With our group of more than 20 teachers, we visited a “semi-private” Haifa high school yesterday to learn about their unique teaching methods and mission. The Hebrew Reali School has a rich history in Haifa spanning the last century and is known for its academic and cultural excellence. Social responsibility plays a central role in the structure of the school’s learning environment and familial alumni/student relations. Much like my alma mater, Sewickley Academy, the Hebrew Reali School is looking to the future of its students by teaching 21st century communication and media skills. Highly reminiscent too of Sewickley, the atmosphere on campus was reflective of a close-knit student body with students milling about the grounds and enjoying the beautiful weather. The school’s “semi-private” designation refers to the partial funding it receives from the government in combination with the tuition paid by students. The Israeli education system has a grade similar to that of the US, beginning in preschool and stretching to 12th grade and beyond to university.
Haifa is home to several universities including Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology. Often compared to MIT and Caltech in the US, Technion is home to many of Israel’s brightest students who continue on to contribute to the nation’s budding tech industry, second only to Silicon Valley in size.
At the same time industrial, historical, and metropolitan, Haifa is known for the peaceful coexistence of its Jewish and Arab populations. One of a handful of “mixed” cities in Israel, Haifa was the only city in which the mayoral government invited the Arab population to remain after the War for Independence. Today this is reflected in the city’s remarkably homogenous neighborhoods and in organizations like Beit Hagefen whose mission is to bring together the two groups and “celebrate their differences”. The organization hosted us for an interfaith cooperation panel where we were able to speak with members of the Jewish, Baha’ai, and Ahmediyya Islam faiths. They spoke about their experiences living alongside one another and learning from each other in Haifa.
Our first morning in Israel was illuminative and eventful for all involved!
