New Maritime Education School Opens at Zikim Beach Three Years After Massacre
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
A new school for maritime education and sports has opened at Zikim Beach, near the Gaza border, with funding from the Tikumah Administration and the Ministry of Education. The school will serve 250 students from Gaza envelope communities and is part of a broader rehabilitation effort for the beach, which was closed after the October 7th attack where 18 people were killed. The rehabilitation included significant infrastructure upgrades costing around 20 million shekels.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A new maritime education and sports school opened at Zikim Beach, attended by Minister of Education Yoav Kisch.
- The school will host 250 students from Gaza envelope communities in grades 7-12.
- Zikim Beach reopened a year ago after a two-year closure following the October 7th attack.
- Eighteen people were killed at Zikim Beach during the October 7th attack.
- The beach's rehabilitation cost approximately 20 million shekels.
A school for maritime education and sports was inaugurated at Zikim Beach in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, attended by Minister of Education Yoav Kisch. The school, funded by the Tikumah Administration and the Ministry of Education with an investment of millions of shekels, is expected to enroll 250 students from grades 7 to 12 from communities in the Gaza envelope. Initially, the school will offer stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) lessons, with plans to add more water activities later. The school's principal, who previously managed a maritime school in northern Israel, recently moved to live in Nativ HaAsara.
The inauguration of the school is part of the rehabilitation process for Zikim Beach, which reopened about a year ago after being closed for two years following the October 7th attack. During the attack, 18 people were murdered at the beach, including three residents of the regional council. The beach's rehabilitation cost approximately 20 million shekels and included rebuilding the lifeguard station, renovating restrooms and showers, paving paths, and installing fitness equipment and a canteen.
At the ceremony, Aviad Friedman, Head of the Tikumah Administration, stated, "The establishment of the maritime education and sports school at Zikim Beach is much more than an investment in educational infrastructure. It symbolizes a return to life, renewed growth, and our commitment to providing children of the Gaza envelope with new opportunities to develop, experience, and gain empowering experiences."