Israeli High Schools Add Yemenite Immigrants’ Historic Role Including Kfar Hashiloach to Curriculum
The Israeli Ministry of Education is expanding its high school curriculum to significantly highlight the contributions of Yemenite Jewish immigrants to Zionism. This new material will include the story of Kfar Hashiloach, a village established in Jerusalem in 1884 by Yemenite immigrants. Previously, the curriculum mainly addressed the first and second waves of Yemenite immigration with limited detail.
The updated lessons will cover the settlement patterns of Yemenite Jews, their treatment during the British Mandate, challenges faced during the 1920s and 1930s unrest, and their role in shaping the history of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. A dedicated chapter will focus on Kfar Hashiloach, which suffered severe damage during the 1929 riots and the Arab revolt. Through the village’s story, students will learn about early Jewish settlement outside Jerusalem’s Old City walls and the impact of violent events on the Jewish community.
Gadi Bashari, chairman of Kfar Hashiloach’s public council, welcomed the curriculum change as a "historic justice and correction of a wrong after 140 years." He noted that the village’s story was rarely mentioned in education before and now receives its rightful place alongside the broader Yemenite immigrant narrative. Bashari recounted that Yemenite immigrants arrived in 1881, initially living in Jerusalem’s Old City before moving to the Ma’ayan Hashiloach area, where they lived in caves until permanent homes were built with help from journalist Israel Dov Fromkin. At its peak, the village housed about 150 families and was a key Jewish settlement in Jerusalem.
Notable cultural figures connected to Kfar Hashiloach include author Israel Zarhi, who wrote the novel "Kfar Hashiloach," singer Yehoram Gaon, whose father worked to protect Jewish homes during the Mandate, and Bracha Tzfira, who was raised in the village. Dr. Eddy Ben Ze’ev, the Ministry’s history education supervisor, emphasized that the curriculum aims to present the Jewish people’s diverse history and highlight important national chapters previously underrepresented.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated, "The story of Yemenite Jewish immigration is an integral part of our national story, and every student in Israel deserves to know it as part of their studies. Including it in the curriculum gives proper recognition to all communities that contributed to building the country and strengthens students’ connection to their roots and the Zionist narrative." The curriculum update was announced on July 17, 2026.
