Houseen, from Israel, said that he truly understood what coexistence means when the conflict erupted in May 2021. With students’ different opinions about the situation (right-wing Israeli, left-wing Israeli, Arab Israeli, and Palestinian), he learned that “it’s key to see that behind every opinion there is a human being and a reason they’re attached to their opinion. You need to respect them, and not judge or treat them differently because of that. As long as you respect me and don’t insult me, I’ll see you as a human being, as my classmate, as my dorm mate. This was a difficult journey, but I’m so glad that I got to develop this skill at GHIS.” Sounds like it was a tough test that the students of GHIS passed!
Currently: Houseen is studying in Strasbourg, France, and hopes to continue his studies back in Israel at the Technion or in France.
Where he’s headed: He plans to study electrical engineering and physics. He’s had a passion for physics since he was young (perhaps thanks to his father who has a PhD in physics!) and intends on contributing globally in his chosen field of astrophysics or quantum physics.
Diversity brings strength: The multicultural community on the GHIS campus exposed him to challenges that helped him truly learn and grow. He acknowledges that with diversity comes difficulties, especially in Israel where it can be hard for people to accept each other’s opinions. But he found that, “by not ignoring those differences–by agreeing to disagree–by talking and listening to each other, I learned to love all my classmates.” Such an important lesson: not to ignore differences, but to let them be a way to learn about and respect each other.
Grateful for GHIS: Encouraging him to attend GHIS instead of his local high school, his father told him that to progress in life, you need to learn to step beyond your comfort zone. And that’s what attending GHIS meant for Houseen. At GHIS, he developed interpersonal skills essential for living in a diverse society and obtained the prestigious IB diploma, which he says is a great advantage when applying to international universities.
Summing up 2 years at GHIS: “Those 2 years were the best of my life. They were life-changing, rewarding, and a rich experience.”
David joined GHIS because he was looking for the right educational establishment to develop personally and professionally. As soon as he heard about GHIS, he realized that it suits his values.
“As someone who has always been committed to coexistence in Israel, I see GHIS as a great vehicle to bring young people together in an accepting and non-prejudicial way.”
As well as being a teacher, David is also trained in special needs education at all school levels.
David holds a joint Honors B.Ed. in Special Education ages 6 to 21, and BA in Literature at Oranim College