Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund laid the cornerstone on Thursday for a new educational center in Kiryat Shmona as part of its efforts to strengthen northern Israel following the war.
The KKL-JNF House of Excellence will provide children and teenagers from Kiryat Shmona and surrounding communities with supplementary education in science and technology, enrichment courses, technological training and leadership programs.
The cornerstone-laying ceremony was held as part of KKL-JNF’s World Leadership Conference in the Galilee, which brought together some 100 leaders from a total of 33 countries for five days of discussions, field visits and volunteer activities focused on rehabilitating northern communities affected by the war.
The center is being established in part with support from Jewish communities in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia and Austria.
“Some investments bear fruit today, while others shape the State of Israel for years to come,” said KKL-JNF World Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky.
“KKL-JNF operates on both fronts: investing in strengthening communities and infrastructure in northern Israel today, while simultaneously investing in education, excellence and the younger generation who will build their futures here,” he added.
Ostrinsky said the new center reflected KKL-JNF’s view of education as “a driving force for personal and community growth and for strengthening the entire region.”
'Investing in our children'
Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern said the center was particularly significant following the war and the challenges faced by the city.
“Investing in our children and youth is the most important investment in Kiryat Shmona’s future,” Stern said. “Every child in Kiryat Shmona deserves an equal opportunity to dream, excel and succeed, just like children anywhere else in the country.”
“We are not only rebuilding Kiryat Shmona, we are building a better future here for our children,” he continued.
KKL-JNF currently operates five Houses of Excellence, in Acre, Beit She’an, Kiryat Malakhi, Migdal HaEmek and Nof HaGalil (formerly called Upper Nazareth). The organization is also advancing plans for centers in Sderot and Ofakim.
The centers offer students supplementary instruction in core subjects and sciences, enrichment courses and technological training, as well as programs aimed at developing leadership and other skills.
Volunteering in northern Israel
Earlier this week, the approximately 100 KKL-JNF leaders taking part in the conference volunteered in northern Israeli communities.
Participants worked on community projects in Kibbutz Misgav Am and Kibbutz Manara, assisted with agricultural work alongside local youth in the Hula Valley and participated in activities with people with special needs in the Mevo’ot HaHermon region.
They also visited rehabilitation projects along the northern border to see the challenges facing communities and efforts to rebuild the region.
“This conference reflects the strength of the partnership and the bonds between Israel and Jewish communities around the world, as well as our shared commitment to turning the Zionist vision into meaningful action on the ground,” Ostrinsky said.
KKL-JNF has invested more than 1 billion shekels ($333 million) in the recovery and development of northern Israel. The World Leadership Conference opened at Hula Lake Park on Sunday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Ostrinsky.