The decision was made following the success of the initial rounds of the respite program and the high demand from local authorities and residents.
Alongside the budget increase, it was also decided to expand the eligibility range. The initiative will now include Nahariya, Ma’alot-Tarshiha, and other communities up to 9 km from the border, in addition to border-adjacent local and regional authorities and communities (0–2 km).
As part of the initiative, 26 hotels across the country are participating, hosting residents for stays that include half-board accommodation, transportation, and educational and recreational activities run by the KKL-JNF Education and Community Division. The hotels do not take part in subsidizing the costs, and the local authorities are not required to contribute financially.
Photo: Courtesy of KKL-JNF
Alongside the budget increase, it was also decided to expand the eligibility range. The initiative will now include Nahariya, Ma’alot-Tarshiha, and other communities up to 9 km from the border, in addition to border-adjacent local and regional authorities and communities (0–2 km).
As part of the initiative, 26 hotels across the country are participating, hosting residents for stays that include half-board accommodation, transportation, and educational and recreational activities run by the KKL-JNF Education and Community Division. The hotels do not take part in subsidizing the costs, and the local authorities are not required to contribute financially.
Local authorities select the participants for the program, with priority given to vulnerable populations, elderly residents, people with disabilities, and residents living without adequate protection.
The first round of the program, held at the end of March, included about 6,000 residents who participated in two short cycles. The second round, currently taking place, is expected to include close to 15,000 additional residents, with some authorities choosing to split the stay into two five-day rounds in order to increase the number of beneficiaries of the program.
Alongside the respite initiative, KKL-JNF is also continuing to promote an educational response, with a dedicated program for students from border communities who are taking their matriculation exams. Within this framework, around 800,000 NIS have been allocated for educational breaks in protected spaces outside the conflict zones, with the aim of enabling students to study in quiet conditions and make up for gaps created due to the security situation.
“The decision to increase the budget and expand the circle of eligibility was born out of genuine attentiveness to the needs raised in the field,” said KKL-JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky, who is leading the initiative. “We saw the impact of the first rounds of respite, the relief, how it strengthened the communities, and understood that we must deepen and expand the response. Our commitment is to all residents of the north, and we will continue to act to enable them to have a routine, security, and hope for a better future even during this complex period.”