We are providing emergency childcare relief for the children of hospital staff and teachers at educational facilities for at-risk youth throughout Israel
With the sweet taste of apples and honey from Rosh Hashana celebrations still fresh, and just as we begin to look ahead to a new year with hope that it will bring healing to families and communities in Israel and around the world, we find ourselves under the heavy burden of the coronavirus once again.
For the second time in six months, Israel has entered a nationwide lockdown. As coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels, flooding hospitals and health clinics, schools and businesses throughout the country have beenshuttered to help curb the spread of the virus.
Families everywhere continue to struggle financially and emotionally, as those who have jobs cannot go to work and those whose jobs were lost in the first COVID wave cannot search for new ones. Once again, we at Dror Israel are mobilizing to provide key support to those on the frontline of the battle against COVID:
In the wake of school closings, 8 hospitals have called on us to reopen daycare centers for the children of doctors, nurses, and medical workers so they can continue operating Israel’s overburdened healthcare system and providecare for the rapidly growing number of COVID patients. The emergency childcare relief we provided between March and May during the first lockdown was recognized nationally when we were awarded the President's Prize for Volunteer Service for our efforts.
In addition, the Ministry of Education has approved reopening all 10 Dror Israel high schools for at-risk youth so we can continue to serve our most vulnerable young people and keep them out of abusive homes and off the streets. As a result, we have opened and fully staffed daycare centers in all 10 of our schools for the children of our teachers, whose own schools remain closed.
As ever, we remain primed and ready to do our part in Israel’s battle against the coronavirus, including by providing critical support for our frontline medical workers and offering uninterrupted educational programming for tens of thousands of children and youth throughout Israel, including those most vulnerable.