‘Nir Arava’ Prep School Offers ‘Unique Educational Therapeutic Framework’

Jerusalem, 5 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The first class of the “Nir Arava” preparatory school, a unique educational-therapeutic framework for youth welfare graduates, recently opened in the central Arava – the valley that runs from the southern end of the Dead Se to Eilat along the border with Jordan. The preparatory school is located in the city of Ovot and is operated by the “Ruh Arava” (spirit of the Arava) association, which has been working for 16 years to develop education, agriculture, and the community in the area.

The preparatory school is named for the late Nir Abuhatsira, a 24-year-old from Hatzva, who was killed in January 2024 in a serious car accident. The opening ceremony, which took place about two months ago with the participation of about 400 people, was particularly moving in light of Nir’s memory and the loss of young lives from the Arava region in the “iron swords” war.

This is the first preparatory school of the Youth Welfare Authority, and the only one that holds two cycles a year – September to January, and March to July. Eight participants were enrolled in the first cycle, all graduates of youth welfare dormitories and frameworks, with the possibility of expanding to 28 participants. At this stage, the preparatory school is intended for boys only, with the principle of choice, responsibility and independence being the core of the program.