In a swift letter to the AMIT network’s principals, AMIT Director General Amnon Eldar, sent a message of strength and inspiration to his “troops,” the educators who care every day for the more than 37,000 children in AMIT network.
Eldar explains how they are preparing for students to continue learning in the face of what is hoped to be temporary school closures as he reminds everyone of their obligation to personal responsibility to help thwart the spread of the coronavirus.
Eldar’s letter and its contents, said AMIT President Audrey Axelrod Tractman, “speaks to AMIT’s role as not only an educational institution, but as an organization devoted to helping all segments of Israeli society, making sure that our teachers and students feel that same responsibility. I, for one, am happy to be part of this great network.”
Here is Eldar’s letter:
Dear Principals,
The entire world, and our small village within it, as the Prime Minister called it in his speech last night, are facing a challenge that we have never faced before.
A feeling of astonishment when we see the strength of nature and the limitations of man’s powers and abilities.
This is a battle for our homes, our country, the world, and humankind.
In this war, the generals have no ranks.
We are being led by medical professionals who are doing holy work.
But today it is clear to all that this war cannot be won alone, and the civilians must be involved in this war in terms of personal responsibility, caring for and taking care of one another, giving and contributing on the one hand, while following all guidelines carefully so we prevent spreading the coronavirus on the other hand.
As educational leaders, we have a unique role at this time. Our national resilience, spirit, unity, caring, and optimism are all critical in the coming days and weeks.
And we have the ability to lead our students, teachers and employees there: to a feeling of safety and security, belief, contribution and sanity.
We have the obligation to take part in this national war, to imbue in our students, teachers and employees a feeling of responsibility to listen to all guidelines from the health ministry, and alongside this, to make a difference in areas that are permissible, based on a strong willingness to do good and help society as a whole.
A crisis is also an opportunity.
In this war, the senior population is facing the highest risk, while children and youth seem to have a significantly lower risk from the virus.
This is the time to take care of and worry about grandparents and elderly in our hometowns, of course in line with the guidelines from the Ministry of Health. We can and should take care of them, shop for them, go to the pharmacy for them, call them and inquire as to their welfare.
At the Reshet [Network] headquarters, we are preparing to provide all of you, next week, with quality responses to:
1. Distance learning and teachers keeping in touch with students
2. Emotional and social programming
3. Operating the educational learning communities from a distance
At this stage, the headquarters staff and all administrative staff in the schools are working as usual.
Of course, you can gather your teachers together to prepare materials and get yourselves organized, assuming the teachers agree to come in. We have shared with the Minister of Education our strong protest about the thought of forcing teachers to take unpaid leave [note: this is one option that was mentioned by (Prime Minister Binyamin) Netanyahu in his remarks last night, and teachers are up in arms about it].
In the coming days, we will be in touch with you and share all of our various responses with you.
At the Reshet headquarters, we are here for any needs of yours that may arise.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we are having two days of preparation and thinking for next year, and creating a model of financial flexibility to present to the Ministry of Education, while adapting roles and tasks to the “full picture” that’s necessary to lead our schools and take the next step. I invite all principals who are able to join us for these two days at Gogya. We will be in private contact with you.
Together, and only together, will we get through this difficult period, and with G-d’s help we will succeed and thrive.
Shabbat Shalom to you and your families,
Amnon
