Stop This War. Now.

thea • October 13, 2023

Dear Beloved Community,
 
This is the cruelest time for human beings in Palestine and Israel. The pain is profound. Children are, yet again, paying the highest price. But we must not sit idly by as the violence traumatizes yet another generation.


At House of Hope, we believe in peace. We also believe the magnificent dream of a lasting peace won't come without justice. We also believe in love's transformative, limitless power— love for you, me, and all. We also believe in the two-state solution, where the two nations of Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace and prosperity.


In the West Bank, we are living under a military siege and have little freedom of movement. Israeli army checkpoints block our town's entrances and exits. Most of our roads are closed. Tear gas seeps into the rooms in our homes. 


We are suffering a lot, not just because of our villages' conditions. We also feel the pain of the people of Gaza, who are aggressively bombed and have no solutions for their lives and dreams. Our Palestinian children in Gaza feel internationally isolated and that their lives don't matter as they watch more buildings collapse into rubble as death comes closer.


Our students' dreams are simple: to play with no army around them. No sounds of gun shooting. And no home demolitions in their neighborhood.


Their dreams are our dreams. And since we are ALL children of God, your dreams are our dreams, too. We all want to live peacefully, healed from intergenerational trauma and fear.


Let us stop this war.
Let us stop supporting weapons sales.
Let us stop preaching hate.
Let us stop hiding in our ideological tribes.
Let us stop making innocent people pay for another government's evil.
Let us stop discriminating and murdering beloved children of God.


At House of Hope, we provide our children with an education that heals. In our healing classrooms, we promote diversity, interreligious dialogue, freedom of speech, and respect for differences.



Please stand with us. Keep us in your prayers and good deeds toward a better future in Palestine.

 

Salaam,

 Milad Vosgueritchian, Co-Founder and Peace Education Director, House of Hope Vision School

An adult in a green shirt supervises children playing a game in a tree-lined outdoor schoolyard.

Educational Responses in Emergency Situations

By thea • March 14, 2026
Times of war create immense stress and uncertainty for all of us, but children are especially susceptible. Even if they are not in physical direct danger, children can experience negative psychological effects from living through war. A review published in 2022 found that rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety were 2-3 times higher among those exposed to armed conflict compared those who weren’t, with women and children being the most vulnerable. There are, however, things we can do as caregivers to help counter the effects of war on the children that we care for. Manar Wahab, House of Hope’s Director of Trauma-Informed Education has recently taken the time to assemble guidance for caregivers, based on her experience and training in the Waldorf educational framework. The Waldorf approach focuses on “Emergency Pedagogy” to help stabilize children’s emotional well-being by emphasizing familiar structures and routines, as well as artistic expression. You can read Manar’s full guidance in the documents linked below, which are available in both English and Palestinian Arabic. These documents contain practical suggestions for anyone caring for young children during the chaos and stress of war, and include activity suggestions as well as stories that can help children hold on to a sense of hope during wartime. 
A teacher in a hijab leads a lesson with several children sitting on the floor.

Our Curriculum for Palestinian Nonviolence and Peacebuilding

By thea • January 20, 2026
Palestinian Nonviolence and Peacebuilding: Approaches to Educating and Nurturing the Next Generation
Two young Palestinian girls smiling, one pointing.

New music video: Our Rights as Children

September 30, 2025
Even under Occupation and war, Palestinian children dare to reclaim what was stole from them — their childhood.
A group of children are sitting around a man holding a piece of paper.

Why I Did It.

December 17, 2024
Nonviolence Is The Path of the Soul
A young boy wearing a graduation cap and gown is standing in front of a bush of pink flowers.

What is Peace and Justice Education, and Why is it Crucial in Palestine?

November 16, 2024
What is Peace and Justice Education, and Why is it Crucial in Palestine?
Two young girls hugging each other in a park

Peace and Justice Education vs. Trauma-Informed Education

By thea • November 16, 2024
At House of Hope, we provide Palestinian students with a holistic education created by and for Palestinians that combines Peace and Justice Education with Trauma-Informed practices.
A boy and a girl are playing with wooden blocks on the floor.

Introducing the House of Hope Peace and Justice Education Fund

By thea • September 19, 2024
The launch of the House of Hope Peace and Justice Education Fund marks an exciting and transformative moment for our community. This initiative is built upon the core principles of peace and justice, which are not merely aspirational ideals. We live them daily, often under the most difficult circumstances in the West Bank.
A group of children posing for a picture with Manar Wahhab, House of Hope’s Co-Founder

We Proved It!

By thea • September 1, 2024
50% of parents said House of Hope's kindergarten profoundly reduced their child's toxic stress and trauma symptoms in under 1 year.
A girl is standing on a beach looking at the ocean.

What Does Peace and Justice Look Like to Me?

By thea • June 7, 2024
At House of Hope, every Palestinian child has a different story of growing up under Occupation. But one thing is always present in each of their stories— the resilient hope for peace, joy, and prosperity for their families, their community, and the world. House of Hope was thrilled to partner with Color Up Peace , a Ukrainian peacebuilding startup, to capture our teachers' hope for peace in new and interactive ways- like coloring books of their visions for peace. House of Hope teachers selected photos that represented their vision of peace. Then, Lisa Glybchenko, founder of Color Up Peace, rendered these photo-based visions of peace as coloring pages for you to color ! Below, you are invited to read what inspired each teacher to select their photo, as well as download the corresponding coloring page . “Playing the Darbukah with Friends,” Selected by House of Hope Teacher's Aide Abed "I feel freedom and inner peace when my fingers play darbukah. I feel my spirit so happy when I hear music. It is the way to seek peace when the universe dances together and sings for peace day and night." - Abed Download Abed's coloring page vision for peace and justice here .
A black and white photo of a man with a beard wearing a plaid shirt.

See Us As Humans

By thea • April 27, 2024
Palestinians need freedom and not tanks and an army against them. Palestinians demand dignity and human rights. They need a state of their own, not an occupation party ruling and organizing their life. We need the world to see us as humans.