Pupils from the Yemin Orde youth village met with Education Minister Gideon
Sa’ar (Likud) on Monday, a day before the youngsters return to school for the
first time since large swaths of the village were destroyed in the Carmel
wildfire.
On Sunday, teachers and counselors returned to the village to
prepare for the restart of courses on Tuesday.
RELATED:Current, former pupils tour fire-devastated youth villageAnglo Ein Hod residents aching to return homeYemin Orde is a boarding
school that is home to more than 500 children from around the world and their
Israeli guides, many of whom are post-army or performing national
service.
While most of the children are from families in Israel and
abroad, the school is also home to a large number of orphans between the ages of
9-19 from the former Soviet Union.
The buildings damaged in the fire
included student dormitories, faculty houses, the village convenience store, the
library and a workshop.
During Monday’s visit, Sa’ar told the pupils,
“Last week we were contending with the fire and the crisis associated with it.
Now we are dealing with rehabilitation.
We dealt with a national tragedy
and many people lost their loved ones, the most difficult thing in the
world.”
He praised Yemin Orde’s teachers and administrators, who he said
showed great leadership in a time of crisis. Sa’ar vowed that his ministry would
continue to provide assistance to the village and that soon it would return to
its former glory.
“We have and will continue to work to ensure you
receive all of the assistance required. Whatever help is needed, we will ensure
it is provided. This place will be remembered not for the fire, but for the
generations who will study here,” he said.
Following the four-day fire,
the Education Ministry approved an emergency assistance package for Yemin Orde
valued at NIS 3 million. The money has so far helped provide temporary
structures for use by the school while renovations of the permanent structures
are carried out.
Portions of the package will also fund increases in
psychological treatment for students and faculty, winter clothing for students,
and school supplies.