(Israel21C via JNS) - Almost a decade ago, a group of women from the Arab Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiya looked for a program where they could study Hebrew. They didn't find anything appropriate, and ended up inviting two students from the nearby Hebrew University to teach them.

They enjoyed their studies so much that a year later they sought to bring aboard all their female friends, relatives and neighbors.

That's how the "Women Speaking Hebrew" program began. Fast forward a few years, and it's now under the umbrella of the nonprofit organization Lissan (Arabic for "language" or "tongue")...