KKL-JNF unveils archival photos showcasing Israeli classrooms in honor of new school year
The photographs show how children learned before modern technology, whiteboards, and even before they had classrooms.
In honor of Israel's new school year commencing on September 1, the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) Photo Archive has showcased five rare photographs that depict the evolution of Israeli classrooms over the past century, from 1925 to 1963. The oldest image portrays children studying in the moshav Kfar Hasidim in August 1925, nearly two decades before the state of Israel's founding. These pupils, lacking a conventional classroom, gathered under a tree to listen to their teacher.
A decade later, a 1940 photograph unveils the Spitzer Girls School library in Jerusalem, where a group of girls is engrossed in reading together. Fifteen years following, a 1944 photo reveals a boys' school at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, where the students seem to be honing their penmanship skills.
The final two images date back to 1961 and 1963. The first image displays a Tzur Hadassah student solving a math problem on a chalkboard, while the second, taken in Jerusalem, captures a crowded classroom of excited children eagerly opening and reading letters. These photographs provide a glimpse into the past, illustrating how children once learned before smartphones, whiteboards, and even classroom structures.
KKL-JNF Director Efrat Sinai expressed that these photographs enable us to momentarily step into the classrooms of the past, observing not just how children learned but also the societal context in which they were educated. "Through the blackboard, the books, the desks, and even the lessons held beneath a tree, these images reveal the profound connection between education, community, and a love for the land," Sinai said. "We are honored to preserve and share these moments, particularly as a new school year commences."
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
