OPEN HOUSE Center at 1 Klausner Street in Ramle was founded in 1991 to further peace and coexistence among Israeli Arabs and Jews in this mixed city of 65,000 residents. The ratio of 53,000 Jews to 12,000 Arabs parallels the Jewish-Arab ratio in the State of Israel generally, making Ramle a microcosm of the country. The house on Klausner Street is an even smaller microcosm, for the two families who have lived there before and after 1948 represent the two nations laying claim to the land of Israel/Palestine.



OPEN HOUSE has two inter-related goals: to provide educational and social opportunities to Arab children and their families through our Center for the Development of the Arab Child; and to be a place of encounter and cooperation between Jews and Arabs in the Ramle-Lod area through our Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence.



The Center for the Development of the Arab Child seeks to improve the quality of social services available to the local Arab community. In the area of pre-school education, we inaugurated the first day-care center in Ramle for Arab children aged two to three years. The children attend the day-care center five days a week under the supervision of four qualified teachers. In addition to this "head-start" program for toddlers, other programs for Ramle Arabs have included a tutorial program for elementary school pupils, computer classes, and a telecommunications training course for Arab women.



The Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence sponsors various joint activities for Jews and Arabs in the Ramle-Lod area. Through the center, OPEN HOUSE fosters greater mutual understanding between the two populations, forges friendships, and increases possibilities for cooperation among the citizens of this mixed city. Programs include our annual Summer Peace Camp, a Jewish-Arab Parents' Network, Coexistence Training Programs for teachers and other social service professionals, an Environmental Arts Program for Jewish and Arab youth, facilitated encounters between 7th and 8th grade students, sports tournaments, and holiday celebrations for Jewish and Arab families.

What's New at OPEN HOUSE

• OPEN HOUSE Principles and Teen Interviews by Dalia Landau

• OPEN HOUSE program update Fall/Winter 2004-05 with Photo Albums from Summer Peace Camps and our Travel Delegations

• OPEN HOUSE program update 2003-2004

•Read about the 18 Jewish and Arab (Christian and Muslim) Teen Peacemakers from OPEN HOUSE, Ramle, Israel, who toured the U.S in the summer 2002, hosted by FRIENDS OF OPEN HOUSE, where they visited Cincinnati, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York.

•Yehezkel Landau interviewed on Boston's public radio station WBUR

•Letter from Prince Hassan of Jordan

OPEN HOUSE Center in Ramle was founded in 1991 to further peace and coexistence among Israeli

Arabs and Jews in this mixed city of 65,000 residents. The human story behind it has inspired millions

throughout the world.

 
The Center for the Development of the Arab Child seeks to improve the quality of social services available to the local Arab community. Its various "affirmative action" programs address the discrimination experienced by the Arab minority in Ramle and in Israel generally.

Learn more about our nursery school.

 
The Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence sponsors various joint programs for Jews and Arabs in the Ramle-Lod area. Equality and cooperation are fostered through practical activities that bring together the two national communities which share this Holy Land.

Learn more about our programs.