2024

Hand in Hand

Israel’s only network of integrated, bi-lingual and multicultural schools and parent communities working to build a shared and equal society between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

Hand in Hand engages in the profound and vital work to raise a new generation, equipped to create a culture of inclusion, hope and respect.

The 2024 Roger E. Joseph Prize is presented to

Hand in Hand

Whose mission is to build partnership and mutual respect between Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel through a growing network of public, bilingual Jewish-Arab schools and communities throughout the country;

Who are trailblazers in the field of shared education and living, fostering a new generation of Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians, who can overcome the separation, fear, and violence to prove that they can live side by side,
as partners and peers;

Who represent a microcosm of shared society through classroom learning, parent-child activities, civic engagement, lectures and workshops, family gatherings, leadership seminars, facilitated dialogue sessions, language classes, shared holiday celebrations, cultural text study, and community gardens that cultivate friendships, mutual trust, and appreciation, and educate children toward genuine peace.

 Who is advancing Israel’s fastest-growing, integrated social movement embodying the values of equality, pluralism, and multiculturalism, guided by the understanding that partnership and education are the only way forward, and that together we learn, support, and live hand in hand,

May 5, 2024    27 Nisan 5784
City of New York

To watch the live presentation ceremony on Sunday, May 5th please
CLICK HERE
for the Temple Emanu-El live-stream channel.

The 2024 Roger E. Joseph Prize will be presented to Hand in Hand at the Ordination Ceremonies of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York at Fifth Avenue at 65th Street, New York City.

Hand in Hand’s Three Part Model

Education: Equality, empathy, responsibility and respect are the pillars of a Hand in Hand education. Arab and Jewish children study together in both Arabic and Hebrew, learning one another’s language, history and heritage. Jewish-Arab co-teaching teams employ innovative pedagogies to lead students’ explorations of their own identity while fostering respect for the other.

Communities: Hand in Hand families are diverse yet united in their support for a just society and shared education. Community programming engages thousands of Jewish and Arab families in holiday celebrations, dialogue, language classes and more, building a proud shared society countrywide.

Public Partnerships: Hand in Hand operates with local municipalities, the national Ministry of Education, external public preschool networks, educators and local officials, expanding their impact while aspiring to operate a Hand in Hand institution in every mixed Jewish-Arab city or district in Israel. 

Leadership of Hand in Hand

Dani Elazar, joined Hand in Hand as CEO on January 1, 2018. He had been working in the Hartman Institute since 2008, and his last position was Vice President of Israel Programs. Before then, Dani served as the Director of Yachad-Modi’in, an organization that advances shared education and communal living for families from a range of different Jewish lifestyles. This NGO established a pluralistic and inclusive educational and community framework. Prior to his career in social organizations, Dani was the treasurer and finance director of Alvarion Technologies. He holds a B.A. in economics and management from Bar Ilan University, and is a graduate of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership and the Maoz Leadership Program. Dani lives with his family in Modi’in, in central Israel.

Lee Gordon, co-founder of Hand in Hand with Arab co-founder Amin Khalaf and Director of the American Friends of Hand in Hand. Originally from the United States, Lee lived in Israel for two decades, actively involved in Jewish-Arab dialogue. He earned an M.A. in social work from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and graduated from the Mandel Institute’s prestigious School for Educational Leadership. Lee is a veteran social activist and community organizer, having worked and volunteered for numerous educational and community organizations. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and three children, where he builds a network of international support for Hand in Hand.