School Community Pairing Programmes

These programmes bring together Jewish and Arab children and their families through such themes as Traditional Play, Foodways, Religious Practice and Family Stories. Participants discover their family's traditions while simultaneously learning about the traditions of their peers in other communities. As they share in traditional activities such as doll making and pickling, the children break down cultural barriers and encounter the underlying humanity that we all share.

 CCECH staff, working with class teachers, teach a lesson a week to children who, with their parents and grandparents, research their own folklore and then share their family traditions with their classmates. Every two months, pairs of Jewish and Arab classes come together for joint activities with family members who help the children experience aspects of each other’s family cultures.

Each programme lasts two years although families may continue meeting for much longer as younger children become the new participants.