The Experience of the Participation of Arab Students in the Center for Shared Life at the Jewish Academy

The relations between the Jews and the Arabs in Israel are characterized by great tension and are accompanied by mistrust and inequality. The study was conducted during the "Iron Swords" war (2024), a period of uncertainty, and religious extremism. The Center for the Promotion of Shared Life in the Spirit of "Israeli Hope" is a faith-based organization in teacher training institutions in Israel. Jewish and Arab Muslim students and lecturers take part in their activities (Allport, 1954). The organization aims to strengthen the link between academia, labor market, and employment, increase the civic involvement of Arab students, and promote their social integration by changing how Israeli teachers see our society and teach our children (Jayusi & Bekerman, 2019).

The qualitative-phenomenological study examined the experiences of 12 Arab teachers who completed their training at a college of education and lived in mixed cities or Arab settlements.Research findings reveal that the Center for the Promotion of Shared Life offers significant benefits to Arab students, including personal empowerment and professional development, expanding social and personal networks, and improving the sense of belonging and social integration. However, there are limitations and barriers that the center fails to address adequately.

Among these barriers are cultural gaps and tension between identities, which may lead to alienation, linguistic difficulties, and the lack of reference to structural aspects of social and economic inequality, such as discrimination in the labor market and access to educational resources. At the same time as the greatest contribution of faith-based educational organizations, a more realistic introspection may be required. The question arises - whether the integration efforts are indeed paving the way for the Arab young to take part in Jewish civic life in Israel while overcoming social, economic, religious, and national obstacles (Vincent, 2008).