ORT UK is raising funds to offer desperately needed psychological and educational support and enhanced security measures to thousands of students, teachers and their families across Israel.
This week, we heard from World ORT Director General and CEO, Dan Green, during an online briefing. He reflected on his recent visit to Israel, where he witnessed students with “so much joy in their faces” as they returned to school, after weeks of online studies. He also shared his gratitude for both the financial and emotional support from the Jewish community here, which is already benefitting so many of our staff and students, as they attempt to rebuild their lives, in hugely difficult circumstances.
He paid tribute to ORT’s staff in Israel, “for the incredible work that they’ve been doing in this period, picking up the pieces and continuing to work, showing love and support and care for all of our students.. I can’t thank them enough for all that they’ve done and all that they continue to do.”
We also heard from Dr. Moshe Leiba, Chief Pedagogy and R&D Officer of World ORT Kadima Mada, (ORT in Israel). He shared how donations had enabled them to offer financial aid to families in need, provide educational equipment such as laptops to displaced families and give psychological assistance to those suffering with trauma across 44 evacuation centres.
Dana Dahan, manager of the Western Galilee Centre, is an evacuee from the northern border with Lebanon. She told us how ORT’s extra-curricular activities at evacuation centres across the country, were providing a much welcome distraction for young people, as they are only able to attend school in shifts.
Kfar Silver Youth Village student Uriyah, who was evacuated from the school to Jerusalem, shared how his regular teachers are helping him continue his studies remotely. Meanwhile, fellow student Sviatoslav, from Ukraine, is happy to have returned to campus. Staff have had to limit how many boarding students can return to the village due to the location of their bedrooms, but have made it possible by laying mattresses in the classrooms adjacent to safe rooms.
The CEO of ORT’s Kfar Silver, Amos Gofer, explained how funds are helping to strengthen security measures including training staff and increasing surveillance. He also expressed the importance of psychological aid, with at least one child in every class having lost someone close to them.
Hoping to welcome nearly all their students back after Chanukah, Amos spoke of his staff’s determination to get the village, which is just 8 miles from the Gaza border, up and running at full capacity.
“The spirit is strong. Some staff lost dear family members so it is obvious they are not in a good emotional condition, but almost everyone else from the staff is back working in the village.”
You can watch the briefing below and visit our campaign page to make a donation.
