Amid severe shortage: program launched to bring teachers from US

Israel's education system faces a severe teacher shortage ahead of the 2026–2027 school year. A joint national program by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and the organization Nefesh B'Nefesh was launched to bring hundreds of teachers from the US and Canada. The program will include recognition of degrees, job fairs, and comprehensive support, but its impact will only be felt in the 2027–2028 school year due to bureaucratic procedures.

Israel's education system is facing the opening of the 2026–2027 school year amid a significant shortage of teaching staff, reflected in teachers without teaching certificates entering classrooms, teaching assistants being converted into homeroom teachers, and positions being filled by professionals not trained for the role, mainly in core subjects such as English, mathematics, science, and language. Against this crisis, a joint national program was launched by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and the organization Nefesh B'Nefesh, aiming to locate and integrate hundreds of teachers eligible under the Law of Return from the United States and Canada into the education system. The program will include job fairs, webinars, and home circles in North America, recognition of degrees and teaching certificates before aliyah, and a support package after arrival, including assistance with absorption, placement, Hebrew strengthening, and professional development. However, due to the complexity of bureaucratic procedures and adaptation to the system, the impact will only be felt starting in the 2027–2028 school year. Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, emphasized that aliyah is a national growth engine, and Tony Gelbart, co-founder and chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh, noted that the goal is to bring quality educators and prove that aliyah can be part of the solution to national challenges.