Dalia Fadila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dalia Fadila
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Fadila in 2022
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| Born | 1971/1972 Tira, Israel
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| Died | (aged 51) Herzliya, Israel
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| Nationality | Israeli |
| Alma mater | Bar-Ilan University |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Known for | Developing new curriculum, textbooks and schools |
| Spouse(s) | Abed al-Salem Fadila |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Honor |
Dalia Fadila (Arabic: داليا الفضيلة, Hebrew: דליה פדילה; born around 1972 – died 4 August 2023) was an amazing educator from Israel. She created new ways of teaching, wrote textbooks, and even started schools in Israel and Jordan. Her goal was to help Arab students learn English better. She was the first Arab woman to start and run a group of schools in Israel.
Early Life and Education
Dalia Fadila was born in a place called Tira, Israel. Her father was in charge of education there, so learning was important in her family.
She went to Bar-Ilan University. She earned different degrees, including a B.A., a master's degree, and a PhD. Her studies focused on literature, especially books by women from minority groups. With strong support from her parents, Dalia and her sister were the first women from Tira to go to university.
At university, Dalia sometimes found it hard to talk with Jewish students. But she found great support from her Jewish-American professors. They showed her that people from minority groups could be very successful.
Before finishing her advanced degrees, Dalia taught English literature at a high school in Tira for three years. However, some parents complained. They wanted her to focus more on grammar and grades, not just on understanding stories. So, her teaching there ended.
Career and Achievements
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The Israeli Ministry of Education gave Dalia a teaching job at the Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education in Baqa al-Gharbiyye. She started teaching there in 2002. She taught interesting books like The Horse Dealer's Daughter and Everyday Use. At first, some teachers and students worried these books might go against Islamic values.
Dalia later became the head of the English Department at the college. This helped Al-Qasemi Academy become an officially recognized college in Israel. She even led the college as dean for a year. Later, she became the head of the college's engineering department. During her time there, the number of students grew a lot, from 100 to 1,000!
In 2008, Dalia opened the first of her own private schools in her hometown of Tira. By 2016, she had opened more schools in places like Nazareth, East Jerusalem, and even in Amman, the capital of Jordan. She was invited to Jordan after giving a Ted talk that impressed educators there. In just ten years, over 2,000 students attended her five schools. Many Jewish communities in America were so impressed by her work that they gave money for scholarships. This helped students who couldn't afford the schools.
Dalia Fadila was also part of many important groups. She was on former President Reuven Rivlin's Israeli Tikva Committee. She also helped lead the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation in Israel.
In 2022, Dalia received the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor. President Isaac Herzog praised her. He called her a "groundbreaking educator and visionary." He honored her for her work to help Arab society and build connections between Jewish and Arab people in Israel.
Personal Life and Legacy
Dalia Fadila was married to Abed al-Salem Fadila. He works at a hospital in Kfar Saba. They had three children together.
Dalia believed that Arabs in Israel sometimes felt confused. They are Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Israeli all at once. She felt they needed to understand this mix of identities.
On August 4, 2023, Dalia Fadila passed away at age 51. She was visiting the beach with her husband. Dalia didn't know how to swim. She went into the water and was swept away. Someone saw her and pulled her to the beach. People tried to help her, but she was later pronounced dead. She is remembered by her husband and children. Her husband, Abed, said he and his family want to continue Dalia's important work in education.
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