Splash Biography

Project Harmony, in partnership with the Hand-in-Hand school in Jerusalem, seeks to bridge the divide between the Hebrew and Arabic speaking populations of Israel. During the summer of 2010, Project Harmony hosted a music and theater program for 11-16 year-olds dedicated to three artistic ventures: the performance of an original musical, co-written by Israeli students; the recording of a CD of songs written for the musical; and the production of a documentary chronicling this unique program as it unfolds. The students had total artistic license throughout – projects for students, by students, engaging with the issues that are most important to them in contemporary Israel. Our Splash class will give a brief analysis of our program - both the successes and the failures - and place Project Harmony in a broader historical and sociopolitcal context, widening the understanding of the religious, ethnic, and legal tensions that plague Israel today. Specifically, our program will discuss the segregation in modern Israeli schools and contrast them to the integrated environment at Hand-in-Hand.