Israel’s Education Ministry and Ministry of Aliyah and Integration have announced a new national initiative designed to recruit Jewish teachers from the United States and Canada and help them join the Israeli education system.
The program, developed in cooperation with the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization, is intended to address Israel’s growing teacher shortage, particularly in English, mathematics, science and language studies.
Officials said the initiative is expected to begin during the coming year, with the goal of identifying hundreds of educators who are considering immigration and preparing them to enter Israeli classrooms during the 2027–2028 academic year.
Under the plan, the Education Ministry will match participating teachers with schools according to their qualifications, professional experience, subject expertise, preferred age group and geographic location.
Support will begin before the candidates arrive in Israel. Participants will be able to start the process of having their teaching certificates, academic degrees and professional seniority recognized while they are still living abroad.
The program will also provide guidance on employment opportunities, professional requirements and the practical challenges involved in joining the Israeli school system.
Dedicated recruitment fairs are expected to be held across North America during the next year, alongside webinars, informational meetings and community events in the United States and Canada.
Officials also plan to establish databases of prospective teachers and available teaching positions, organized by subject, school district and region, in order to connect candidates directly with Israeli schools.
Support will continue after immigration and is expected to include employment placement, professional training, Hebrew-language assistance, mentoring from veteran immigrant teachers and additional help for participants’ families.
Based on the Doctors’ Immigration Program
The initiative is modeled partly on Israel’s national program for recruiting immigrant physicians, which was launched in 2024.
According to the ministries, more than 1,000 doctors immigrated to Israel from around the world during the program’s first two years. That initiative allowed medical professionals to begin licensing and credential-recognition procedures before arriving in Israel.
Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer said the new program reflects the government’s view of immigration as a source of national and economic growth.
“We are creating a pathway that will allow teachers to enter their profession as soon as they immigrate to Israel, while also helping strengthen the education system,” Sofer said.
“The success of the national physicians’ immigration program proved that when the state removes barriers, actively advances professional recognition and supports immigrants until they enter the workforce, the results speak for themselves,” he added.
Sofer said the government eventually hopes to expand the initiative beyond North America to additional Jewish communities around the world.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch described the teacher shortage as one of the most serious challenges confronting Israel’s school system.
“The new national program is part of a series of measures we are advancing to expand the teaching workforce, attract high-quality educators and provide a genuine response to the needs of schools in the subjects and regions where the shortage is most severe,” Kisch said.
“This is a national, Zionist and educational initiative that strengthens the education system, brings in high-quality human capital and reflects our commitment to giving every student in Israel the best possible education.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and chairman Tony Gelbart said the initiative connects the national mission of immigration with the urgent need to strengthen Israeli schools.
“Our goal is to bring high-quality educators to Israel, support them through the immigration and integration process and demonstrate that aliyah can be part of the solution to Israel’s national challenges,” Gelbart said.
