This is Not an Ulpan

This month This is Not an Ulpan and the Sinsila Center for Women Empowerment are collaborating for Word of the Week 🐝

Sinsila Center for Women Empowerment is an environmental and sustainability center located in Jerusalem, aiming to heal the urban environment of east Jerusalem through inspiration, education and empowerment.

TINAU is an alternative language school in Israel/Palestine, led by Palestinian and Jewish educators. We teach through critical pedagogy to encourage students to engage critically with their own identities and the complexities of the land with a focus on social justice and challenging status quos.

العربية • עברית ↓

Small creatures that teach us that when individual efforts come together, they can create meaningful change.

مخلوقات صغيرة تعلّمنا أن الجهود البسيطة، عندما تتّحد، قادرة على إحداث تغيير كبير.

יצורים קטנים שמלמדים אותנו שכאשר מאמצים אישיים מתחברים יחד, הם יכולים ליצור שינוי משמעותי.

✨ This week's Human of TINAU is Charlie Alterman our beloved community manager who's leaving his position this week ✨

"When I joined my first TINAU course almost eight years ago, I knew little more than “shalom” and the aleph-bet, and my political education was fairly lacking in depth. Since then, the ulpan and I have grown up alongside each other. I continued learning Hebrew and started learning Arabic in TINAU’s first online courses during COVID, returned as a volunteer after finishing university in the US, and eventually became the Community Manager three years ago.

Over the years, TINAU grew from a small presence in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to a community spanning Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and online classrooms worldwide. I am deeply grateful to have been part of our community's growth and to give back a fraction of what TINAU has given me, which is far more than just Arabic and Hebrew. TINAU fundamentally reshaped how I understand justice and solidarity, keeping me grounded and human when the outside world felt like anything but. Serving as the Community Manager was also my first job where I felt I could make a real, meaningful impact. So much of my life happened during my time here: I started and finished my first degree, moved across countries, and got married, all while being part of and supported by the TINAU community.

While I’ll no longer be the Community Manager, TINAU is a place I will never truly leave. I’ll still be here as a co-op member, a student, and someone whose life was shaped by this community. Thank you to all the amazing teachers, partners, team members, and students who made this role so deeply fulfilling. See you around!"

This month This is Not an Ulpan and the Sinsila Center for Women Empowerment are collaborating for Word of the Week 🌹

Sinsila Center for Women Empowerment is an environmental and sustainability center located in Jerusalem, aiming to heal the urban environment of east Jerusalem through inspiration, education and empowerment.

TINAU is an alternative language school in Israel/Palestine, led by Palestinian and Jewish educators. We teach through critical pedagogy to encourage students to engage critically with their own identities and the complexities of the land with a focus on social justice and challenging status quos.

العربية • עברית ↓

Sinsila refers to the stone walls used to create agricultural terraces and protect the land in mountainous landscapes. Inspired by this idea, we work to heal Jerusalem’s urban environment and build a growing chain of change across the city.

السنسلة هي جدران حجرية تُبنى في المناطق الجبلية لتشكيل مدرّجات زراعية وحماية الأرض. ومن هذا المعنى انطلقت رؤيتنا: ترميم البيئة الحضرية في القدس، وبناء سلسلة متنامية من التغيير في أنحاء المدينة.

סינסילה היא מערכת של קירות אבן המשמשים ליצירת טרסות חקלאיות ולהגנה על הקרקע באזורים הרריים. בהשראת רעיון זה, אנו פועלים לריפוי הסביבה העירונית בירושלים וליצירת שרשרת מתרחבת של שינוי ברחבי העיר.

🍁Join TINAU for the Peacebuilding and Body Movement Workshop. Guided by Rafaela Cukierkorn.

The writing in the workshop can be in any language you choose, so it is open to everyone. All you need is a notebook, pen(cil) and a lot of energy!💥

A movement and writing workshop exploring collaboration, cooperation and peacebuilding through body and pen. Participants move through exercises in trust, partnership, self & collective awareness, and creative expression, building toward a shared experience of connection and dialogue.

Spots are limited – register today through the link below!💃

🍂 לוח הזמנים של סמסטר הסתיו שלנו כבר כאן! ההרשמה לכל קורסי הערבית פתוחה רשמית באתר שלנו 🌤️

הירשמו עכשיו ותיהנו ממחירי Early Bird לזמן מוגבל! 🐦

🍂 Our Fall Semester schedule is out! Registration for all Hebrew courses is officially open on our website🍁

Sign up now and enjoy Early Bird pricing for a limited time 🐦