Israeli tourists will be given the opportunity to spend a week learning Arabic in a summer school in the Israeli city of Rahat this summer in the month of August.
The summer school will last a week, and participants in it will be hosted by local families, and gain exposure to local customs and culture. The goal of the program is to bring people together, to educate people about the Bedouin culture, and to connect Jews and Arabs from different worlds.
The program will last five days, from Sunday to Thursday, with one session starting on August 15, and the second on August 22.
As part of the program, participants will spend four hours a day learning Arabic, and the remainder will be spent on guided tours of the city, learning about Bedouin life, and learning about the history and challenges of the city as it stands today.
The program participants will also have the opportunity to visit theater and cooking workshops, meet with local artists, and enjoy swimming sessions at the city's new country club.
The program was designed by the Rahat Municipality, the Rahat Economic society and the Western Negev Cluster.
Speaking about the new initiative, the mayor of Rahat, Faiz Abu Sahiban said that "We are after a difficult period in the country, and we all have a responsibility to cool down the atmosphere as well as to return Israeli travelers to Rahat. They will be able to learn a new language in the best possible way, have a direct dialogue between the learners and the host families and get to know the Bedouin lifestyle and culture in a traditional and renewed city like Rahat."
The summer school will cost 2,300 NIS for five days, and the cost includes all meals at an assigned host family.
The sessions will run between 15.8 - 19.8, and 22.8 - 26.8.
To register - https://forms.gle/9MPbYumoSPFF6dvCA