Families left the city - the students stayed: A school that insists on maintaining the routine
About 1,000 students have left Kiryat Shmona since the outbreak of the war, but at the Ort Danziger school, they recorded a full return to the classroom. Children arrive even from outside the city: "They did not give up on being students here." Yet, the total number of students in the city's educational framework has dropped from 5,500 to 4,500.
Within the complex and challenging reality in which Kiryat Shmona has been since the outbreak of the war, the evacuation, and the return home, a special story of civic and educational resilience stands out. At the six-year Ort Danziger school, a full and impressive return of students and staff was recorded — in a scope almost completely identical to the number of students who were in the institution on the eve of the October 7 events.
The school principal, Ofer Zafrani, himself a graduate of the educational institution, leads the educational community during this complex period.
"This year we bless 'Shehecheyanu' (for reaching this time) for the routine, and I very much hope that we will continue to maintain this routine," he said in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the school year.
The most impressive figure in the recovery of Danziger lies in the dedication of the students and their parents: out of a belief in the importance of educational and social continuity, dozens of families who still do not live in the city, or who have already left and will not return, and are staying at a distance of up to an hour's drive and even more, choose not to leave the school. Every morning, the students make the way back to Kiryat Shmona, whether in private transport by the parents or by public transport, to show up for the school day.
"Even families who left the city up to a distance of an hour's drive — your friends did not give up on being students here at Danziger," said Zafrani. "They arrive every morning. When you look from above and see the white shirts on this special day, you understand the magnitude of the excitement."
Touring the institution's grounds reveals a well-kept and impeccably maintained school. Green lawns and invested landscaping greet those who arrive, and the teachers' lounge is designed to high-end standards that resemble high-tech companies.
Alongside the well-kept appearance, the security reality is also evident on the ground: these days, extensive infrastructure work is being carried out to establish enlarged protected spaces (MAMAD). In routine, these spaces are planned to serve as classrooms and innovative learning spaces, thereby creating dual pedagogical use for physical protection.
Despite the encouraging data at the Danziger high school, the overall picture of the education system in Kiryat Shmona is much more complex. Data from the municipal education system (from age 3 to 18) shows that about 1,000 students have been removed from the frameworks since the outbreak of the fighting. While on the eve of October 7 the municipal education system numbered about 5,500 students, today only about 4,500 study in it — evidence of the heavy demographic and social price that the ongoing security situation is exacting.
