Since the outbreak of the war with Lebanon, schoolchildren in northern Israel have faced ongoing violence and disruption to their daily life. To help restore resilience and normalcy, the Ministry of Education announced this week a respite program for the 66 communities located between 3 and 8 miles from the border with Lebanon, aimed at providing enrichment activities for children in first through twelfth grade. The program has a budget of 5 million shekels ($1.3 million), which amounts to about 100 shekels ($27) per child, and will be in effect until December 27.
The youth departments in the relevant local and regional councils will be responsible for developing and conducting the activities under the guidance and supervision of the Ministry of Education’s Youth and Society Administration. The activities will include resilience workshops, cultural and enrichment events, lectures, tours, and trips around the country. All activities will be conducted in accordance with the Home Front Command’s guidelines and under strict security.
“In these challenging times, it is our duty to ensure the continuation of daily life for our children in the north,” Minister of Education Yoav Kisch said. “The program we are launching today will allow students to participate in diverse enrichment activities while strengthening both personal and community resilience.”
This article was translated from Hebrew by Matt Levy.
