Binational School for Jewish and Palestinian kids

For many of us, playgrounds bring fond memories of new friendships and childhood adventures. However, recent changes in the Ministry of Education’s safety regulations have meant that the “Purple Playground of Friendship” has had to remove swings, slides, and the playhouse. None of this equipment will be replaced by the Ministry of Education.

Last week, with nothing to play on before, during, or after school, the children took their lessons on democracy to heart. They voiced their dissatisfaction by making signs and demonstrating for a replacement playground.

A fundraising committee has been formed with representatives from all classes at the school, determined to renew Purple Playground. The students are taking charge of this project- a child contributed his $5 birthday gift as the first donation towards the new playground. Parents are involved as well, volunteering time and forming their own fundraising committee.

The Primary School’s playground is vital to the mission of the school, enabling Jewish and Arabs children to build bilingual friendships that bridge divides.

We hope that you will support this project and help us to re-create the Purple Playground for the Primary School students. If recess was ever your favorite part of the day, bring that joy to these children. Together, we can provide an accessible, creative playground where cross-cultural play forges strong friendships and hopes for the future. With your help, we can make this goal a reality.

This year is the Primary School’s biggest yet! Fifty-four new students have joined the school, bringing the total number of children enrolled up to 314. This is the largest that the school has
ever been. The Primary School’s growth represents both increasing interest in bilingual and multicultural education and the Primary School’s stellar academic record. To accommodate the school’s
expanding student body, seven new teachers have been hired.

As the Primary School grows and becomes more diverse, funding needs for the school have increased. The Education Ministry recently cut the amount of tuition that the Primary School was allowed to ask for, producing a $130,000 deficit last year and significantly decreasing the amount of subsidy that the Primary School was able to provide for student transportation and supply costs. Friends organizations from around the world are doing what they can to help the Primary School continue to be accessible and affordable for years to come.

As teachers and administrators at the Primary School prepared for their new students, they were also hard at work launching a project that has been in the works for the past three years. The Primary School’s groundbreaking multicultural and bilingual curricula have been collected and developed into a program that can be adapted for
use in schools throughout the country and the world.

The Primary School, with help from Israel's Center for Educational Technology, has created an educational resource with the potential to revolutionize education for thousands of students. The Primary School will be translating the material into English over the next few months and increasing their digital presence, including a website on which the curricula will be available for schools and all others interested in learning more about bilingual and multicultural education.