Dror Israel Responds to Iranian Attacks with Immediate Educational Support

Yesterday morning, as sirens sounded across Israel following military strikes in Iran and the beginning of retaliatory rocket fire, Dror Israel educators immediately activated emergency protocols.

Within minutes, our educators began personally calling children, teens, and families to ensure they had access to protected spaces, to talk through fears and anxieties, and most importantly, to remind them that they are not alone.

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.

Educators from our network of schools have contacted every student, are organizing Zoom gatherings to maintain routine and stability, and are preparing structured activities for shelters where permitted. Participants at Mechinat Yiftach, our pre-military academy are already running activities for children on Kibbutz Ravid.

A Tel Aviv parking lot, serving as a community bomb shelter.

Counselors from HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (NOAL) have personally called their participants across Jewish, Arab, and Druze communities to check on their safety and needs. Nationwide Zoom activities are creating moments of connection and even joy, despite the uncertainty. Youth movement leaders are mapping volunteers in every city, in partnership with the local municipalities, to enable rapid mobilization as soon as regulations allow. They are also dealing with the logistical and financial implications of cancelling the yearly Poland journey and large nationwide Purim events.

In Kiryat Shmona, Rehovot, and Haifa, Tamara Dance and Wellbeing Centers are offering online resilience sessions through movement and dance. Our Young Educators Kibbutzim in border communities are assessing local needs and coordinating next steps with nearby partners. In Tel Aviv, our educators have already visited a newly opened evacuee center for families whose homes were damaged in the attacks and are preparing to begin activities and support services there.

Dror Israel educators touch base with displaced residents to understand their needs.

After years of war and displacement, renewed rocket fire reawakens deep trauma. Dror Israel’s educators are trained in trauma-informed approach, enabling them to respond calmly and professionally in moments like these. We are embedded within the communities we serve, and that allows us to mobilize quickly and responsibly from within.

We will continue to reassess the situation and adapt as needed, maintaining sustained contact, emotional support, and operational readiness for as long as required.