Some 1,500 new Olim (immigrants) who made aliyah since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic will start school in Israel on September 1.
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"Despite the severe impact of the coronavirus crisis on the ability to move freely between countries, The Jewish Agency succeeded in enabling these Olim to fulfill their dream of aliyah," the agency said. "In compliance with Israel's Ministry of Health guidelines and other regulations, all families were required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, after which they were prepared for their integration into Israeli schools," it continued, stressing that it had assembled a situation room to ensure a smooth transition in this critical stage of life for the children.
According to the Jewish Agency, "most of the olim who will begin their first year of school in Israel this week are children and teenagers, aged 6 to 17 years old, who will be integrated into elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools across the country. A few hundred more are children aged three and up who will begin preschool."
Meeting with some of the students on Sunday, Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog said: "You left the places you knew and came home to Israel. You made aliyah at a time when it was almost impossible to move about the world. We extend our love and best wishes for a successful new school year here in Israel, as Israelis. I hope your adjustment to your new schools will be smooth and filled with new friends and learning."
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"I'm happy to be here. I'm excited to start school, but a bit afraid of the Hebrew," Dmir Gasimov, a 9-year-old who made aliyah from Ukraine, said. "But it's fun to be in Israel, there's a beach and I have the exact backpack that I wanted."
