Monthly Archives: June 2009

The Arabic-Hebrew Studies Center in Jerusalem – End of the 2008-09 class

On the week of October 26, 2008, we began another year of the language courses at the Arabic-Hebrew Studies Center (see what we wrote back then!!).

Today, the courses ended (except for the Hebrew course for Palestinians that will continue through August). We had a party to celebrate our efforts in learning Arabic and Hebrew in these intensive and not-that-easy classes.

Arabic/Hebrew Celebration

Arabic/Hebrew Celebration

Most of the participants wanted to ensure that these important language trainings will also be provided next year. Indeed, thanks to the donors of the Jerusalem Foundation, we are able to assure this. Our approach, focusing on the needs of professionals, is well proven. This year we insisted that the Jewish participants, while learning the spoken dialect, will also learn to read basic Arabic – street signs, names and newspaper titles. This addition to the courses was most appreciated by the participants.

Graduates thank the Arabic and Hebrew teachers

Graduates thank the Arabic and Hebrew teachers

The party was held, as usual, in our beautiful garden. This year it was well timed with our mulberry tree… It has the sweetest fruits in the city! From the informal conversations, as well as the formal speeches – all made in Arabic! – we could tell that the participants appreciate the Jerusalem Inter-Cultural Center as a unique organization in Jerusalem: A place where professionals, who devote themselves to the transformation of Jerusalem to a more just city for all its residents, can form relations and networks for their mutual benefit.

The Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry Tree

Cultural Competence Training – Talpiot Clinic – June 11 and 25, 2009

Today we finished a set of two training sessions on cultural competency in serving the Ethiopian community in Jerusalem. The training was delivered to all staff members of the Clalit Primary Care Clinic in the Talpiot neighborhood and was basically the same training as the one delivered to the Ir Ganim clinic. Our next step in the near future is to deliver the training also in the Gonenim and Neve-Yaakov clinics. By that we will cover all four clinics that serve the Ethiopian population in Jerusalem.

Talpiot Clinic Training 2009

Talpiot Clinic Training 2009

It is important to note that following these trainings we continue to support the clinics in their efforts to give better and adapted services to new immigrants. In a follow-up process we found that many of the skills that were taught in the trainings are now being used in the clinics. In addition staff members report that patients demonstrate higher levels of satisfaction than before.

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