Educating the Displaced Children of Southern Israel

Normally, Beit Avi Chai’s Shira Rosenak works on what she describes as “experiential-cultural education that draws inspiration from the treasures of Jewish-Israeli culture.” But following the Hamas’ attack on October 7, she was suddenly faced with an unprecedented situation: thousands of students from southern Israel had found themselves displaced, living in hotels in Jerusalem without a satisfactory educational framework in place.

Within days of the attack, the educational staff at Beit Avi Chai established a learning center in the organization’s downtown Jerusalem headquarters. Starting out as a space to allow children and teens to catch their breath and regain their emotional balance, it slowly turned into a school setting in collaboration with the Ministry of Education where veteran teachers run a variety of classes as well as experiential workshops such as carpentry, karate, baking, art, and theater.

About 40 boys and girls who were evacuated from the Gaza envelope almost two months ago come to the learning space every day for four hours of learning as well as for a brief respite from the life in the overcrowded hotels.

“The shared learning environment, the personal approach to each student, the experiential breaks that give space for personal expression – all of these allow a little stability in an unstable reality,” says Rosenak.