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THE SIR CHARLES CLORE JEWISH-ARAB COMMUNITY CENTRE,
WOLFSON NEIGHBOURHOOD, ACRE

APRIL 2008 REPORT

The single most important issue facing us today is the deteriorating relationship between Israel’s Arab and Jewish citizens and its knock-on effect of division, suspicion and intolerance. We at The Sir Charles Clore Jewish-Arab Community Center, Acre remain steadfast in our commitment to positively impact civil society, to provide equal services and opportunities to those who have none, to empower the weak, and to proactively support cultural freedom and respect for the other.

Youth
In a creative attempt to overcome the reluctance of Arab and Jewish youth to come together for mixed programming, we have formed a partnership with Beit Hyman, a local Jewish community centre with no coexistence budget. We are delighted to report that 31 Jewish boys and girls have enrolled in our Young Enterprise and Peace Child Israel Theatre projects and although the groups have yet to “merge”, we believe this to be a positive solution to a painful situation.

Football
Following last year’s Arab-Jewish Summer Camp for children at risk and its hugely successful Football Camp which will be repeated this July, we intend to introduce an after-school football programme for local children. We are certain that the common language of football will not only keep many children out of trouble but will unite children who rarely come together.

DayCare for All
We hope that our proposed multipurpose daycare and health centre for Arab and Jewish families at risk will leave the drawing board and become a reality by the end of this year.

MILESTONES

Website
Our website, www.ajcenter.org though not entirely completed, is up and running.

Centre Hosts Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Spring Convention

Our bronze, silver and gold participants provided their 300 guests with a full Acre experience, including a tour of the Old City, lunch on the Crusader’s walls, and entertainment at the Acre Auditorium, when they flocked to the city from all over Israel for the scheme’s National Spring Convention on 24 March.

International Women’s Day 8 March 2008
In celebration of the power of women to bring about positive social change, the Centre organized a full month of special events, programmes, workshops and excursions, devoted to reinforcing the message of progress, hope, empowerment and inclusion that our Women’s Centre is working to achieve.

“Gishur” – Creating a Bridge to a Negotiated Solution
Forty five Arab and Jewish men and women are taking part in this twice weekly 3-month civil mediation course, a joint project with the Acre Municipality.

Centre Teen Wins Karate Championships
Sixteen year-old Yasmin Agha won 3rd place in last month’s regional Karate championships.

Purim Holidays Bring Families Together
Forty five Arab & Jewish mothers, their 53 children and 8 babies spent a day at the Kiryat Motzkin Hai-Park zoo and another at Haifa’s Lunar Grand Adventure Park

Community - Police Initiatives

An Abraham Fund initiative, the Centre continues to host and conduct meetings aimed at improving the fragile relations between the Israel Police Force and the Arab communities it serves.

70th Birthday Celebration
New immigrant Russian senior and dance troupe leader, Rita Galena invited 50 friends to a ballroom-dancing party at the Centre.

Staff
The Centre employs 3 full time and 22 part time members of staff - 12 Moslem, 5 Christian and 8 Jewish.

“IF YOU DO NOTHING, THERE WILL BE NO RESULT”

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING

• Crèche – low cost, high quality, day care for 20 Arab toddlers
• Transitions - development & educational support for 92 Arab and new immigrant Jewish children
• The Senses – develops mathematical skills
• Parent-child workshops
• English, computers, excursions & mixed holiday celebrations

YOUTH PROGRAMMING

• Ort High School & Job-Training for 85 Arab Teenagers at Risk

While basic Arabic, Hebrew, math and computer skills are a priority, this joint Acre Municipality- Ort project offers practical career options including hairdressing, mechanics and cookery.

• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Personal Discovery & Community Responsibility

Our 60 teenage bronze, silver and gold medal participants are developing new community service projects and moving forward on their personal goals, while the national organisers are working on bringing Arab and Jewish youth from different parts of the country, together for joint projects.

• Peace Child Israel Youth Theatre Project

This experiential programme uses love of the theatre to overcome racial conflict, fear and intolerance. Following 5 separately conducted conflict resolution workshops, the two groups of 10 Arab and 10 Jewish teenagers were united successfully and will now be meeting every week to work on their project of creating, producing and performing an original play.

• Young Enterprise – “Learning By Doing” Business Programme

Two limited companies have been formed by our 43 new Arab and Jewish participants who must elect corporate officers, open bank accounts, immerse themselves in the principles of business, develop a product, and work on a manufacturing and marketing strategy. The 18 members of last year’s national finalist group Raia are marketing their Flying Carpet game and developing special projects with “Fly” who have already exhibited their prototype mobile phone “home station” at a regional convention. The Jewish group, “Accompany” is focusing on raising start-up capital through recreational neighbourhood projects. Conflict resolution workshops are preparing both groups for their first integrated encounter.

• Madatzim – Building Young Leaders

The forty eight 14 year-olds enrolled in this 3-year empowerment and leadership course laid on a special celebration in the Youth Club for their mothers on Mothers’ Day.

• The Youth Club – Keeping Kids Off the Streets

With the help of local artist Walid Kashash, our youth transformed the blank walls of their Club into a living mural! The Club, with its cafeteria corner, 6 computers, table tennis, chess, cable television and DVD, serves as the morning venue of the Women’s Club.

• National Service Preparation – 12 Participants

This post-matriculation national service preparation programme demonstrates to young Arab men and women how their participation can directly benefit their own communities.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Computer Center with 20 computers
• English for 144 Arab & Hebrew-speaking children
• Karate - 71 participants from 6 years
• Ballet - 63 participants from 6 years
• Russian folk dancing – 52 girls from 6 years
• Music – piano, violin, ud, organ, and guitar lessons - 52 pupils
• Arts and Crafts – 75 children
• Puppet-making workshop for 8 Arab & Jewish 7 year-olds
• Field trips, recreational excursions & multicultural holiday celebrations

CENTRE FOR ARAB & JEWISH WOMEN

With regular weekly users exceeding 200, the Women’s Centre is proving to be a source of strength and hope to the women of Acre. Unfortunately lack of funding has prevented us from initiating the Women’s Enterprise project, which we now hope to introduce in the autumn.

• The Women’s Club – cultural, recreational & social activities
• Life Coaching – determining & achieving personal goals
• The Listening Circle – empowerment through self expression - Arabic, Hebrew & Mixed
• Home Counselling Service for New Mothers
• Childcare training course for unemployed women
• Empowerment workshops – coping with drugs and violence in the home
• “Living Under Fire” – a project of the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma
• English, Computer & Handicraft Courses
• Hebrew conversation for new immigrant Russian women
• Mother–Child Parenting & Support Workshops
• Culturally-sensitive sexual health and sexuality education programme
• Arab-Jewish mother-child excursions & special events

NEW IMMIGRANTS SENIOR CENTRE – 120 regular weekly users

• Senior Social Club including cultural & educational excursions
• Drama, choir, traditional Russian music & dance troupe
• Computer & Hebrew courses

The Sir Charles Clore Jewish-Arab Community Center Wolfson Neighbourhood, PO Box 240, Acre, 24311, Israel Amuta No 580164226 Empowering & Supporting Arab & Jewish Women Tel: 972-4-991 2066 Fax: 972-4-981 4373 Carol Brauner Tel 972-4-954 4011 Mobile 972-524 753375 Email braunerc@zahav.net.il