AMIT Transforming Education in Israel
As a pioneer in agriculture, economics, and technology, it’s no surprise that the young nation of Israel is also the most forward-thinking country when it comes to education. At the forefront of that education is AMIT, which currently has plans for an extraordinary expansion.
AMIT offers an innovative approach to education and aspires to lead a new generation forward, all while inspiring the rest of the world with their methods. This education initiative, which welcomes children of all backgrounds and regardless of socioeconomic status, was founded in 1925 and currently educates over 40,000 children each year in a network encompassing 96 schools across 32 cities in Israel. “We’re stronger now than in any other time in our history,” says AMIT’s Executive Vice President, Andrew Goldsmith. “We were founded by a group of women nearly 100 years ago, who were very far ahead of their time. While men were running the world and the charities, our founder, Bessie Gotsfeld, said, ‘No, I’m not going to raise money and have a group of men decide where it should go. I’m going to raise money, and we will decide where it should go.’ The root of our organization is to make sure the children of Israel are given every opportunity to succeed, in the spirit of Bessie Gotsfeld,” adds Goldsmith.
AMIT currently oversees everything from co-ed elementary schools to co-ed high schools to schools for young women and young men, plus youth villages, and orphanages for children from the age of four and up who are raised there until they move to the youth village. “We are responsible for every aspect of their life,” says Goldsmith.
AMIT schools are also open to any child regardless of religion or background, and the organization is dedicated to helping students find and realize their life dreams and goals. “We look at the potential of the child and charter a course for each student individually,” says Goldsmith.
AMIT will soon break ground on the AMIT Kfar Batya Campus in Ra’anana, Israel’s model city. At the earlier part of the century, Gotsfeld traveled to what was then Palestine with money sewn into her coat and bought land in what was to become Ra’anana, but at the time was only a sea of sand dunes. Originally founded as the Bessie Gotsfeld Children’s Village and Farm School, it later became known as AMIT Kfar Batya.
With plans to break ground in the next few months and an expected opening date in September 2025, the new campus
elevates and expands state-of-the-art education for the state of Israel. The campus will train hundreds of teachers and educate thousands of students and house many features, including school buildings, community athletic complex, foundation buildings, education innovation center, AMIT headquarters, and foundation buildings. The entire campus and all AMIT schools are based on AMIT’s renowned education platform known as Gogya, a 21st-century approach focused on changing economical, technological, and societal shifts. This Gogya approach emphasizes creativity, curiosity, teamwork, flexibility, and critical thinking, ensuring the children of Israel can succeed in the ever-changing world.
AMIT, which has already partnered with schools in the United States as well as the United Arab Emirates, is living up to the ideal that Israel should be a light unto the rest of the world. “Our culture is that we always evolve. We make an impact on the world’s education and create artists, architects, doctors, lawyers, and world leaders while giving all students a chance to succeed.”
Donors in the United States can support the AMIT overarching mission as well as the new campus groundbreaking educational endeavor, to make it part of their lasting legacy. With building naming opportunities, a memorial park , amazing outdoor spaces, and even a community athletic center that is going to be open to the entire city after hours, supporters have an incredible chance to make an impact, while having a footprint in Israel. For ways to get involved and donate, please visit their website.
kfarbatya.org
