Hagar Association
Israeli educational organization
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The Hagar Association (Hebrew: לשוני בהגר, romanized: L'Shoni B'Hagar) also called Hagar – Jewish-Arab Education for Equality, is an educational organization located in Beersheba, Israel. The organization runs a bilingual school that serves both Jewish and Israeli-Arab children from preschool through sixth grade. It is the only integrated school in the Negev in southern Israel.[1][2]
| Formation | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Beersheba, Israel |
Executive Director | Sam Shube |
| Website | https://www.hajar.org.il/en |
| Hagar Association | |
|---|---|
Israel | |
| Information | |
| Established | 2007 |
| Grades | PreK-6 |
| Enrollment | 380 students (2023) |
| Language | Arabic, Hebrew |
The organization also organizes cultural events in the community, and manages Scout Troop Adam, the country's only scouting troop with both Jewish and Arab members.[3][4]
History
Hagar Association was established in 2006 by Jewish and Arab community organizers and educators from Beersheba.[5]
Cultural events
In 2021, Hagar Association launched their Thaqafat initiative, which aimed to organize joint Arab-Jewish cultural events in the wider community. Events have included musical performances, poetry readings, and art exhibitions.[4]
In March 2022, the group organized a concert in Rahat.[4] In April, they organized a joint Iftar-Mimouna community meal.[3][4]
In 2023, the group organized Beersheba Performing Arts Center's first Arab-Jewish concert.[4]
In 2024, the group plans to stage four traveling art exhibitions with Rana, a Bedouin art center based in Rahat.[6]
School
Students
The school serves both Jewish and Arab-Israeli children,[1] and attempts to balance enrollment so the student population is half Jewish and half Israeli-Arab.[5]
For its first year of operation in 2007, the school only offered a kindergarten class.[4][7] By 2009, the school offered preschool, kindergarten, and first grade, serving 72 students.[5] The following year, enrollment increased to 140, with daycare, second, and third grade classes also being added.[5] As of 2023, 380 students attended the school.[4]
Education
Each class has a Jewish and an Arab teacher, with lessons being presented in both Hebrew and Arabic.[1][2][5]
The school's curriculum includes lessons about shared values in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,[1][4] and field trips bring students to places of worship in the city.[8] Holidays from the three religions and Israel's Independence Day, Nakba Day, and Yom HaShoah are all observed, with lessons focusing on universal values such as responsibility and empathy.[2]
The school encourages students to undertake projects, such as letter-writing campaigns, to promote the equality of Hebrew and Arabic in the community.[8]
In 2019, the school also opened the country's first "multi-age bilingual early childhood education center" with USAID financial support.[7]
Scout Troop Adam
The association launched Scout Troop Adam in 2019, numbering about a dozen children at its inception. The troop was open to any children living in Beersheba, and by 2023 the group had over a hundred members.[4]