Between State and Church: Life-History of a French-Catholic School in Jaffa

The fascinating life-history of Saint-Joseph, a French-Catholic school founded in Jaffa in 1882, is told as a play within a play. The internal drama takes place within a school that has historically served all religions and had produced an illustrious list of graduates. The external scenario is the international theater of conflict and profound change of the Middle East from the decline of the Ottoman period until today. The study sheds light on three central issues. The social origins of educational systems and their transformation over the years; the relationships between educators and social stratification, and the conditions that enable rival groups to co-exist peacefully in the school. The study is based on a great variety of sources including the logbooks of the school, students’ personal files, photos and documents.