Introduction
Friends of OPEN HOUSE (FOH), established in 2001, supports the work of OPEN HOUSE, which was founded in 1991 to foster better relations among Israeli Arabs and Jews, starting with the residents of Ramle, Israel. OPEN HOUSE has remained active and flourishing despite periodic outbursts of violence and the resultant climate of fear, which can sap hope and the motivation to work for peace.
OPEN HOUSE is situated in what was originally a Palestinian Arab family's home, later inhabited and owned by an Israeli Jewish family. The house and garden, where a thriving lemon tree once grew, symbolize the homeland of two peoples that are still trying to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace between them.
There are two programmatic centers at OPEN HOUSE, the Center for the Development of the Arab Child, which sponsors an affirmative action "head start" nursery school for Arab toddlers from Christian and Muslim families; and the Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence and Reconciliation, which sponsors a range of joint activities, including summer Peace Camps, youth leadership training, and Jewish-Arab delegations to Europe and the United States.
Friends of OPEN HOUSE invites you to join the worldwide network of supporters whose generosity sustains this unique center of healing and hope.