Amid coronavirus, 1,500 olim to start their first school year as Israelis
The Jewish Agency prepared them for integration into the Israeli education system, providing them with school supplies and tablets for social distanced learning.
By AARON REICHJewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog with new Olim students ready to start the Israeli school year.(photo credit: ELI MANDELBAUM FOR THE JEWISH AGENCY)
Approximately 1,500 new olim who arrived amid the coronavirus pandemic will start their first school year as Israeli citizens on Tuesday, September 1.Though there continues to be debate regarding whether all schools will actually open up on Tuesday, the Jewish Agency has worked hard to ensure these new olim will be able to attend school, and has worked to prepare them for integration into the Israeli education system.These olim arrived from around 30 different countries from around the world, between the months of March and the end of August, with the Jewish Agency having worked to ensure as many olim as possible managed to arrive in the country despite travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.Barring a few hundred preschoolers, most of the olim students range in age from six to 17 years old, and will integrate into elementary, middle and high schools across Israel.In addition, the Jewish Agency also set up each student with school supplies and tablets, so they can study while practicing social distancing."I'm happy to be here. I'm excited to start school, but a bit afraid of the Hebrew,” Dmir Gasimov, a nine-year-old who made aliyah from Ukraine, told the Jewish Agency. “But it’s fun to be in Israel, there's a beach and I have the exact backpack that I wanted."On Sunday, two days before schools start, Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog met with some of the soon-to-be students.“You left the places you knew and came home to Israel. You made aliyah at a time when it was almost impossible to move about the world," he told them."We extend our love and best wishes for a successful new school year here in Israel, as Israelis. I hope your adjustment to your new schools will be smooth and filled with new friends and learning.”The announcement comes as the government continues to debate what will happen on September 1. While the Health Ministry announced earlier that parents of kindergarten and first-grade students who need to adjust will be allowed in the classrooms, many teachers are still hesitant to open classes, as they feel the risks to themselves and students are not adequately addressed. Several teachers have threatened to boycott classes and keep students home if the government doesn't work to address their concerns.Hagay Hacohen contributed to this report.
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