Madrasa Series Guides for Participants and Facilitators (2023, Dir. Guri Alfi, Created by Sayed Kashua)
Guides for educators and learners to learn more about Arab citizens of Israel through Sayed Kahsua’s humorous TV series Madrasa about a fictional bilingual school.
About
Madrasa is a comedy drama TV series following Jewish and Arab/Palestinian students and teachers at a bilingual school in Jerusalem, with many similarities to the Hand in Hand school in Jerusalem. Students and teachers alike tackle existential questions and adolescent angst, with humor, honesty, and hope. Learners will gain greater insight into the daily experiences of Jewish and Arab/Palestinian high schoolers as characters shift between languages, their lives at school, and experiences in the outside world.
The guide contains tools to introduce engaging programing on the complex realities of Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel, regardless of participants’ prior knowledge level. Background information and suggested resources for further learning are provided to help place the film in context, and discussion questions are included to facilitate discussions.
The Task Force on Arab Citizens of Israel was created by a coalition of major American Jewish organizations and philanthropies as an educational resource on Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. We support educators by providing educational programs, connections to speakers and site visits, and professional training pertaining to these issues.
The Task Force sends a Weekly Media Update with highlights related to Israel’s Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations, a monthly newsletter, resources and event invitations. Subscribe here to get these emails.
If you need support integrating these stories into your work or would like to connect to additional resources or speakers on these topics, feel free to contact Erica Shaps, Task Force Associate Director, U.S., at ericash@jdc.org.
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