Fureidis

Fureidis (also Freidis) is an Israeli Arab town in the Haifa District of Israel. It received local council status in 1952.
==History==
Fureidis was established in the 19th century. The name is believed to come from the Arabic (firdawis), meaning little Garden of Eden, borrowed from the Persian paradise.The Forward, article about Paradise Lost Fureidis is one of the few Arab villages on Israel's coast left intact after the 1948 war.The Forward, article about Paradise Lost
==Education==
According to data released by the Israeli Ministry of Education based on a 2008 census of high school matriculation scores, Fureidis had a 75.85 eligibility rate, greatly exceeding the accomplishments of most Jewish towns. The national eligibility rate in 2008-2009 was 44.4 percent of all 17-year-olds. Fureidis won third place in the national ranking. Hossni Abu Dahash, the town's high school principal, said the school had organized a marathon study program to prepare 12th graders for the bagrut exam.Matriculation gap widens, Haaretz
==Archaeological findings==
In December 1999, a cave above the old part of Fureidis on the western slope of the Carmel was found to contain fragments of pottery from the Chalcolithic period, including large bowls, jars, ossuary fragments and a pale pink limestone pendant. It appears to have been used as a dwelling and a burial cave. The artifacts in the cave attest to the presence of a settlement from the pre-Ghassulian period.El-Fureidis excavation
==Peace activism==
Ibtisam Mahammed of Fureidis was awarded the Dalai Lama's Unsung Heroes of Compassion prize for her efforts to promote peace between Arabs and Jews.Israel's unsung female heroes For many years Mahammed has been organizing Jewish and Arab women's circles to promote dialogue. She heads several women's peace organizations and has fought on behalf of battered women in Arab society.Israel's unsung female heroes
== See also ==
*List of Arab localities in Israel
==References==
 
==External sources==
*Fureidis, Paradise Lost," a documentary by Ebtisam Mara’ana
*Interview with Fureidis social activist Ibtisam Mahmid
==Bibliography==
*Benny Morris (1994): "1948 and After." ISBN 0-19-827929-9. (Chapter 8, p. 257-289: The Case of Abu Ghosh and Beit Naqquba, Al Fureidis and Jisr Zarka in 1948 -or Why Four Villages Remained.)
Category:Local councils in Israel
Category:Arab localities in Israel
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