Belonging & Partnership

עברית

For the past 28 years, the Dean of Faculty of Education, Prof. Zehavit Gross has facilitated dialogue groups between Arab Palestinian and Jewish students on campus. It also established an interfaith Beit Midrash for religious dialogue, which brings together imams, rabbis, Muslim Arab Palestinian students, and Jewish students to study religious canonical texts from Islam and Judaism.

The faculty also promotes inclusive tertiary education, aligning with the U.N. Convention for people with disabilities. The M.A. program in intellectual disability has initiated the “Empowerment” Ozmot Project, which enables six students, including those with Down syndrome, to earn a B.A. degree.

The Da-Gan Center, based at the Faculty of Education, advances STEM education for preschoolers aged 3-6 in Israel, focusing on supporting Arabic-speaking teachers. Its initiatives include translating STEM and sustainability activities into Arabic, offering tailored professional development programs, and maintaining 23 active WhatsApp groups for resource sharing and support, including one led by an Arabic-speaking staff member. A notable project involves culturally responsive tours at The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, linking learning to the children’s desert environment. These efforts enhance teachers’ skills, foster community, and improve STEM education quality.

To accommodate diverse needs, some course exams (2) are translated into English to facilitate their completion by non-native Hebrew speakers.

The faculty’s commitment to inclusion is evident in its activities and initiatives supporting underrepresented populations through culturally responsive and tailored research. The Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice research lab, established in 2009, focuses on diversity, equity in education policy, and education financing. The research addresses populations like refugees, Arab society, and the ultra-Orthodox, alongside equity in resource allocation and achievement gaps. Additional studies include aligning preschool science curricula with Bedouin cultural practices and exploring leadership's sociocultural impact on equity and inclusion. These efforts underscore the faculty’s dedication to fostering diversity, equity, and social justice.

At the university level, there are important policies for Non-Hebrew Speakers and Non-Jewish students.

Here are the essential points from the procedure:

  • Centralized Information: All information related to accommodations for non-Jewish students during holidays and fasts is centralized in the Academic Secretariat. This includes the publication of holiday dates and the Ramadan fasting period.
  • Extra Time for Non-Hebrew Speakers: Students whose mother tongue is not Hebrew and who studied in a non-Hebrew institution are entitled to 15 extra minutes per exam hour (up to 30 minutes total).
  • Absence and Special Exam Dates: Non-Jewish students are entitled to be absent from studies on their religious holidays and can request a special exam date if an exam falls on those holidays.
  • Exam Accommodations During Ramadan:
    • o Extra Time: Muslim and Circassian students fasting during Ramadan are entitled to 30 extra minutes per exam.
    • o Grade Consideration: If a student takes two exam dates during Ramadan, the higher grade will be counted.

 

Approvals for these accommodations are issued by the Dean of Students' Advisor for Non-Jewish Students or other designated authorities. Two approvals are issued: one for holidays and another for Ramadan fast accommodations. The procedure was implemented in January 2017.

EVENTS

In honor of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the commissioner of DEI, in cooperation with the French Institute in Israel has decided to bring a photo exhibition to Israel that highlights the role of women in the Olympic Games throughout history. This exhibition, titled in French "Les Elles des Jeux," presents the journey of women in the history of the Olympic Games, from the complete prohibition of participation to the fight for equality, was exposed at the Faculty of Education during one month.