our school in Jaffa. The guests received a tour of the facilities, talked with us about the importance of bilingual education in Israel, and even got to meet some of…
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