Israeli Educators Launch Program to Reconnect Northern Youth with Galilee Region

Amid ongoing conflict and prolonged evacuations in northern Israel, two young teachers from Kiryat Shmona, Ravit Nagar and Omer Miller, recognized the challenge of encouraging young residents to return to the border communities. They identified the need to rebuild a sense of belonging among youth, whose values have shifted from pioneering and Zionism to quality of life and natural beauty. In preparation for the expected return in March 2025, they partnered with educator Sarit Kozhiker and historian Prof. Amir Goldstein from Tel-Hai University to develop a dedicated educational program integrated into high school curricula alongside core subjects like math and English.

The program, named "Galil Studies," is Israel's first regional curriculum and was created in collaboration with the "Habaita - Returning to the Galil" movement and the Habaita Foundation. It will be implemented in eight high schools across the Upper Galilee and the border line, reaching approximately 1,200 ninth and tenth graders. Students will engage in research trips and learn about the area's historical, social, and economic processes. A survey by the Tel-Hai Regional Knowledge Center and the Eastern Galilee Cluster revealed significant challenges: 19% of youth worry about their living situation, and 53% report poor mental well-being.

Prof. Goldstein explained that the program aims to foster a positive regional identity and bridge divides between religious and secular students from urban and rural communities. Omer Miller, recently appointed principal of the ORT Hamtamid high school in Kiryat Shmona, emphasized the importance of youth as the starting point for change, stating the program offers more than academic content, it provides local pride, mental resilience, and empowerment to shape the Galilee's future.