This is a black and white photograph from 1953 of a kindergarten teacher, identified as Bracha Deviner with her class in Eilat, overlooking the Red Sea. The teacher, wearing a kerchief and apron, is distributing paper cups of drinks to her students. She is kneeling down and looking at the students at eye level. The land behind them is undeveloped except for a dirt road, an electricity pole, and perhaps some small buildings in the distance.
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Eilat – Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city. Bordering the Red Sea, Eilat is a resort town with luxury hotels and beautiful beaches. It has a desert climate with very hot and dry summers and warm winters; the sun shines almost every day, and the rain falls about six days a year on average. Eilat’s history dates back to the Bible, and it was described as a major port during the reign of King Solomon. Eilat was included in the Jewish state in the 1947 UN Partition Plan and was the last city that Israel captured in the War of Independence in March 1949. It is geographically remote from Israel’s larger cities, and it took almost a decade for it to develop into a city. Today, Eilat has more than 50,000 residents and attracts tourists from all over the world who come to enjoy the beaches and the coral reefs. Eilat borders with Egypt and Jordan and a modern port connects it to other countries. The new Eilat Ramon airport is scheduled to open in 2019 and will be able to serve up to two million passengers a year.
Preschool Education in Israel – There were plans for compulsory, free education even before the founding of the State of Israel. In early 1947, David Ben-Gurion wrote in his journal that a free compulsory education law should be among the first passed after the creation of the State. Soon after the end of the War of Independence, at a time when money was scarce and new immigrants were flocking to Israel from around the world, a law was passed to provide free education for all children between the ages of five and thirteen (and up to age seventeen for those who had not completed primary school). Kindergarten was free and compulsory in order to give children an early start, particularly in the areas of socialization and language development. Today, most children between the ages of 2 and 4 attend preschool. Some preschool programs are sponsored by local authorities or women’s organisations, while others are privately run. The Ministry of Education allocates special resources for preschool education in disadvantaged areas.
