This data was last updated on 7 May 2020.
According to their website, the aim of Open House is "to provide educational and social opportunities to Arab children and their families" and "to be a place of encounter and cooperation between Jews and Arabs in the Ramle-Lod area."
Open House was founded under very interesting circumstances. The headquarters of Open House used to belong to the Al-Khayris, a Muslim Palestinian family who lived in Ramle. The house, along with many others owned by the Muslim community, was confiscated by the Israeli government during the late 1940s and sold to a Jewish family, the Landau family. The Al-Khayris and the Landaus met after the Six-Day War in 1967 and this meeting signified the start of a unique relationship between both families. In 1991, Dalia Landau, who was one-year old when her family moved into the house, decided to convert the house to a center of healing and reconciliation between Jewish and Muslim families. This was done after consultation with the Al-Khayris.
Programs and Activities
Open House organizes two programs to realize its goals. The Center for the Development of the Arab Child was created to provide quality social services to the local Muslim community. Among the projects of this center is the Arabic-speaking Nursery School where working parents can send their child to receive basic education. In addition, Open House also organizes the Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence program where Jews and Palestinian Arabs from all ages are encouraged to participate in events such as summer peace camps and various tours which bring children from these two communities together.