Northern Israel Schools Reopen Amidst Challenges After War

Schools across Israel are set to reopen their doors, but in Kiryat Shmona and the surrounding "Finger of the Galilee" region, the new academic year begins under vastly different circumstances. After three years of war, prolonged evacuations, closed educational institutions, and displaced communities, the past summer offered a rare period of relative calm in the north. While the city has seen a resurgence of joy with festivals and a desire for rebuilding, underlying scars remain.

The local education system faces a challenging start, with fewer students than in October 2023. The schools are operating with non-standard, smaller class sizes, necessitating significant budgets solely for maintaining teaching positions. A persistent effort is underway to encourage families who relocated to central Israel to return.

Kiryat Shmona was largely evacuated at the onset of the Swords of Iron War. The conflict resulted in the deaths of three residents, dozens of injuries, and extensive damage to the city's infrastructure. Since the ceasefire, only about two-thirds of the residents have returned. Some have actively protested, seeking government attention and official recognition of the city as a disaster-stricken area requiring dedicated support.

In 2026, the "Tnuafa" (Momentum) regional education program received NIS 456 million, a 70% increase within a year. The Tnuafa administration for the north views education as crucial for attracting approximately 100,000 new residents to the region within a decade. However, the educational challenges are complex, stemming from decades of underinvestment and perceived neglect, issues that may reflect broader problems within Israel's national education system.

Dr. Aliza Bloch, former mayor of Beit Shemesh, has proposed a plan to address the challenge of restoring resident motivation. Her initiative includes strengthening the status of teachers and principals, decentralizing authority, establishing an emergency civilian-educational cabinet, a national preparatory year in 12th grade, differential budgeting, and formalizing state-Haredi education. Bloch, who recently joined Gilad Erdan's "HaAchdut" party, stated, "The core begins and ends with teachers and principals, and education is the key to strengthening resilience and reducing the rifts in Israel."