Jerusalem: Adam Waldorf School was founded in 1993 with a first grade. In the meantime it runs up to grade eight. It is a single grade school and thus it is rather small compared to usual Israeli schools. Nonetheless around 30 students constantly attend each grade. Currently, the staff works towards the goal to introduce a High School.

If I want to start peace,
 where shall I begin?

At first in my country, 
but where in my country?

Perhaps in my town,
 but where in my town?

In my neighbourhood,
 but where in my neighbourhood?

In my street of course, 
but where?

Within myself, 
within myself and in within the one with whom I fight.

Eyal Bloch, a teacher of Adam School and initiator of many different projects, wrote down these words, which will enable students - of Jewish and Arab origin - to make common experiences, in order to oppose something that connects them, to all that divides them.

Projects That Connect

One such initiative was the cultivation of a piece of land in Sataf by students of the Adam School in Jerusalem and of the Hope Flowers School in the village of El-Hadar (located near Bethlehem). At the beginning the Children did not even want to shake hands, but after a period of joint work for the common soil, the students from both schools did not only consider the greeting self-evident, but also started to support each other.

Over the years, such projects have become an integral part at Adam School, which is not only highly valued by all participants. Therefore it does not surprise that parents express the wish for a high school. Most of the children switch to public schools after grade eight, but there are also families which leave Jerusalem and move to the north of Israel, because there, Harduf Waldorf School offers all twelve grades.

Furthermore, the teaching staff of Adam School also teaches ecological issues. Thus, in the courtyard of the school building an urban agriculture was created and a plan was worked out on how to use the rainwater for an irrigation system. The cultural and ecological impulse will find its continuation in high school as soon as the last obstacles have been overcome.