
The next school year has been declared as the “year of Jerusalem's unity,” which will launch an extended curriculum, from elementary school to high school, as decided by the Minister of Education MK Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home).
The program, marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem, will focus on the city's history, heritage and sites. Schools will incorporate the content throughout the school year and ahead of special holidays, including Jerusalem Day.
"Anyone who tries to uproot us from this city only pushes us to promote this program. Our history began in Jerusalem, and it fuels our strength during difficult times," said Bennett.
The program will incorporate themes from the existing curriculum and will further highlight history, language, geography, civics, literature, Bible and Israel studies. The program will officially launch during this year’s Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) celebration on June 5th, with several activities and events.
The Ministry of Education stressed that the program will increase the number of students who visit the various sites in the capital of Israel, including the Old City, the Israeli Knesset, the Supreme Court, and memorial sites.
Additionally, the ministry intends to nearly double the number of students participating in the “Masa” (journey) program from Israeli students, increasing the total number from 12,000 students in the previous year, to 21,000 in the coming year.
The journey program, which begins with watching the sunrise near Ben Gurion's grave, is about six days in length and ends with a weekend in the capital city, while promoting Jewish and Zionist identity.