Scholarships in Gush Etzion

Background

Gush Etzion is known throughout Israel for its high standard of education. In addition, the schools of Gush Etzion are a shining example of the integration of immigrants and veterans, religious and secular, and Ashkenazi and Sephardi.

Several of Gush Etzion`s schools have been awarded national prizes for their high level of academic performance and scholastic excellence.

Gush Etzion has always been part of the national consensus. Today the Regional Council of Gush Etzion comprises 20 communities, 15,000 residents, of whom 5500 are school-age children. Two ultra-orthodox schools serve the pupils of Ma`aleh Amos and Metzad, while a unique integrated school in Tekoa caters to both secular and observant pupils. In central Gush Etzion the main elementary school caters to 1600 children grades 1-8. Abandoned and homeless youth at risk study at the Sde Bar Ranch which is a rehabilitation farm.

Spanning the entire spectrum of religious and pedagogic approaches, the Council is also responsible for 14 community day-care centers and 45 kindergartens. Afternoon programs exist in many communities which include nutritional hot lunches for the underprivileged. Extra assistance with school work for pupils coming from families where this support is not available is also provided.

In order to make quality education accessible to all of its children, the Gush Etzion Regional Council allocates a large portion of its annual budget to education.

With this funding, the Education Department:

• Provides classes and subjects that are not covered by the Ministry of Education budget, including extra hours of study, advanced Torah studies, special math groups, art, music and remedial services.

• Makes activities in art, science and communications available to kindergartens throughout the region and maintains a Pedagogical Resource Center for teachers of young children.

• Oversees all psychological services for children in the region, and is a partner in the Gush Etzion Child Development Center, which provides diagnostic evaluations, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and related services.

• Maintains and improves the region’s educational facilities, supervising the construction and renovation of school buildings and furnishing them with computers, video equipment, laboratory requirements and other essentials.

• Organizes daily school bus service for 3000 children, arranges free public transportation for other children and provides transportation for children with special needs and education workers across the region.

In Israel, the municipality receives funding from the Ministry of Education per child. The sum is not sufficient to provide suitable education; therefore residents pay an annual school tax to the municipality according to their children’s age. This covers the cost of additional classroom teachers, added and varied subjects to the curriculum, text books to reduce the fee of purchasing per family, cultural activities, and class trips including transportation.

This places a heavy burden on some families. Families in need can turn to a committee made up of the social services, Education Department and an accountant of the Regional Council. Together they examine the parents’ requests and then decide who is eligible. In order to meet the criteria, families must provide documentation to prove eligibility. Once eligibility has been determined, the Gush Etzion Foundation looks for resources to fund these scholarships.

Payments to the municipality are made as follows:

• Pre-kindergarten - 3800 per year per child paid in 10 installments of 380 nis.

• Kindergarten – one small annual fee.

• Elementary school - grades 1-8, 2176 nis per year per child.

In the year 2008 the foundation gave 30,000 nis to needy families to meet their educational needs.

Sde Bar

In Israel, there are literally thousands of Jewish young people for whom the “nuclear family” which nurtures them and provides the opportunity to develop a normative life in society is nonexistent. They wander from one educational institution to another until they are no longer part of any facility. They wander from shelter to shelter until the streets are their home. Many of them end up in punitive settings of one kind of another. Many remedies have been created; few, if any, with significant success. Sde Bar is an amazing exception to that rule.

The teenagers, many of whom are brought to Sde Bar in handcuffs by order of the court system and girls, who are literally rescued from the streets, slowly learn to appreciate the give-and-take of interpersonal relationships.

For the first time, they experience a nurturing and loving environment and come in contact with people who believe in their capabilities and potential. They work on the farm tending crops, raising animals, and goats for their cheese factory, and at the olive factory which recycles olive residue into olive wood bars for wood burning ovens and fireplaces and they return to an education framework.

Sde Bar accepts 12-18 year-old children who remain during their army and young adult life, since this is only home they have. Due to the uniqueness of this program and the individualized learning, each child has a private tutor. The farm is funded by the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of Education per child, but again these budgets barely meet the needs of the facility.

Some youngsters only complete their formal education after army service - high school and matriculation exams (bagrut), followed by a psychometric exam and university studies. Here the need to support these young people becomes a major and crucial expense.

Costs:

• Private tutor to prepare for matriculation exams 8000 nis per year x 5 pupils = 40,000

• Psychometric examination and preparation 6000 nis per pupil x 5 = 30,000nis

• University and higher education according to the individual program

It is important to mention that the youngsters, who arrive at Sde Bar from prison, court or the street, are given a second opportunity at life. After a dismal start they some move on to elite IDF units. With appropriate instruction and a strong support system they can become pilots, lawyers, educators, and most important, productive citizens.

In the year 2008 $10,000 was raised to help the youngsters at Sde Bar.

JCC (Matnas)

The Regional JCC offers extra curricular and cultural activities to the residents of the region and promotes programs in the communities for teenagers. Ideally, each child should be able to participate in at least one after-school activity from the wide variety the JCC has to offer.

In the year 2008, the Foundation raised 200,000 nis for youth projects and 15,000 nis to assist families with payments to enable their children to participate in at least one after-school activity.

The cost of one activity is 180 nis - 400 nis a month.

Summary

The annual growth rate of the population of Gush Etzion is 20%. New immigrants from all over the world and Israelis join our communities. The needs

grow accordingly.

This year we need $15,000.

All donations for scholarships can be made to the Gush Etzion Foundation which is a certified and registered 501(c)3 in the USA and 46 in Israel.

www.gush-etzion.org.il

gushezif@inter.net.il