Kindergartens Open in Resurgent Northern Samaria Settlements

Kindergartens opened this past weekend in the northern Samaria settlements of Sa-Nur, Eival, and Emek Dotan, marking a significant step in the renewed Jewish presence in the region. The ceremonies, which included the affixing of mezuzahs, coincided with the start of the new school year.

Sa-Nur, a community destroyed during Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria, signifies the return of Israelis to the area after more than 21 years. Eival, established on Mount Eival, holds particular historical importance as it is near the biblical altar where Joshua bin Nun performed a ceremony upon the Israelites' entry into the land. The kindergarten in Emek Dotan is led by educator Tova Trovia Dassa.

These openings are part of a broader initiative to re-establish and expand Jewish settlements in northern Samaria, following years of advocacy. The return to four evacuated communities, including Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, is becoming a reality, alongside the establishment of new settlements. This effort is driven by the Samaria Regional Council and the Amona organization, with government backing from ministers Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich.

The "Connection Plan" aims to establish 19 new settlements in northern Samaria, replacing the four that were evacuated, and is integrated into the Samaria Council's "Million in Samaria" program. The council has established eight new settlements in northern Samaria in under a year, a national record, to strengthen the Israeli presence, secure access to historical sites, and enhance regional security.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan stated at the ceremonies, "The return to northern Samaria has turned from a dream into reality. Building these settlements is not just correcting a historical injustice; it is building the future. We are not returning to replicate the past, but to build much more here. We are experiencing a wave of settlement that the people of Israel have never seen before." Kindergarten teacher Yael Navo from Sa-Nur expressed her excitement, "It is a very exciting morning. Opening a kindergarten is always exciting, but certainly reopening a kindergarten that was closed for so many years." Theilá Dvir, a kindergarten teacher and resident of Eival, added, "We are happy and excited. It is moving to see the children here, the future generation. There was never a kindergarten on this mountain, and now Jews are returning, settling the place, and making the desert bloom."

The Samaria Regional Council's education system began the 5787 academic year with over 25,000 students. This year, the council opened four new post-elementary institutions and eight new kindergartens across Samaria, with six of these new kindergartens located in the new and revitalized settlements of northern Samaria. The council plans to invest NIS 50 million over five years in upgrading and developing educational facilities to accommodate the region's rapid population growth and ongoing settlement expansion.