The residents of Metula are no strangers to challenges. As Israel's northernmost town, Metula has endured attacks, rocket fire and incursions from Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon. Following October 7th, Hezbollah's attacks intensified, turning Metula into a battleground and later, a closed military area. Families were displaced, homes and businesses were damaged, and daily life was put on hold for nearly 2 years. This March, renewed attacks during the conflict with Iran

Yemanu Binyamin Zelka Z''L Last month, the murder of 21 year old Yemanu Binyamin Zelka shocked Israeli society. Yemanu, an Ethiopian Israeli from Petah Tikva, was stabbed after asking a group of teenagers to stop spraying party foam inside the restaurant where he worked. He died of his wounds the following day. Nineteen minors between the ages of 12 and 17 were arrested in connection with the attack. His murder struck a painful nerve in a country already struggling with risin

When Neveh Midbar Eco-Technology High School opened in 2023 in Abu Kurinat near Arad, it was created to address a deep and urgent reality facing Bedouin youth in the Negev. Serving students from recognized and unrecognized Bedouin villages across the region, the school was founded in response to severe educational and economic disparities. Bedouin communities in the Negev face some of the highest poverty and school dropout rates in Israel, particularly among girls, alongside

At a national gathering of leaders from Dror Israel’s Senior Community Network earlier this year, Mati from Holon and Elisha from Sderot found themselves sitting together in conversation. They exchanged a few words about their groups, their cities, and the realities they had both been living through over the past two years. Before the gathering ended, they had already decided: their groups needed to meet. In many ways, that simple decision captures the heart of Dror Israel’s

With the current ceasefire in place, restrictions across northern Israel have begun to lift. In Kiryat Shmona, daily life is slowly resuming, but uncertainty remains. Families are returning to routines while still carrying the weight of the past weeks of heightened instability. Dror Israel continues to work closely with the municipality and local community to support this transition with care and consistency. During the height of the attacks, Dror Israel educators and partner

In one such program, held in a hotel for evacuated families in Tel Aviv, an unassuming protected underground parking area was transformed into a magical place of activity and connection. Children of different ages gathered each day, some meeting for the first time in the hotel, others neighbors from the same buildings. Together with youth counselors from NOAL’s 12th grade, they created an environment that was safe, welcoming, and, importantly, something to look forward to eac

Volunteers from Dror Israel and NOAL youth movement arrived to help residents recover and to show that the community is not facing this crisis alone.

Across Israel, Dror Israel educators and teen leaders are supporting children and families in shelters, evacuee hotels, and communities as rocket attacks continue.

Ynet, a major Israeli news site, published today a lovely article about childcare centers for essential workers , including those run by Dror Israel's associated youth movement NOAL. These activities caring for children of medical or security service personnel are just one part of Dror Israel and NOAL emergency efforts at this time – which also include activities for kids in public shelters to ease the boredom and fear, running video calls for our participants stuck at home

Iranian rockets continue to fly across Israel, and there is still no clear end in sight. Families are spending hours each day running to bomb shelters. Many without in-home protection are sleeping in neighborhood shelters or underground parking garages. Schools remain closed, and only limited programming is permitted within or immediately adjacent to protected spaces. In this reality, Dror Israel is operating as an educational first responder. Across the country, our youth mo

As rockets continue to fall and the country remains on high alert, in-person programming is currently limited due to Home Front Command regulations. Schools and group activities have been temporarily suspended. Even so, our connection to the 200,000 children, teens, and families we serve has not ceased.

In December 2025, students from Dror Israel’s Social High School network participated in the Solidarity Film Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel’s only film festival dedicated entirely to human rights. As part of the “Young Creators Competition,” high school film students from across the country presented original works addressing urgent social realities. Two Dror schools took part, and one of our films won third place in the national competition. Dror Israel’s Social High School i

Twice a year, something extraordinary happens across Dror Israel’s educational network. In the middle and at the end of the school year, preschools, elementary schools, and high schools open their doors to the wider public. Classrooms transform into interactive exhibition spaces. Hallways become galleries. Entire schools turn into living, breathing museums of learning. These are the mid-year and end-of-year project presentations, peak moments in Dror Israel’s social project

“We heard about what happened and felt deep pain and real difficulty in processing such a severe and disturbing racist incident.” Students from Dror Galil address the school community, sharing words of solidarity, standing against racism and violence. These were the words read aloud by students from Dror Galil, one of Dror Israel’s Social High Schools located on Kibbutz Ravid, when they arrived at Ibn Khaldun School in Sakhnin last week. Students and educators came to stand

Tom Shay is a Dror Israel educator and community builder who moved with his family to Israel’s north to work in Kiryat Shmona and help build a new Dror Israel kibbutz. In this interview, he shares why rebuilding is so urgent in 2026 and how community gardens are helping residents regain hope and agency. Tell me a little about yourself My name is Tom Shay, I’m 41 years old, a father of three, and I’ve been an educator for 15 years, teaching both high school and elementary scho

This reflection was written by Miryam Holtzman, a senior Dror Israel educator who has been leading educational journeys to Poland for more than 25 years with groups from Israel and Jewish communities around the world. The piece reflects on her experience leading a group of Jewish teens from Sydney, Australia on a Jewish Roots Journey to Poland during Hanukkah, at the very moment when news of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack reached the group. Miryam wrote this reflection to m

This past week, a group of young adults visiting Israel with Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn spent a meaningful day volunteering in Dror Israel’s Educational Orchards at Kibbutz Ravid. They came to connect with the land, to experience Israel firsthand, and to take part in work that is grounded, hands-on, and deeply needed. With focus and care, they contributed to the kind of agricultural work that demands effort, precision, and commitment, and that truly supports the people

There are places that hold our memories so strongly, they feel almost alive. Kfar HaHoresh Forest is one of those places. For generations of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (NOAL) participants and Dror Israel educators, this campsite has been a home away from home, a first taste of independence, and the beginning of friendships that last a lifetime. Dror Israel educators, NOAL participants, families, and friends gathering at Kfar HaHoresh Forest for the annual tree planting day. Each

This week, we celebrate 28 years since the establishment of Kibbutz Eshbal, one of the clearest reflections of who we are and what we believe at Dror Israel. Twenty-eight years ago, a group of idealistic young educators chose to move to Eshbal, in the heart of the Galil, to try something bold: to live collectively, to work side by side with diverse communities, and to build a more just and egalitarian society not in theory, but in daily life. They came with dreams, values, a

Over the past weeks, Dror Israel has been leading a nationwide educational campaign against social exclusion, reaching children and teens in schools and in HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (NOAL) youth movement branches across the country. Through thousands of activities and conversations, the campaign confronts a painful social reality and gives young people the tools and confidence to stand up for one another. At NOAL youth movement branches across the country, kids are coming toget