In 2014 Givat Haviva began placing Jewish teachers in Arab schools to teach spoken Hebrew while bringing a modicum of integration to the schools as goodwill representatives of Jewish society. In 2020, the Ministry of Education expanded support for the program, recognizing Givat Haviva as an essential partner, assuming pedagogical responsibility, providing the teachers with professional pedagogical support, and assessing the program.

The ministry increased classroom hours and adopted a more intensive ulpan format for 7th grade. Despite the challenges of Covid and armed conflict, the program continued, teaching the basics of an essential skill for social mobility.

Last year, Givat Haviva added the Mentor Teachers Program, Shutafim Laderech, pairing every Jewish program teacher with a senior Arab teacher in the school to help their professional and cultural integration.

Givat Haviva continues to run the program in cooperation with the Ministry, and to carry out Shutafim Laderech, which both teachers and the ministry hailed as a great success and adopted as a model for all other programs involving cross sector teaching.

For more information in Hebrew about the program here