When crystallographer Ada Yonath was in elementary school, she did not know that one day she would win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. When programmer Ehud Shabtai was a first-grader, he did not think that one day billions would use the Waze application he developed. And when gymnasts Artem Dolgopyat and Linoy Ashram were studying in school, little did they know that gold Olympic medals awaited them in the future.
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I am not familiar with their stories in detail, but I am certain that the one thing they have in common is that there was a teacher, parent or adult who believed in them. And while not every student whose parents believe in him will go on to win a gold medal or change the transportation industry as we know it, he or she will surely achieve, study and succeed more.
Over 2 million children will go back to school today. Each and every one of them can one day become as successful as those mentioned above. School remains as vital as ever, even in an era when with smartphones we have all the information at our fingertips. It teaches us values and knowledge, helps us develop new skills and meet with friends and teachers who inspire.
But above all, being in school teaches one to dream. Dreams build the person and the world. A child who has a dream might one day become an adult who makes that dream come true. A child who does not have a dream will have difficulty fulfilling his potential.
Theodor Herzl – the visionary of the Jewish state and the greatest dreamer of our generation – famously said that "If you will it, it is no dream." King David wrote in Psalms, "When the Lord returns the returnees to Zion, we shall be like dreamers."
Without a dream, we would not be here in the State of Israel today. Without a dream, the Jewish state would never have been established. Without a dream, our students on the science, math, physics and chemistry teams would not have thrived in competitions this past summer. Without a dream, we would not have heard the Israeli anthem play in Tokyo's stadiums.
Each and every one of our champions had a dream, and each and every one of them had an adult who believed that having dreams and fulfilling them was important.
Dear students, do not give up. Keep dreaming. Believe in yourselves. Give your teachers the power to believe in you and support you.
And lastly, students, parents, and teachers, remember that the coronavirus pandemic is still with us. We are being tested even before we enter the classrooms. It is a test of caring for each other, wearing masks, self-isolating when necessary and adhering to Health Ministry guidelines. We cannot afford to fail at this, for our very lives depend on it.
From the President's Residence, I wish you a successful school year, one of friendship, joy and health.
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