Israeli educators relocate to North and South to rebuild education system

The Homeward Initiative is recruiting teachers, counselors, and informal educators to strengthen schools and youth programs in the Gaza border communities and the Galilee.

More than 300 Israeli educators have relocated to communities near the Gaza Strip and along Israel’s northern border as part of a nationwide effort to rebuild educational infrastructure in areas impacted by war and displacement, the Homeward Initiative announced last week.

The initiative, launched during the war following the October 7 Hamas-led massacre and ongoing tensions with Hezbollah in the north, is recruiting teachers, counselors, and informal educators to strengthen schools and youth programs in the Gaza border communities and the Galilee.

According to the organization, while physical reconstruction and security are essential for long-term recovery, education is proving to be a decisive factor in whether families return and remain in evacuated towns and kibbutzim.

‘Education builds community’

Homeward CEO Sigal Moran, a former director-general of the Welfare Ministry, said the goal is to create educational systems that foster community resilience. “Education builds community, and community builds education,” she said.

While many evacuees have returned to the western Negev, and others are beginning to return to northern communities following the ceasefire with Hezbollah, the availability of consistent and quality education remains a key concern. The Homeward Initiative partners with the government, local councils, and philanthropic groups to place skilled educators in communities that lacked stable educational services since the outbreak of war.

Educators who have joined the initiative include both Israelis and new immigrants, with some returning from abroad or moving from other regions of Israel. Many said they were motivated by a sense of mission to help strengthen society in vulnerable areas.

In the South, the initiative has placed teachers in schools and kindergartens in kibbutzim and towns near the Gaza border. Recruitment for the North has been more challenging, but Homeward said it has begun deploying educators to northern towns, where informal education programs are also being established in communities that had never previously offered them.

The initiative is led by Israeli-American philanthropist and venture capitalist Izhar Armony, who grew up in Kibbutz Malkiya on the Lebanese border. “Education is a powerful tool for change and resilience,” Armony said. “It’s not just about returning people to their homes; it’s about providing them with the tools to rebuild their lives.”

Among the educators who joined the effort is Liron Behar, 28, who left her position in the US to return to Israel after October 7. She now lives in Kibbutz Mefalsim and works on youth educational programs. “This is a chance to turn tragedy into an educational turning point,” she said.

Talia Weill, 21, recently moved to Mahanayim in the north as part of the Hotam organization. “I already see how a comprehensive education system is essential to rehabilitation,” she said.

Other participants include Omer Fink, a former IDF spokesperson who now teaches in Kibbutz Magen, and Dvir Kashet, 32, who moved to Sde Nehemiah after serving in the North during reserve duty. Both emphasized the importance of educational continuity in times of crisis.