"Look at Me Now": Graduates Celebrate New Beginnings at Eshbal Boarding School

For many teenagers, graduation marks the end of high school.

For the five graduates of Dror Israel's Eshbal Boarding School, it marks something much bigger: a journey of resilience, belonging, and believing in themselves.

Located on Kibbutz Eshbal in northern Israel, the boarding school provides 40 at-risk teenagers with a second chance through Dror Israel's educator-led, community-based model of residential education. Students who arrive after experiencing trauma, instability, or years of struggling in traditional educational frameworks live and learn alongside dedicated educators, discovering not only academic success, but confidence, responsibility, and purpose.

The boarding school's graduates are ready for their next chapter.

The graduation ceremony reflected that journey. Families, educators, and fellow students gathered to celebrate the graduates as they received their certificates of completion. The event included horseback riding demonstrations showcasing one of the school's unique therapeutic programs, speeches from educators and students, and heartfelt remarks from local children with whom the graduates had volunteered throughout the year, a reminder that giving back is woven into life at Eshbal.

The students demonstrated their teamwork, trust, and horseback riding skills

It was the graduates themselves who best captured what the experience had meant.

"When I first arrived, I didn't understand where I'd come," recalled Shimi, who joined the boarding school in 11th grade. "Who are these strange people, and why do I have to live with them?" Over time, those strangers became lifelong friends. Looking back, he celebrated completing high school, finishing the school's horse training program, and, most importantly, "finding friends for life."

Friends, family, local community members came to with the students well.

Yarin described Eshbal as "the hardest and most important process I've gone through." Reflecting on his years at the boarding school, he shared that he leaves as "a more mature person, more responsible, and full of confidence."

For Tamar, caring for the horses became part of her own transformation. "They taught me patience, perseverance, trust, and how to listen," she said. "This place gave me much more than somewhere to live. It gave me belonging, memories, people I love, and tools that will stay with me."

Shaily arrived just weeks after October 7th, beginning a new chapter while the country was entering one of its darkest moments. During her time at Eshbal, she also lost her father. Speaking at the ceremony, she reflected on the educators and friends who stood beside her through grief.

"I realized what kind of place I had come to," she said. "How lucky I was to find it."

Perhaps Aviv summed up the experience best:

"I came to Eshbal to change. Look at me now."

She continued, "Eshbal built me, supported me, and shaped me into the person I am today."

These five teens leave Eshbal with far more than diplomas. They leave with practical skills, meaningful relationships, and the confidence to build lives defined not by the hardships they have endured, but by the future they are creating.