About 860,000 middle school and high school students in Israel begin summer vacation on Friday, together with 91,000 school administrators and teachers. Among them are 156,430 twelfth graders, 78,038 girls and 78,392 boys, who are finishing 12 years of schooling after what officials describe as seven years of national crises, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing through military operations and wars.
According to the Taub Center, students have lost 110 in-person school days since the pandemic began. Some learning took place on Zoom, but officials said it was not full school time and was often ineffective. Around 180,000 students took matriculation exams this year, and thousands whose exams were postponed because of the recent Iranian missile fire will only start summer break on June 30.
Education Minister Yoav Kish said, “This year, Israeli students, educators and communities all showed resilience, responsibility and mutual support in the face of war and a complex reality.” Education Ministry director general Meir Shimoni said that behind every diploma stood “effort, perseverance, curiosity and many people who accompanied the students along the way,” adding wishes for a “safe, meaningful and enjoyable” summer.
At Nofei Habesor High School in the Eshkol Regional Council, twelfth graders ended their school year after years of COVID, fighting, the October 7 massacre, prolonged evacuation, and a gradual return home. Maor Roginski, 17, from Kibbutz Nirim, said moving after October 7 had made him feel less at home at first, but that “the family grew stronger” and his circle of friends deepened. Roni Shagiv, 18, from Kibbutz Sufa, said the evacuation was frustrating but also brought good outcomes: “Nothing went smoothly, but the strength of being together helped us.” Eshkol Regional Council head Michal Uziyahu said the Nofei Habesor class grew up amid “an unimaginable sequence of national and personal challenges,” but kept choosing “to rise, lead and build.” In Yoqneam, 439 twelfth graders from Ort Peres High School also marked graduation, with student Shalev Azoulay saying the school years shaped his character and future goals. Mayor Roman Peres said the city had been “blessed with a wonderful generation.”
