Beit Berl Advises School System in Rapidly Growing Town

The town of Be’er Ya’akov is in the midst of an extraordinary growth spurt – and Beit Berl College has been tapped to help it tackle its educational challenges.

Be’er Ya’akov, located near Rishon Lezion, is undergoing unprecedented growth, with its population expected to jump from 22,000 to over 100,000 within the coming years. Most of the new residents are young families, and Be’er Ya’akov’s school system is struggling to keep up. After learning about the College’s work with the city of Kfar Yona, the town has partnered with Beit Berl College to address the community’s educational needs and implement systemic change.

After conducting a study of Be’er Ya’akov’s school system, Beit Berl faculty discovered the town’s greatest challenge: efficiently integrating so many new children into both existing and new schools, especially given that many of the school principals are themselves new. This academic year, six schools in Be’er Ya’akov have been assigned an expert from Beit Berl, who will work closely with the school’s teaching staff in helping them build a development plan. One of the main issues that has already come to light is the grave need to equip teachers with the tools to teach heterogeneous classrooms, with children representing a range of backgrounds and academic levels.

Beit Berl is also advising on the municipal level, working with local officials to establish a communal narrative, including a “community language,” to successfully absorb all the new pupils into the school system while maintaining Be’er Ya’akov’s unique identity and historic legacy.