Sesame Workshop and a dedicated group of Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian co-production partners have joined together to create Sesame Stories, a multimedia project that promotes messages of respect and understanding to young children in the Middle East. The three separate versions have some unique and some shared elements so that Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian children view specific segments formatted to address their specific cultural and linguistic needs. The Israeli production has a special emphasis on the Arab population within Israel.
   
Sesame Stories (Israel), or Sippuray Sumsum in Hebrew, was created, written, and produced by Israeli educators and television professionals. The show combines segments featuring the Sesame Street characters with animation and mini-documentaries to create uniquely entertaining and educational programming. Locally developed characters appeal to preschoolers and engage them with humor relevant to Israeli culture. Animation and live action pieces introduce Israeli children to positive images of themselves and others.
   
The project is funded in large part by the European Union and other donors. Twenty-six episodes of Sippuray Sumsum, co-produced by Sesame Workshop and Zebra Communications air on Hop! TV. A community outreach initiative supplements the television series to promote respect and understanding off-screen, including a Sesame Stories section of the popular Hop Web site for children, parents, and educators. The Sesame Stories section is available in Hebrew and Arabic.
   
 
 
 
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