Gesher Al Ha'wadi . Bridge Over the Wadi
Verzio FF submission In 2004, Arab and Israeli parents embarked on a joint initiative to establish a bilingual elementary school in Kara, a village in Israel's Wadi Valley. Fierce debates preceded the opening of the school. Although the initiative was idealistic and noble, the reality was that...
| Other Authors: | , |
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| Institution: | Open Society Archives at Central European University |
| Language: | English Hebrew |
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Israelifilms
2006
Israel |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:05527494-4a20-4b92-ac24-9975b3414d54 |
| Summary: | Verzio FF submission
In 2004, Arab and Israeli parents embarked on a joint initiative to establish a bilingual elementary school in Kara, a village in Israel's Wadi Valley. Fierce debates preceded the opening of the school. Although the initiative was idealistic and noble, the reality was that parents still had some major hurdles to overcome. In addition, they were forced to defend their decision in the face of opponents and skeptics. The school, which is called Bridge over the Wadi, has places for 50 Jewish and 50 Arab students, but is located in the Arab part of the valley. The filmmakers observe how students, faculty and parents struggle to coexist peacefully during the first exciting year. Teachers spend a great deal of time teaching mutual respect, and they arrange field trips to the mosque and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Some parents feel reciprocal integration is going too far when students are asked to participate in each other's religious festivities. An Arab teacher has more and more difficulty in meeting the demands of parents. Yet by the end of the year, it appears that they have succeeded in laying the foundations, however shaky and unpredictable they may be. In 2005, twice as many students signed up to attend the school. |
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| Published: | 2006 |