Golan Heights School Blends Farming, Torah Study, and National Service

Ulpana Regavim, a religious girls' school in the Golan Heights, operates on a demanding schedule that begins at 4:45 AM. Founded and directed by Leah Kleinshpeiz, the institution integrates early morning prayers and Torah study with agricultural labor across the Golan, followed by full high school studies and evening classes in a "beit midrash" (Torah study hall) that can last until 10:30 PM. Kleinshpeiz explained her educational philosophy to Dr. Chana Kotton, stating, "The student is not at the center, the people of Israel are at the center." She believes this approach instills a sense of national mission and purpose, empowering the students with significant inner strength.

Kleinshpeiz, who grew up in the Golan Heights settlement of Keshet in a family involved in religious leadership and education, was inspired to create a similar agricultural framework for girls after similar programs for boys, supported by the Ruach HaGolan association, were established. She views the connection to the land not as an artificial addition but as a core element that shapes personality, emphasizing that the students are united in a shared mission of national redemption and returning to the land.

The school's agricultural work is determined by need, not student preference, fostering a sense of responsibility and the discovery of hidden capabilities. This intensive four-year program, involving early mornings, physical labor, academic preparation for matriculation exams, and evening Torah study, requires significant dedication. Kleinshpeiz describes the evening beit midrash as a "privilege" that students attend willingly, driven by a thirst for learning, which she believes is amplified by the connection to nature, labor, and devotion.

Kleinshpeiz sees the agricultural work as a means to cultivate qualities like courage, perseverance, faith, and determination, rather than an aim to produce professional farmers. She acknowledges that transitioning from this highly structured, mission-driven environment to ordinary life can be challenging, and the school provides support for this transition. The skills developed are intended to benefit students in their future homes and families as well.

The educational vision of Regavim has expanded beyond the original school, with the establishment of continuation programs including a "midrasha" (Torah institute) for national service volunteers in Hispin, and similar initiatives in Metula and Avivim in the Upper Galilee, all combining Torah study, agriculture, and community involvement. Kleinshpeiz views the youth's draw to manual labor and the land in the digital age as a deeper movement, a counterpoint to Western culture, and a way to reconnect with something fundamental and essential about the people of Israel and their land.