WASNS community in the time of the corona virus crisis

The Hotel and Visitors Center

Sadly, the hotel has been forced to close due to the restrictions imposed by the Health Ministry. All of the workers have been sent home on unpaid leave. This is very painful for us, especially as many of the workers had become part of the community, even if they did not live in the village. The visitors Center is also closed to local and international visitors for the same reason.

The Primary School

Along with the rest of the country, the teachers of the WASNS Primary School are working according to the instructions of the Ministry of Education. After a confusing beginning, when long distance learning was compulsory and then optional, long distance learning has come into effect for all grades for the School. Every day children are learning online.

We are grateful that children have some interaction with friends from their class, see their teacher and have a routine and of course an opportunity to learn. Not all of the subjects have a platform for comprehensive learning, consequently some teachers are sending worksheets via WhatsApp and email for children to complete at home. Most lessons are taking place using Zoom.

Not all families have computers in their homes and in some families, there are just not enough computers for everyone to use during ‘school’ hours. There are five families that do not have computers at all in their homes and so the children are not able to participate in online classes. Consequently, the school is committing to buying each of these families a laptop which the children will be able to use; the computers will be returned for the school to use after this crisis is over.

In order to support the children psychologically in this difficult time, the teachers have decided to speak with each child on the phone at least three times a week. We have already seen the value of the teacher/child conversations, which give children time to express how they are feeling and connect with their teachers on a personal level.

Unfortunately, we know that some families in the school community are struggling due to the corona crisis. Some are suffering acute financial difficulties, and there are additional complications, such as visits by children to the homes of divorced parents. The school administration is checking on families that we know are facing particular difficulties to see how they can help.

Distressing situations sometimes bring out the best in people. There have been some amazing examples of solidarity among the parent community since we entered this crisis. Two mothers, one Jewish and one Arab set up a Facebook group for parents from the school, in order to keep the community informed and connected. We take pride in noting that both of these mothers are former graduates of the School for Peace! The group is extremely popular with all the families and we see parents and children adding film clips and experiences from home to bolster the community. True to the ethos and spirit of the school, this unique Facebook community uses Hebrew and Arabic.

The love of the parents for the teaching staff has shone through during these dark times. As you know, we have a number of staff who are employed by the educational association. These teachers are responsible for special subjects such as music, culture and other extracurricular activities. The Ministry of Education does not cover their salaries. The parents have insisted that these teachers, twelve of them in total, will not go on unpaid leave. Their salaries will continue to be paid by money already given by the parents. The expectation is for the teachers to make up the hours during the Summer vacation.

Jewish teachers are taking the opportunity of teaching less formal school hours to learn Arabic. This is something that we have wanted to implement for a long time and is part of the project supported by an Italian foundation. Teachers are learning twice a week, according to their level. We are running the online courses as a pilot and will review the results after one month and assess whether to continue.

This week there was the Moslem holiday of Leilat al-Meiraj. Teachers sent special holiday greetings to the children via Zoom to remind them that the holiday was taking place and to let them know that they are hoping to celebrate together soon.

The school library is open three times a week for the children of the village. Children enter one at a time. This initiative has been organized by Hezzi and the library visits are something for the village children to look forward to.

A Different Perspective - Experiencing the impact of Corona away from our home country

An update from our two interns, Jaimie from Germany and Anita from Italy

How does it feel to be in a foreign country in a state of crisis? Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam like the rest of the country Israel is facing a situation that the world has never known. The Primary School and childcare for younger children are closed. The Visitors Center can no longer receive groups and most residents from the village are working from home to prevent a further spread of the Coronavirus.

We, the interns and volunteers from the village feel torn between following the news and developments in our home countries, Germany and Italy and at the same time we are living under Israel’s strict regulations. As Europeans we are now confronted with suspicion when we meet new people from outside the village. It is a constant reminder of the situation back home and the worries of people all over the world. Sometimes we feel hostility, and this generates a feeling of being unwanted here.

This time calls for empathy, support and solidarity, qualities that one finds easily in this village. At a time of crisis, we naturally search for comfort in familiar things and people. Being far from home, in an uncertain time; the community of Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam offers as much comfort and support as possible to make us feel safe and welcome. Anita’s brother in Italy is sick with Corona and sadly two elderly members of her family have died from the virus.

This state of emergency that the whole world is facing right now is only a chapter of our experience here. Up until now our time in Neve Shalom- Wahat al Salam has been extremely enriching and valuable. We hope as we enter the end of our internship, we will be healthy and happy. Both of our families are so grateful that we are here and under the care of the WASNS community.

Haaretz publishes a letter from Rosita Poloni of the Italian Friends

Gideon Levy, in his well-known weekly column “The Twilight Zone” published a heart-wrenching letter written by Rosita describing the devastation that the Coronavirus has brought to her hometown. Rosita is an outstanding and loyal friend of the WASNS community. We send our thoughts and prayers to Rosita, to the people of Italy and all over the world where this terrible virus is destroying life. We hope that this crisis will be over soon, and we will be able to heal together.

Yours sincerely,

Samah Salaime
Director, Communications and Development