Religious Zionist Education Chief Unveils Plan to Empower Teachers Amid Staffing Shortage
Rabbi Yoni Samuel, head of the Religious Zionist Education Administration (Hamemad), revealed a new initiative aimed at encouraging and empowering teachers within the national-religious education system. The program was announced at an event held at the Rabbi Chaim Druckman Center in Shapira, focusing on addressing the severe shortage of teachers, educators, and religious instructors in the sector.
The event featured a panel discussion on motivating yeshiva and midrasha students to pursue careers in education, with participants including Rabbi Yoni Samuel, Rabbi Amichai Gordin (head of the Har Etzion Hesder Yeshiva for young adults), and Aliza Sofer, principal of Tzvia Ulpana in Ashkelon. Rabbi Samuel emphasized the need to restore the educational mission within Religious Zionism, stating, "There is something here that has not been addressed for many years. Religious Zionism has been occupied with many other important challenges. The attitude toward the educational mission has changed, and it must be restored. We must understand that today we are leading the State of Israel."
The program targets yeshiva graduates after military service who hold a degree and teaching certificate, as well as women who have completed a year of study at a midrasha and are beginning teaching studies. Its goals are to strengthen connection to the field, provide professional guidance and practical tools, and encourage a stable and meaningful entry into teaching. Participants entering their first year of teaching internship will receive full funding for a teaching workshop or incubator, alongside annual mentorship from the "Hanenu" organization.
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu highlighted the centrality of education in Rabbi Druckman's legacy. During the event, Yaniv Sofen, CEO of Hanenu, presented Rabbi Eliyahu with a book dedicated by his father, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, to Rabbi Druckman. Sofen concluded, "The shortage of educators is not just a scheduling issue but a challenge affecting the entire future of Religious Zionist education. Rabbi Druckman taught us that education is a life mission, and our task is to restore this mission to the center. To achieve this, we must mentor, train, and reward those who choose to enter the classroom."
