I World New Hires U.S. Jews boosting Israeli-Arab employment. Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency Ramle, Israel A group of American Jewish phi- lanthropists crowd into a class- room to watch Iman Abu Zaid, a young Arab teacher, give a lesson to her class of Jewish fourth-graders. "You and I can change the world," she sings to the students in Hebrew, sound- ing the lyrics of a popular Israeli song. The students serenade the lyrics back in Arabic. Abu Zaid, who could not find work in her hometown of Kafr Kassem, is the only Israeli-Arab teacher at Ben-Gurion Elementary School in this industrial Israeli city not far from the country's main airport. Abu Zaid was brought in by a program called Merchavim, which aims to integrate Arabs into public Jewish schools both as a means of employment and a way to increase the dearth of social interaction between Israeli Arabs and Jews. Merchavim is one of a series of projects working to help improve employment and educational opportunities for Arab Israelis receiving funding from a new and perhaps unlikely source: an American Jewish social venture fund. The UJC Venture Fund for Jewish and Arab Equality and Shared Society, which was initiated by the United Jewish Communities/Jewish Federations of North America, is made up of 21 partners. A mix of private family foundations, federations, other philanthropists and professionals, it has raised more than $1 million since its launch in 2007. The fund is a way for UJC to harness philanthropic interest in supporting Arab Israeli equality projects without mak- ing the potentially controversial move of tapping unrestricted UJC funds for such projects. Earlier this month, a group of funders visited Israel to see the programs they are supporting and scout for future projects. Filling The Gap "One of the most serious problems in Israeli society is the gap between Jewish and Arab sectors," said Carol Smokier, who chairs the fund. Smokier said its members reviewed 185 applicant proposals for funding, from which they selected 15 projects. "It just shows the scope of the need;' she said. Arab citizens make up 20 percent of Israel's population, and while the state accords them the same rights as Israel's Jewish citizens, in practice Israeli Arabs routinely face discrimination. This has resulted in significantly higher levels of unemployment among Israeli Arabs than Jews. Government resources for decades have not been allocated equally to the Arab sector, leading to inferior schools and infrastructure. And many in Israel's Jewish majority view the country's Arab citizens as a potential fifth column, leading to social discrimination. The government has acknowledged the Jewish-Arab divide as one of its most sen- sitive domestic issues, but change on the ground has been slow in coming. Stuart Brown, one of the American Jews behind the Arab equality fund, said the question around which his group's mem- bers coalesced was how they could contrib- ute toward a more just and equal Israel. "How can we help get done what the authorities have already said needs to be done?" he asked. "It's a significant challenge for Israel and an issue that for anyone who cares about the future of Israel has to care about" Brown hopes the venture fund — as well as a foundation on whose board he serves, the Washington-based Naomi and Nehamia Cohen Foundation — will help raise awareness among American Jews about discrimi- nation against Israeli Arabs. Engaging U.S. Jews Two Israeli Arabs ride a bus to a training program sponsored by American Jews. "I don't have any illusions we'll persuade everyone that it's right to pay attention to this and help the government and NGOs develop, but I am hoping some awareness will follow our action," Brown said. In Israel, the funders first visited educa- tion-related projects in the Negev Desert, including Bedouin women's empowerment projects. Mamie Kanfer Stewart of the Lippman-Kanfer Family Foundation was among those especially moved by a visit with Bedouin high school girls receiv- ing extra support and tutoring so they can complete high school at a level high enough to be eligible for college. In the Galilee, they focused on eco- nomic development, visiting grant recipients including career training center Kay Mashve, which works to get Arab university gradu- ates into the Israeli workforce, and Tsofen, an organization that focuses on finding work for Arabs in the high-tech sector. One project helps Arab women, one of the most underemployed segments of Israeli society, secure financing for small businesses. "This trip has really opened my eyes," said Stewart. At 27, Stewart was among the youngest funders on the trip. She believes the fund's focus on shared equality and citizenship for all Israelis could attract the interest of young American Jews who have been feel- ing less enthusiastic about involvement in Israeli issues in recent years because of the complexity and confusion surrounding the political situation. "I think for my peers this is not an issue we can shy away from," she said. "Social justice is a huge issue with my generation!' Alisa Doctoroff of the Doctoroff Family Foundation was inspired by the progress being made by those involved with the ini- tiatives the fund is helping support. "You see people who have been ener- gized, been utilized, that their value is being fulfilled," she said. "They are par- ticipating in making Israel a better place, whether they are Arab or Jewish. Their examples show us there are things that one can do." — Chicago Hotel Seeks Holocaust Survivors I n conjunction with the opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, nearby Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center Chicago North Shore is offering complimentary stays to all Holocaust survivors. The museum opened April 19. The museum and hotel have entered into a partnership. A28 May 21 2009 "Having this museum in the Midwest has such great significance to Holocaust survivors, we felt it was important to honor the survivors and their legacies by opening our doors to them," says Joe Dadiego, Doubletree general manager. The museum, designed by architect Stanley Tigerman, is a 65,000 square- foot facility dedicated to applying the lessons of the Holocaust to issues of hate, bigotry and intolerance in the world today. It will reach students, teachers, parents and children through- out Illinois and across the Midwest, educating them about this tragic period in human history and alerting them to the dangers of unchallenged bigotry. The building will house permanent exhibitions chronicling life before, dur- ing and after the Holocaust, as well as a 240-seat lecture hall, an auditorium and a theater, and an Interactive Youth Exhibition featuring stories of local child survivors told through children's eyes. The Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center includes a kosher kitchen. For information: www.chicagonorthshore, doubletree.com or Martha Schwartz, (847) 679-7000, ext. 1262.