September 04/2015

Shalom Kita Alef- New school year starts in Israel

Throughout Israeli this week, one could hear “Shalom Kita Alef(Hello First grade)! As the nation marked the start of the 2016 school year and two million students and kindergarten children had their first day of school. The nearly 160,000 students who entered first grade took the first step in their 12 year journey of learning and discovery, and gaining the educational tool that will serve them the rest of their lives.

These children are our future. They are Israel's future. 

The educational system they are partaking in is more thanmerely a place that transfers knowledge, rather it is these children's gateway into Israeli society. 

This gateway should continue be an open door to all Israeli children, no matter what religious, ethnic or socioeconomic community they come from. Whether rich or poor, Jewish, Christian or Arab - all Israeli children should be provided with an equal opportunity to fulfill their inherent potential, to successfully integrate into the social fabric of the nation and participate in shaping its future. 

Keeping the gates of our educational system open for all children has been the secret of Israel's success throughout the years. It is the main reason that Israel is at the forefront of global technology; the Start-Up Nation. 

Providing a solid education with open gates for our children should be a top priority for any future seeking society. It is certainly the number one priority and challenge for Israel. 

I have no doubt that we will successfully meet this challengeface on, as we continue from year to year to hear our enthusiastic first graders shout with excitement, Shalom Kita Alef.

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region