The Unique School Blends Students of All Social, Cultural and Economic Backgrounds in an Idyllic Northern Israel Environment
Perched in the majestic mountains of northern Israel, Kol Tzofayich offers a truly one-of-a-kind school experience for students in grades 7-12.
This hands-on, camp-like educational phenomenon has quickly grown from 28 to over 200 students in just four years. Offering customized, experiential education, students learn directly how each subject relates to real-world applications and situations. The study of math, for example, is in tandem with cabinetry design, while chemistry comes alive through culinary arts and welding.
“We unite real-world experience and classroom academics on a moment-by-moment basis,” says school founder Yehuda Rothner, a dynamo in the education world who was known globally for his unprecedented success running Camp Stone in the U.S. “Those worlds must converge on a daily basis holistically in school. Every subject is capable of doing that.”
The school also offers a sociological, cultural, and economic breaking-of-barriers, with students of all backgrounds uniting from throughout Israel, as well as the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Ethiopia. Kol Tzofayich’s unique program provides experiential learning, vocational training, multi-cultural integration, aliyah absorption — as well as innovative Judaic studies.
“Thank you for creating the most magical learning environment that exists. Thank you for believing in our kids, for trusting them without judgment (not based on their outward appearances, clothing, or other teenage phases),” said Yael Resnick. “Thank you for empowering them to be their best selves and for providing enough love for them to grow and thrive.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach at Kol Tzofayich, as education is customized to successfully meet the unique needs of each student without judgment. Rotating through various workshops, including culinary arts, visual arts, 3-D printing, carpentry and archaeology, students gain practical skills and knowledge to allow them to graduate high school and earn a living.
“We provide students a sense of the whole and what the world really has to offer, giving them the skills to be successful in life,” Rothner said. “Our school environment is like a tweed – the subtleties and differences blend together beautifully as the fabric draws you in. Students go out of their bubble on a daily basis, preparing them for what’s going to happen outside the gates of our school.”
“We look at people based on who they are, forging a unified approach to knowledge.”
Said one student who recently made Aliyah from the U.S. with her family:
“It’s so different and gives you the freedom to express your creativity and make your own choices.”
While much of education and traditional classroom learning has gotten away from its relationship to the real world, that disconnect is often so great that children might learn how to solve an equation but not the experience that requires its use.
“We provide a complete holistic view of the world. Torah v’ Avodah, labor and intellectual,” Rothner said. “This gives our students a sense of what they can accomplish with their hands and their minds.”
They gain a greater understanding of everything that goes into the process, with a vocational as well as an academic platform. We teach problem-solving skills — How are you going to accomplish their goals in the best way possible? You have to give students and young people the skills to create.
“We are advocating for and offering multiple trajectories – university, a trade, or both — with every aspect of being successful in that paradigm. At the same time, we are going to allow you to love what you’re doing with your hands. You can be successful at whatever you want.”
Indeed, Kol Tzofayich — its teachers and staff — are changing lives.
“This school has changed the quality of our lives here in Israel and we have therefore been able to shed an even more positive light on the Aliyah experience,” said Mrs. Resnick. “With this dream you brought into fruition, you may have intended to change teenage lives but know it’s certainly not limited to that by any means. You are improving the future of Am Yisrael in astronomical ways.”