First Arab Waldorf School fights for survival
Project of the Month, January 2012: Shfaram Waldorf School in Israel
Since the 2007/08 school year there is a Waldorf school in Shfaram. Although the initiative is still young, it can already look at quite a changeful history. Since three months, the teachers receive no wages, because the government grants do not reach the school as promised and because the parents have not met all the commitments they made. This is due to the fact that the parents are accustomed to public schools that do not collect fees.
Among the Waldorf Schools in Israel, Shfaram plays a truly special role. Located in Galilee, the school fosters an Arab integration of people with Christian, Druze and Muslim belief. This is a brand new and unusual approach that has not caused any tension so far.
Within the Arab society, it is extremely difficult to support someone from another tribe and especially someone with a different religious background. The more difficult it is to build trust and work together. However this is exactly the aim of the Waldorf School in Shfaram and its highly motivated teachers. Now, as their outstanding work still gets more difficult because there are no salaries, even the strongest enthusiasm and the highest ideal is impossible to maintain in the long run.
Now all hopes are on us. Even though the negotiations with the state continue and the parents' contributions are being collected, the school still needs our help to leave this difficult time behind. We would be pleased if you decide to help the school to continue with their valuable work towards peace in the area.
Nana Göbel
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