“I have acquired new tools for life, and specifically, for the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My experience with Givat Haviva was
both empowering and enlightening.”
-Aida, an Arab Israeli teenager, reflecting on her time with Givat Haviva
Greetings!

Givat Haviva is at a pivotal stage in its 70+ year history. 
 
As Director of Strategy, it is my honor to update you on our critical work, and to show you the impact you are having on the lives of thousands of Jewish and Arab Israelis, through your support of Givat Haviva.
 
We have come a long way since the terrible events of last May, when unprecedented violence erupted on Israel’s streets. While the conflict is, of course, ongoing, Israeli society has bounced back in a profound way. Civil society organizations, and Givat Haviva in particular, have played a pivotal role in that rebound. We took immediate action, fostering critical meetings with our partners on the ground, including with major leaders from both communities, and promoting our message of Jewish/Arab partnership through a series of ads on radio, television, and social media.
 
The results were outstanding.
 
The overwhelming response from Israelis across the country reinforced the fact that the vast majority of Arabs and Jews want to live in peace with one another. Despite ongoing tension, we are set to take our work to the next level.

Your contribution to Givat Haviva supports the economic, social, and political integration of 21% of Israel’s citizens, a goal that advances
all of Israeli society.

We at Givat Haviva are building on our groundbreaking Shared Language initiative, our program that sends Jewish educators into Arab middle schools to teach spoken Hebrew. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, we are designing a new project that will exchange Jewish and Arab educators into one another’s schools, allowing their students to form real and meaningful relationships with someone from “the other society.”

The results speak for themselves. For 93% of the Arab students, this was their first meaningful encounter with a Jewish person. For 65%, the experience positively changed how they viewed Jewish Israelis. Not only that, the average score of participants’ SAT equivalent rose 14 points, from 72 to 86! This means that these Arab teenagers will now be able to study at Israeli universities, get higher paying Israeli jobs, and build more successful lives for themselves within this country.


We’re also creating a joint Jewish-Arab Social and Business Hub, where local entrepreneurs will meet, collaborate, and push Israeli society forward together. There are hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Jews in our region – why not offer them a warm and welcoming place to partner on projects that could change this country, and create a brighter future for us all? We are working so hard to sow the seeds of Jewish-Arab partnership, and to make this happen, we need your help.

Friend, I also wanted to share with you the stories of Aida, an Arab Israeli, and Itamar, a Jewish Israeli, past participants of Through Others’ Eyes (TOE). TOE is Givat Haviva’s veteran project that brings Arab and Jewish teenagers together to express themselves through photography. The kids spend more than a year together, exploring, growing, and ultimately, just becoming friends. It is my pleasure to share with you their words below:
Aida, a young Arab woman from Baqa al-Gharbiya

“I chose to participate in Through Others’ Eyes because I believe in a shared society between Arabs and Jews. Whenever I talk about the program with friends and family, I always say there is me "before," and there is me "after," because the program made me see “the other” with totally different eyes!

In the program, I came to understand what separates us, and also what unifies us. This goes beyond the pleasant conversations and the difficult ones, the time spent together, the learning, and how we expressed ourselves through art. I came to know special people who have become true friends of mine! I have acquired new tools for life, and, specifically, for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

My experience with Givat Haviva was both empowering and enlightening. Because of that, today, beyond studying business management at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, I am also a co-instructor of the program! I do this to continue the journey for generations to come.”
Aida today, an undergraduate student and co-instructor of TOE
Itamar, a young Jewish man from Moshav Geulim

"I came to the program with a desire to be exposed to the Arab population in my area, since despite the daily interaction in shops and restaurants,   I didn’t know any Arabs my own age, or anything about their culture.

When I was given the opportunity to join the program, I was happy to find out that TOE centers on photography, an art form that I love.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and indeed, when there is a language gap, using pictures to convey a message, present an opinion, or to tell a story, makes things much easier.

During the year, we learned how to take photos, got to know each other, visited one another’s homes, talked, argued, traveled, and created a powerful exhibition of our work that told our story, the story of our families. Each and every photo presented a different perspective.

The program has ended, and I’m still close with my new friends, and I even created a short documentary that details the process.

Today, as I serve in a combat unit in the army, and am exposed to less accepting views towards the Arab population, I remain firm in my views and values that I learned from my experience with Givat Haviva.”
Itamar in the U.S., sharing his experience with Givat Haviva
Friend, a gift today to Givat Haviva will have an immense impact on young adults just like Aida and Itamar, and will allow us to support and foster a new generation of future peacemakers. I have dedicated my life to the cause of Arab-Jewish partnership, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have you with us, supporting Givat Haviva every step of the way. Thank you for what you do for us.
With gratitude,
Mohammad Darawshe
Director of Strategy
Givat Haviva
PS: I'm looking forward to sharing some amazing updates with you later this year. Have a wonderful summer, and thank you again for your gift.