"I Found My Place at Hand in Hand"—Meet Rana Farran, Hand in Hand Haifa Parent

On October 15th 2025, Hand in Hand hosted a webinar titled “Hand in Hand Haifa: A Model for Shared Living and Growth,” featuring two remarkable community leaders and parents—Rana Farran and Dr. Karney Lahad.

Below is an abbreviated version of Rana’s story:

“I grew up in a Palestinian community with very little meaningful interaction with Jewish people. My family always told me: ‘Be careful, keep a low profile, and don’t draw attention to yourself as a Palestinian.” I have to say I was afraid to say this word, I even rejected it for a time, and I was ashamed in front of my Palestinian friends who were not afraid. 

There was this constant conflict around how I define myself. I found myself thinking a lot, even with my friends, about how to define the different parts of our identities. Where do we start? Are we Arab? Palestinian? Israeli first? Should we define ourselves according to our religion because that’s easier?

I grew up uncomfortable showing my identity, and that is a terrible feeling. Later, I learned this is the experience of being a minority—and a weaker minority—in Israel. It wasn’t easy. It worked for me not to be political. I focused on succeeding, proving I am a good person, and building a future—this was my goal.

My first real encounters with Jewish people were at university. I studied engineering, then started working at a company with more Jewish people, and met amazing people. But something was stuck. Even the good relationships at university or at work didn’t continue afterward. 

Once I had children, I wondered whether to enroll them in Jewish frameworks—which I thought were better. But I saw the complexities and challenges others faced choosing that path. The only option seemed to be Arab schools like the ones I grew up in.

Then I was given a “gift,” and heard about Hand in Hand—which brings Arab and Jewish children together, with two teachers: one Arab, one Jewish. There was no question for me; that was the place for my kids.

“My daughter is still a minority, but she feels stronger than I did at her age—she feels equal. Knowing ‘the other side’ helps her know herself better.”

I found myself very involved with Hand in Hand, because the school required a lot of work. From day one, I felt like I found another home. And I also became involved politically. That was not my way before. But being at Hand in Hand brought me to the next level, and changed me. I felt like I found my place in Israel.

Years later, I saw the impact on my daughter. At age 10, she spoke in front of a large crowd about the school. She wrote a text on her own, without my help. She said: ‘We are different people, different nationalities, studying together. It doesn’t matter that we are different. We know how to accept one another, and even be friends.’ She said she feels equal here. I never felt equal, but my child does. I cried from happiness and pride. 

My daughter is still a minority, but she feels stronger than I did, and she speaks Hebrew better than I did at her age. And knowing the other side helps her know herself better.

These past two years were terrible. I feared everything would fall apart—but saw the Hand in Hand community sticking together even more. Throughout the years, we built muscles for communication. It’s not perfect, but during the war, I witnessed amazing listening on both sides. I hope more people will practice dialogue—we have to practice it.”