Enveloping support

What is the essence of the program?

The program is a three-year comprehensive educational-social project, which was initiated following the October 7th terror attack and the ensuing war, within the framework of the emergency campaign 'Enveloping Support', which was initiated jointly by Alumot Or, SASA Setton and the Center for Jewish Impact.

The project's aim is to rehabilitate and empower 35 educational centers for children aged 3-6 years, 30 of which are located in the communities bordering the Gaza Strip and in the Western Negev, and five additional ones near Israel's northern border. It involves upgrading and enhancing preschool education in the areas that have been severely impacted by the hostilities since Oct. 7th, both from a physical-security aspect and in relation to the daily lives of the inhabitants, many of whom have been displaced.

Within the framework of the project, at this stage, Alumot Or is responding to the needs of four special education kindergartens and developmental delay kindergartens in the communities bordering the Gaza Strip.

The project revolves around an innovative pedagogic approach, which integrates principles from advanced educational methods, such as Reggio Emilia and Waldorf Education for the Future. The training, professional support and enrichment for the educational teams form an integral part of the project, in order to ensure quality education for the long term. Furthermore, each center of educational excellence is currently being designed as an innovative learning space that encourages creativity, exploration and active learning, while responding to the personal and educational needs of each and every child.

Much attention is also devoted to emotional welfare, which is particularly critical in view of the psychological effects of the October 7th terror attack and the lengthy war that broke out in its aftermath. Direct emotional support programs for the educational staff, the young children and their parents are incorporated into the program as individually needed, in collaboration with the Child and Adolescent Trauma Center at Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon, under the guidance of the Anna Freud Centre in London.

The community aspect of the project is of particular importance. Each educational center encourages active collaboration with the local community, with the aim of strengthening the connection between the kindergarten and the community, and thus help its members resume a routine and achieve a renewed sense of security and belonging. Another aim is to attract young families to the region and actively support the rehabilitation of the Western Negev. This process encompasses not only education, but also mental, emotional, social and economic support, based on the understanding that each child and their family are in need of a multi-dimensional and holistic response.

All this is made possible thanks to the generous donations of Bank Hapoalim, the American Rothman Family Foundation and Segal Family Foundation, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), the Russian-Jewish Congress (RJC) and the San Francisco Federation, in coordination and close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, TKUMA administration and the local authorities.