- July 15, 2026
- 12:43 pm
- Israel
Representatives of Ukraine were among the participants of the international educational seminar of Keren Kayemet Le-Israel, which brought together 209 educators, teachers, and leaders of Jewish schools from 26 countries in Israel.
Over eight days, participants familiarized themselves with modern life in Israel, visited historical and natural sites, met with Israeli educators, local authorities, security personnel, and community members who have experienced difficult events in recent years.
The international program took place in Israel from July 7 to 14, 2026 under the leadership of the educational division of KKL — Keren Kayemet Le-Israel, also known as the Jewish National Fund.
Ukraine among 26 countries — but the names of the participants have not yet been announced
The Israeli publication Yeshuvnik reported that representatives from the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and other countries participated in the annual seminar.
Thus, the participation of the Ukrainian delegation is officially confirmed by the organizers.
However, KKL and Israeli media have not yet reported how many educators came from Ukraine, which cities and educational institutions they represented, nor have they published their names.
It is only known that among the 209 participants were teachers, directors, and leaders of Jewish schools, as well as specialists in formal and informal Jewish and Zionist education.
For Ukraine, participation in such a seminar is of particular importance.
Ukrainian Jewish schools and communities continue to operate under conditions of full-scale war, air raids, forced family migration, and partial transition to distance learning.
Therefore, the opportunity for direct communication with colleagues from Israel and other countries becomes not only a professional exchange but also a way to maintain the connection of Ukrainian Jewish youth with Israel, Jewish history, and international communities.
The very fact of the presence of representatives from Ukraine shows that Ukrainian Jewish education remains part of the global Jewish space even under the conditions of ongoing Russian aggression.
What was included in the educational program
The seminar was not an ordinary familiarization trip but a week-long educational program across different regions of Israel.
Participants visited natural, archaeological, and historical sites, learned about the work of KKL, met with educators, security personnel, municipal leaders, and local residents.
Special attention was paid to communities affected after the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war.
Educators were told not only about the consequences of the tragedy but also about the restoration of Israeli settlements, mutual assistance, the return of residents, and the work of educational institutions in crisis conditions.
The organizers aimed to show participants modern Israel not only through media reports and political debates but through direct meetings with people.
Educators were to see a country that simultaneously faces military, social, and educational challenges and continues to restore affected communities.
For many foreign teachers, such meetings become the basis for future lessons and conversations with students.
NANews — News of Israel notes that educators often become the main source of systematic knowledge about Israel for children in the diaspora.
The perception of Israel by the next generation of Jewish youth depends on the materials and personal stories they bring home.
Education after October 7
The official program of the American delegation allows for a more detailed understanding of the main directions of the international seminar.
Participants were offered lectures, discussions, and practical sessions dedicated to teaching Jewish history and Zionism after October 7.
The program also included familiarization with KKL educational materials, visits to Jewish National Fund sites, historical places of the Jewish people, and participation in volunteer work.
The issue of how to talk to children and teenagers about Israel in conditions of war, rising anti-Semitism, and harsh international debates was separately considered.
For educators, this is a challenging task.
They need to talk about the terrorist attack, hostages, casualties, and war, but at the same time not turn the study of Israel solely into a conversation about violence and tragedy.
That is why the organizers included topics of Israeli society’s resilience, mutual responsibility, community restoration, ecology, the country’s history, and modern educational work in the program.
KKL also provided educators with materials they could use after returning to their own schools.
American participants, for example, had previously committed to preparing educational projects for their educational institutions in collaboration with JNF-USA representatives.
They were expected to talk about the trip on social media, speak to their community, and incorporate the experience gained into school programs.
These conditions apply directly to the American delegation, but they show the general approach of the organizers: the seminar should continue in the form of lessons, events, and projects after the participants return home.
Educators are called ‘messengers of Israeli history’
KKL Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky stated that the decision of hundreds of Jewish educators to come to Israel during a difficult period is an expression of trust, responsibility, and shared destiny.
According to him, educators become a kind of ‘messengers of Israeli history’ in their communities.
Direct acquaintance with the country, its people, and the values of Zionism should provide them with tools for educating the next generation of the Jewish people.
KKL emphasizes that such educational programs help strengthen ties between Israel and Jewish communities in the diaspora.
The task is not only to transmit knowledge.
Participants from different countries get to know each other, discuss teaching methods, and have the opportunity to create joint educational programs.
After the seminar, they return to their countries with materials, personal impressions, and contacts of colleagues.
For representatives of Ukraine, this experience can be especially important, as Ukrainian Jewish schools are simultaneously part of Ukrainian society, the international Jewish space, and the system of relations between Ukraine and Israel.
Ukrainian educators participate in KKL programs not for the first time
The participation of the Ukrainian side in the KKL international seminar has a long history.
In July 2023, a similar program was attended by 250 educators from 22 countries and 27 educational institutions.
At that time, KKL separately reported that Ukraine was represented by 14 teachers.
One of the participants was Ukrainian educator Natala Androshenko.
She said that materials from previous KKL seminars were used in her school in geography, ecology, history, Jewish tradition lessons, and in the study of nature.
According to her, such classes helped students become closer to Israel and better understand Zionism.
Androshenko also noted the value of communication with directors and educators of Jewish schools from different countries.
There is no confirmation that she participated in the 2026 seminar.
However, her story shows how the knowledge gained by Ukrainian educators in Israel is subsequently used in working with children in Ukraine.
This practical result is one of the main meanings of the program.
Educators do not just visit Israel but return to their schools with ready-made methodological materials, new contacts, and personal stories.
For NANews — News of Israel, the participation of Ukrainian representatives in the seminar is also important as an example of the ongoing dialogue between Israel and Ukraine at the level of education and Jewish communities.
Such connections do not always receive noticeable attention in major media, but they are the ones that form long-term relationships between countries.
Political statements change, governments argue, but the work of teachers with children continues for years.
What remains unknown
KKL confirmed the presence of representatives from Ukraine but did not publish the composition of the delegation.
At the time of publication, the following are unknown:
— the exact number of participants from Ukraine;
— their names and positions;
— the cities they represented;
— the names of Jewish schools and organizations;
— the separate program of the Ukrainian group;
— the topics or projects that Ukrainian educators plan to implement after returning.
Therefore, it cannot yet be asserted that a certain number of Ukrainian teachers or representatives of specific organizations arrived in Israel.
But the very fact of Ukrainian participation is confirmed by both the Israeli publication and the KKL announcement.
From July 7 to 14, 2026, representatives of Ukraine, along with educators from 25 other countries, studied Israel’s experience, exchanged educational practices, and discussed how to preserve the Jewish identity of the next generation in a world that has become even more complex and divided after October 7.