In Israeli schools, a Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia-supported program is bringing hope and healing to at-risk children, like Shai-Lee.

Shai-Lee, last name removed for anonymity, arrived at Dror Israel’s Eshbal Boarding School shortly after her father passed away.

“I didn’t know how to cope,” Shai-Lee said.

Fortunately, Dror Israel’s method of teaching is designed for kids like Shai-Lee. The organization’s holistic teaching model with a dialogue-based approach empowers educators to support children in trying times.

“My educators and friends were there for me every step of the way,” Shai-Lee said. “They reminded me that I wasn’t alone. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to find this community. I left stronger, more open, and with people who will always be part of my life.”

Shai-Lee isn’t alone in needing specialized support. The importance of Dror Israel’s work has become ever more apparent under the immense strain of ongoing war.

The organization employs 1,300+ educators, who live together in kibbutzim and work in their network of schools, such as Shai-Lee’s, that are located in underserved communities, including those along the Gaza and northern borders.

The organization’s holistic approach to caring for children in everyday life and times of crisis make it an ideal partner for the Jewish Federation.

“The Jewish Federation began collaborating with Dror Israel because we believe in the organization’s ability to build resilience through community,” Jewish Federation’s Israel Program Representative Tamar Brody said. “For example, in Mitzpe Ramon, Dror Israel operates a school for youth who have dropped out of the mainstream system. Through Jewish Federation support, we help them earn not only a high school diploma, but also a professional certification in desert tourism – which trains individuals on how to safely guide groups in fragile and extreme arid environments – and with it, a genuine path forward.”

Over the past five years, the Jewish Federation has allocated over half a million dollars in operational and emergency funding to support Dror Israel’s work.

“Support from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has allowed Dror Israel to improve and update our educational programming for at-risk youth, as well as to pivot quickly when emergency needs arise,” said International Engagement Director Joanna Zeiger-Guerra of Dror Israel, which has been a leading presence during crises such as post-Oct. 7, the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic. ”It has enabled us to support thousands of traumatized youth in hard-hit border regions and help their communities to heal.”

Dror Israel is just one education- and inclusion-focused Israeli organization that the Jewish Federation funds through grants. In Fiscal Year 2026, the Jewish Federation also supported Atidim, Ofanim and Olim Beyahad. Like Dror Israel, these organizations help educate underserved Israelis with the goal of creating a more just society.

Building a more vibrant future also requires bridging societal divides, especially between Jewish and Arab inhabitants in Israel. Dror Israel’s Jewish-Arab programs bring communities together to establish vital common ground. The organization facilitates dialogue-driven programs for teachers and runs the most inclusive youth movement in Israel.

“Studying at a Dror Israel high school has taught me that real strength isn’t responding with anger, but choosing patience, respect and understanding, especially in difficult times,” said Malach, last name removed for privacy, a student at Neveh Midbar Eco-Vocational School for Bedouin Youth. “I want to use what I’ve learned to help build a stronger future for my community and encourage others to choose dialogue instead of violence.”

These efforts have yielded major successes, despite the ongoing war. In 2025, Dror Israel hosted its largest and most diverse national teacher training seminar to date, bringing together over 500 participants of various backgrounds: Arabs, Bedouins, religious and secular Jews, Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, and more.

As Israel faces the long process of recovery after Oct. 7, Dror Israel’s programs provide a vital sense of normalcy for teens and children while fostering civic involvement and shared societal values. By educating for democracy and equity, Dror Israel empowers the next generation to bridge divides, process trauma and build a more inclusive, peaceful Israel.

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 The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes financial and volunteer resources to care for those in need, support Israel and global Jewry, and secure a vibrant Jewish future — locally and worldwide. You can support this work by making a donation here.