Vision and Aims

The Hagar Association is dedicated to building an egalitarian civil society in the Negev and in Israel as a whole. In order to realize this goal, we have begun developing/building an educational space in which Jewish and Arab children are educated together in an atmosphere of equality, tolerance, bilingualism and multiculturalism. An educational framework of this kind allows for daily contact and sustained connections to form between Arab and Jewish children, parents and educators. While recognizing and respecting the other, we place great emphasis on preserving the unique identity of each child and adult. Hagar is also firmly committed to promoting the highest academic standards in all of its educational enterprises.

How do we do this?

Over the last three years, the Hagar Association has founded and continues to develop three educational frameworks:

1. Our Preschool and Kindergarten Classes currently (in 2008-9) have 50 students with an equal number of Jewish and Arab children. The kindergarten and the preschool are operating for a second year now in a remarkable atmosphere of enthusiasm and commitment. The success of the preschool and kindergarten proves that Jewish-Arab partnership is not only possible, but that the Hagar educational enterprise is actually creating a different future for our children.
2. The Hagar “School-in-the-Making” will open a first grade in 2009-10. Like the preschool and kindergarten classes, the first grade will follow the model of the Jerusalem Hand-in-Hand bilingual school founded in 1998 by the Hand-in-Hand Association. We work in close cooperation with this organization, while taking into account the specific needs of the local Beer-Sheva community.
3. Community Educational Center for Hagar families and the wider Beer-Sheva community offers family-oriented activities, such as joint holiday celebrations, workshops on the issues of Jewish-Arab relations, spoken Arabic courses, and joint artistic and cultural projects.

All of Hagar’s educational and community projects are carried out in cooperation with qualified professionals, public representatives and community organizers, which allows us to draw an increasingly wider circle of people into our activities and to enlist wider communal support for Hagar’s ideas and values. Equality, multiculturalism and bilingualism are the cornerstones of all of our educational programs and activities. Hebrew and Arabic, as well as the traditions, customs and heritage of each respective community, have equal status in the Hagar kindergarten, preschool and school.

Our educational framework is open to families from all different social strata, ethnic and religious groups. Hagar maintains a financial aid fund to subsidize school fees for those who need such support.