“A Waldorf School based on the beauty of the Arab culture and language which teaches Hebrew and English, where all the different religions and sects of Arab people are represented and work together: Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bedouins. The idea of bringing all these children together in one school is not the norm and today not only is El Zeitoun the only school in Shfar’am that brings all of the Arab religious communities together, but it is also a model for how to integrate Waldorf education into the Arab culture.”
– Lana Nasrallah
TAMRAT EL ZEITOUN, Fruit of the Olive Tree, is the first all-Arab Waldorf School. Located in the Galilee, it is the only school in its city that places Muslim, Christian and Druze children together in the same classrooms. This school provides a model institution for Palestinians in the West Bank, illustrative of how Waldorf education can be integrated into an Arab community.
Each year since the first kindergarten class, new ground is broken at Tamarat El Zeitoun. History is made in the development of Arab Waldorf curriculum for each grade level that incorporates the seasonal celebrations from the Muslim, Christian and Druze faiths. Tamrat El Zeitoun, is a bridge-building catalyst, bringing all three faiths of its community together in one classroom.
Tamrat El Zeitoun, represents an exciting new educational direction arising from an inspired and empowered Arab community from Shfar’am, a city of over 30,000 Muslim, Christian and Druze inhabitants in the lower Galilee. Already prevalent for children in the Jewish communities in Israel, families from Shfar’am wanted Waldorf education to be available for Arab children as well. They also believed that this education which embodies universal human values, could become a unifying force in a society torn by a century of bloodshed and mistrust.
From its inception, Tamrat El Zeitoun was a catalyst for bridging Shfar’am with the neighboring Jewish community involved at the Harduf Waldorf school. Arab faculty from Tamrat El Zeitoun work with teachers at the Harduf Waldorf school in order to create an effective and comprehensive curriculum, including joint activities for their classes.
The existence of Tamrat El Zeitoun is testimony to the resourcefulness, determination, and dedication of this small but vibrant Arab Waldorf community. These qualities have enhanced their resilience in confronting and overcoming significant obstacles. Last year alone, Tamrat El Zeitoun negotiated with the city of Shfar’am for permission to continue occupancy of the community building, so as not to be evicted before the end of the school year. Seeking a more stable long-term location, they miraculously raised the funds necessary to build their new school building on land leased to them by a Tamrat El Zeitoun parent. After a summer of community hands-on participation in the building process, the school triumphantly took occupancy of its newly completed structure this last fall semester.
