The board deliberated extensively about how such a move would affect AMIT’s core base of religious schools. How could the network effectively serve students from such different backgrounds? How would the curriculum need to evolve to meet the needs of secular students while staying true to AMIT’s values?
In Israel, AMIT turned to its rabbinic advisory board, which addresses major questions of direction for the reshet. The response from Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a leading voice associated with Tzohar, was clear: Not only could AMIT include secular schools—it should.
This guidance helped open the door to a transformative decision.
The first secular school to join AMIT was in Sderot. AMIT’s president at the time, Sondra Sokal, met with the city’s mayor to set the plan in motion. The mayor explained that he had seen the excellence of AMIT’s religious school in the area and wanted the same quality for the city’s secular students.
Sondra emphasized that AMIT would not impose religious observance on secular students, and the school’s leadership agreed. Sondra also remembers the mayor relating that he wanted his son to know what a beit Knesset, synagogue, is and feel a sense of connection. Based on this understanding, AMIT charted a new educational path focused on identity.
A new curriculum was developed around the central idea of what it means to be a Jew living in the Jewish state. The goal was to connect students to their heritage in a way that was meaningful, relevant, and foundational.
To strengthen the Jewish identity of its students, AMIT instituted an annual bar/bat mitzvah educational journey to Jerusalem. Fewer than half of Israeli children at the time had visited the capitol city. AMIT brought students to the Old City and Mount Herzl, giving them a tangible sense of history, identity, and belonging — helping them understand who they are and where they come from.
Another example of a network-wide effort to highlight students’ Jewish roots revolved around the holiday of Lag B’Omer. Widely celebrated by Israeli youth, many have no idea of its historical significance. To connect the day to its origins in Jewish history, AMIT schools incorporated lessons in advance of the celebrations, imparting those building blocks of knowledge.
The profound shift of adding secular schools prompted a reworking of AMIT’s mission statement, broadening the language to “religious values and Zionist ideals.” This phrasing signaled moving beyond a strictly Orthodox framework toward a more inclusive vision, focused on strengthening and connecting Israeli society through education. To safeguard AMIT’s core mission of being a Religious Zionist network, the Board of Directors established clear guidelines limiting the number of secular schools that could be incorporated.
Today, AMIT’s focus is on fortifying Jewish identity and fostering connection among its diverse student body. By instilling this foundation early, we are nurturing a generation that respects each other and works together toward a shared future.