Religious Zionism Launches 'Educators for Life' Initiative to Revitalize Teaching Mission

In honor of the late Rabbi Chaim Druckman and addressing a shortage of educators, the 'Educators for Life' initiative was unveiled at Rabbi Druckman's home to renew the commitment to education within the Religious Zionist community. Yaniv Sofen, CEO of the 'Hineni' association continuing Rabbi Druckman's legacy, emphasized the program's goal to restore the prominence of education by recruiting new teachers from Religious Zionist yeshivot and midrashot.

The program aims to encourage yeshiva and midrasha students to pursue careers in education, with Elidad Prins, the program director, stating that education is life itself and stressing the importance of continuing to educate Israel's youth. Rabbi Yoni Samuel, head of the Ministry of Education's Religious Education Division, highlighted the need for more quality teachers and the symbolic choice of Rabbi Druckman's home for the launch, noting that educational mission was central to Rabbi Druckman's work.

The initiative has already succeeded in six yeshivot and plans to expand to additional yeshivot and midrashot for women. It includes a kollel for education and teaching, where participants meet biweekly to study educational topics and engage with real-world teaching experiences. Female midrasha graduates preparing for or beginning teaching will receive weekly study hours and scholarships.

Rabbi Samuel expressed confidence that, as Religious Zionism has succeeded in other fields, it will also succeed in education by prioritizing the teaching mission. Sofen recalled Rabbi Druckman's wish to be remembered as an educator, underscoring the program's inspiration. Prins invited educational institutions with existing teacher training programs to join 'Educators for Life' through an upcoming call for participation, aiming to build a community of graduates to strengthen Israel's educational system.