Israel offers NIS 60,000 grants to draw teachers to northern border communities

Israel is offering teaching staff a NIS 60,000 grant to work in communities near the northern border as schools begin the new academic year.

The program covers teachers and administrators employed in communities up to 9 kilometers from the border. Applicants may live as far as 30 kilometers away. The Tnufa Directorate for the North developed the plan with the Education Ministry and Finance Ministry as part of the government's effort to rehabilitate northern Israel after nearly three years of war.

The government said it would focus especially on educators in shortage fields, including mathematics, English, computers, physics, biology, chemistry, technology, therapeutic subjects and educational counseling. Kindergarten teachers are also included.

“

Before all the pedagogy, we come to give an anchor and hope to the children. Before we learn the alphabet, first of all, let's be here, together.

Ofra Erlich, who moved from Tel Aviv to Metula to teach first and second grade at Hanadiv School, said she wanted to help rebuild the community and offer children hope. "Before all the pedagogy, we come to give an anchor and hope to the children. Before we learn the alphabet, first of all, let's be here, together," she said.

Yuval Sharon moved from her hometown to Shlomi to work as a special-education kindergarten teacher. She said relocating to a border community was difficult because of the distance and the area's different security situation. "It's living in a different reality than what I'm used to," she said.

“

It's living in a different reality than what I'm used to.