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Israeli Arabs enter Jewish classrooms
JOSEF FEDERMAN
(The Associated Press)



06:33:47AM (ET) Thursday,December 22,2011.

YOKNEAM, Israel (AP) — In an educational revolution of sorts, a growing number of Israeli schools are taking a novel approach to the instruction of Arabic: They're hiring Arab teachers.

The initiative is about far more than teaching children a new language. Educators say they hope to break down barriers in a society where Jewish and Arab citizens have little day-to-day interaction and often view each other with suspicion.

"It is very important to get past the stigmas. We have a chance to get closer," said Shlomit Vizel, principal of the Tidhar elementary school in Yokneam, a picturesque town in the rolling hills of Israel's northern Galilee region.

In a country where 20 percent of citizens are Arab, enlisting native Arabic speakers for the classroom would seem obvious. But a mix of politics and cultural differences over the decades have left Israeli students overwhelmingly separated between Jewish and Arab educational systems. With few exceptions, Jewish teachers teach Jewish students, and Arab teachers teach Arab students.

The "Ya Salam," or "Oh Wow," program — a play on words using the Arabic term for "peace" — is trying to change this trend with a new approach to Arabic, which is considered an official language in Israel and in theory is a required subject for all students. In reality, few Jews speak it well.

First, the program starts Arabic teaching in the 5th grade, two years earlier than normal. It also teaches conversational Arabic, instead of the formal literary Arabic that is traditionally taught. Most critically, it is bringing Arab teachers into Jewish classrooms.

Maram Faour, a young teacher from the Arab town of Kabul, is on the front lines of this effort.

The 29-year-old is now in her second year at Tidhar, where she says she is supported by her co-workers, embraced by her students and welcomed by parents.

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