The construction of the new campus is a testament to AMIT’s commitment to preparing students for the world of tomorrow by imparting 21st-century skills and providing maximum flexibility in learning,” said Chaim Broyde, mayor of Ra’anana.

“The AMIT administration, thousands of teachers, and tens of thousands of students thank AMIT’s many supporters and friends, who had a vision 98 years ago to change and better Israeli society through education, and today are implementing that dream and changing the face of education in Israel,” said Dr. Amnon Eldar, director general of AMIT.

The ceremony began with an official groundbreaking on the future Kfar Batya campus grounds, emceed by Rav Yoni Berlin, principal of AMIT Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School for Boys, and featuring several speakers, including representatives from the World Zionist Organization and Israel’s Ministry of Education, as well as Debbie Isaac, chair of the AMIT Land Committee and past AMIT president.

A celebratory dinner followed, featuring a torch lighting ceremony with four AMIT graduates representing fields such as entrepreneurship, security/ IDF, finance, and education.

Simcha Assarsai, an AMIT graduate who is now a mother of two (and profiled previously in this magazine), said, “My journey began at the age of 4 when I left Ethiopia on foot. At the age of 16, I joined the AMIT family, and my connection with them lasted for 23 years. I received an education that shaped my values and gave me the tools to develop and achieve success. It was my honor to light a torch for the opening of the new AMIT campus that will provide a home for youth who, like me, need love, values, and hope to dream big.”

The new AMIT Kfar Batya campus will impact the entire education system in Israel. The AMIT Gogya R&D Center for Innovation in Education will service AMIT’s 6,000 teachers from across the country and others from outside the network and will serve as an accelerator of an educational revolution, transitioning schools from traditional 19th-century models to the world of tomorrow.

In 2014, AMIT launched a new methodology called Gogya as a vision to change Israel’s education system through a 21st-century lens focused on preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s economic, technological, and societal shifts. At the heart of this educational approach is the understanding that a teacher must transition from a transmitter of knowledge to a mentor who guides and accompanies the student in goal setting and dreaming, and then realizing those dreams and goals.

“The construction of this campus sends a strong message that innovative education requires a holistic approach,” said Audrey Axelrod Trachtman, outgoing AMIT president. “It can’t only be about teaching methods or content. With the new campus, we will now have a real-life laboratory to evaluate all aspects of learning, including educational architecture.”

The new campus will feature The Evan and Layla Green Family Foundation Gogya Building and Program, the Educators’ Innovation Center, AMIT Headquarters, Community Athletic Complex, the Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Elementary School, Welcome Center, Memorial Park for Fallen Soldiers, and Outdoor Amphitheater.

To learn more about AMIT Kfar Batya and to donate, visit kfarbatya.org.