The Education Ministry will soon launch a program to assist youth in evacuated communities in northern Israel, the government announced on Wednesday.
The initiative aims to provide a supportive educational and community response as part of the broader effort to rebuild the north.
According to the government website, the initiative includes three main areas of focus:
- Strengthening informal education activities—This project, with a total budget of 16 million NIS, will support activities such as trips, educational classes, relaxation programs, team-building exercises, and resilience training.
- Support for informal educational frameworks—The program will allocate 19 million NIS to provide funding for youth groups, Torah study groups, student villages, educator networks, and more.
- Renovating and updating educational buildings—The initiative will invest in renovating and updating community educational buildings, with a budget of 32.6 million NIS.
‘Foundation for real growth’
In response to the program, Education Minister Yoav Kisch said, “Education is crucial for rehabilitation and renewal. Our efforts in the northern communities — from supporting youth movements to strengthening teams and investing in both buildings and educational content — go beyond just an educational response; they lay the foundation for real growth.”
“The education system is at the heart of this initiative, working alongside communities to make sure that children and youth don’t just have a framework, but also a sense of belonging, resilience, and a hopeful future.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added, “Budgets and infrastructure are vital for reconstruction, but they’re not enough on their own. That’s why we’re putting a strong focus on strengthening civil society organizations as key partners in the government’s work. Youth movements, Torah-based groups, educator networks, student villages, preparatory schools, and Hesder yeshivas are powerful force multipliers.”
“They bring not just people, but also a sense of mission, Zionism, responsibility, and hope to the North. This is how we build real resilience: from the ground up, through the community, and from the connection between hearts,” Smotrich continued. “What we’re leading is an investment in human capital — because it’s the key to rebuilding, growth, and real, meaningful change in the North.”
MK Ze’ev Elkin, who oversees the northern and southern administrations, said, “Having been involved in informal education both in the Diaspora and in Israel, I truly believe in the transformative power of informal education systems and civil society organizations.”
“The unprecedented resources we’ve secured will allow us to harness these powerful energies to help rebuild and develop the North. Together, we’ll tackle the challenges of reconstruction and create a new reality for the settlements in the north.”
Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovich shared his support, saying, “I’m happy to see the government allocate resources for informal education, and I see this as a catalyst for growth in the northern settlements. We’re looking forward to brighter days ahead.”
Meir Shimoni, Director-General of the Ministry of Education, concluded, “The youth in evacuated communities need more than just a framework—they need a stable, safe, and supportive educational response. We’re out in the field, day in and day out, working alongside local authorities to ensure educational continuity, create customized programs, and make sure no child is left behind.”
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1730128020581377’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
