A Prime Zionist Mission: The Swords of Iron War, which broke out on October 7, caught us all unprepared. It seemed that no one in the country anticipated such a dreadful scenario. Israel was unprepared in many aspects.
Throughout Zionist history, there were those who rose to the occasion, understanding that there are moments when the people of Israel are in distress and action must be taken. This is how we at KKL-JNF acted in the first week of the war: we urgently convened the management and approved an emergency package for communities, support for standby squads, evacuation of residents, and assistance to them, along with educational activities for children from the north and south who were evacuated from their homes on a harsh and bitter day.
What does KKL-JNF have to do with education? The decision to establish KKL-JNF, made at the Fifth Zionist Congress, was born out of the vision to build a national home for Jews and to purchase land to realize this vision in the Land of Israel. Indeed, KKL-JNF laid the physical foundation for the establishment of the State of Israel, but not only the physical foundation - also the ideological and essential one. KKL-JNF played a central role in creating the national consciousness and imparting the traditions of holidays and commemorations. From its early days, KKL-JNF was an integral part of the educational frameworks and youth movements operating in the country, leading the celebration of Jewish and Zionist holidays, combined with the study of history, heritage, and the Land of Israel. All these helped to establish the unity of the Hebrew settlement and the Zionist education of the state-in-the-making, and later of the established state.
The tradition of planting trees, which was founded in the educational system of Hebrew settlement at the beginning of the last century, is just one example of this educational-Zionist activity. KKL-JNF's educational work has not only continued, it has also intensified.
"The work of Keren Kayemet is not for a day but for generations," states the introduction to the first booklet in the KKL-JNF series "The Land of Israel for Youth." KKL-JNF's worldview is that Zionist education is a central pillar, aligned with the values of developing settlements, building the land, and planting trees.
Led by KKL-JNF's Education and Community Division, we educate in both formal and informal settings about the love of Israel and the land, connecting educators and students to Jewish identity, our people's roots, and the values of preserving all these in experiential and innovative ways.
The relevance of KKL-JNF's education is especially clear during the current complex period of the Iron Swords War. In the first week of this war, it was a paramount Zionist mission to care for children and youth, alongside ensuring their physical security. I visited the evacuated children in hotels and saw how educational and recreational activities helped them endure the difficult days and how education is a tool for building national resilience.
When there is a Zionist and national mission, KKL-JNF will be there. We are here to help rebuild the southern communities and the damage caused by fires in the north. We are also here to care for the spirit, education, and values. We have and will continue to provide educational activities for residents evacuated from their homes. We supported mission groups, youth movements, and pre-army academies for Zionist educational activities in the community during both routine and emergency times. We are working to connect the Jewish diaspora to Zionist activities and current events in Israel, and we intend to continue these important activities alongside our daily educational work.
After her visit to the Land of Israel in 1909, Henrietta Szold, an educator who dedicated her life to realizing the Zionist idea, said: "Today I know that Zionism is a much harder goal to achieve than I imagined before this journey. But today I am more convinced than ever: if not Zionism, then nothing." In the face of terrorism, which threatens to fragment individuals and society by sowing destruction and fear, the power of Zionist educational action can cultivate resilience.
The author is the Chairwoman of KKL-JNF, and is the first woman chosen for the role.
