Summer break in Israel is almost over, with students in preschool through 12th grade set to return to school on September 1st. Over the summer, many Israeli families travelled inside Israel or abroad, enjoying the vacation time. Now, the school year, with all its concerns and stresses, is back. Adding to the “back to school” stress is the fact that the Ministry of Education reported that schools throughout Israel are missing a total of 2,800 teachers. This will hurt the students’ education by reducing learning hours and raising the teacher-to-student ratio.

This issue has come up fairly frequently in Israel in recent years, but the strain is telling on teachers, and the head of the Teachers’ Union predicted that the issue, combined with the issue of low wages, will lead to a strike. He will meet government representatives this week, in an attempt to reach consensus.

Please pray for a solution to this issue! Please pray for a smooth transition into the school year for kids throughout Israel. Lastly, please pray for peace and safety over all.