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, 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 mark Inter

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

Hanukkah is a reminder that light grows when it is shared. Throughout this week, Dror Israel carried that light into neighborhoods, schools, and communities across the country. Through gatherings, journeys, and moments of care, the holiday became a way to bring warmth, connection, and hope into everyday life. Rambam Neighborhood, Rishon LeTzion Dror Israel educators and our associated NOAL youth movement turned a local youth center in the Rambam neighborhood into a welcoming

Special Hanukkah gatherings bring light during challenging times, honoring seniors and the strength passed dor l’dor, from generation to generation. As part of the Dror Community Network for the Elderly, Dror Israel’s nationwide system of programs that combat loneliness, strengthen community bonds, and empower seniors, the Havruta program (a guided companionship and learning group for seniors) has become a meaningful home for hundreds of older adults since its creation shortl

Two weeks ago, “The Jam” in Akko hosted a powerful evening in honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The event brought together music, personal stories, visual art, and community. It was a meaningful expression of the mission that has guided The Jam since its founding. Local artists bring women’s words to light. The Jam was created in 2009 by educators from the Dror Israel Educators’ Kibbutz in Akko. These young educators, living in the

Honored to feature a Times of Israel  piece by Ruth Kaplan, a longtime friend and partner in dreaming and building a stronger, more compassionate Israel. Her words capture the heart of her experience on Dror Israel’s inaugural Mission this November. A must-read: Druze Counselors from Dror Israel Mourn the Loss of Children in Majdal Shams due to Hezbollah Attack on Soccer Field For those of you who are still with me in reading my reflections on my recent journey to Israel, you

This past week something extraordinary happened, at a time when our region feels more divided than ever. In Paris, the WeAreMENA Network was officially launched: a bold coalition of 15 moderate youth organizations from across the Middle East and North Africa, choosing cooperation over fear, dialogue over hatred, and a shared future over despair. After 4+ years of hard work, courage, and hope - including two years of war - 15 moderate youth organizations from across the Middle

Established in 1924, NOAL has grown to over 80,000 youth in 350 branches across Israel. Our activities in Arab communities involve 20,000 youth in 55 branches. Although the gap between Jewish and Arab Israelis has widened since the war, through activities emphasizing commonality while celebrating diversity, we are bridging that gap: ·       Teaching personal responsibility for self, community and society ·       Promoting values of coexistence, leadership and volunteerism ·  

For the first time, Dror Israel hosted an international Mission to Israel, bringing together fourteen participants from Los Angeles, Portland (Oregon), Massachusetts, and New Hampshire for a six-day journey across the country. It was not a vacation but an immersion into the heart of Israeli society, where questions of identity, resilience, and hope are lived every day. As one participant put it, “Coming to Israel is never a vacation. It’s always more- a pilgrimage, a mission,