In Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region, courses “Israel’s Experience in Ukrainian Realities: Synergy of Psychological Support, Inclusive Education, and Environmental Safety” have started. The organizers are the Jewish National Fund Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (JNF-KKL), Bila Tserkva Corporate Lyceum of the Shreiber Family, and Kyiv Regional Institute of Postgraduate Education of Pedagogical Staff. The first in-person seminar lasted two days, followed by further training.
Author: Lev Varshavsky
The launch on October 29, 2026, was announced by the Jewish National Fund of Ukraine. The official name of the program is “Israel’s Experience in Ukrainian Realities: Synergy of Psychological Support, Inclusive Education, and Environmental Safety.”
The training is dedicated to Israeli methods of overcoming stress, creating a safe and barrier-free school environment, as well as actions of teachers in emergency situations. For Ukrainian schools operating during the Russian invasion, these issues are directly related to air raid alerts, evacuation of children, psychological consequences of shelling, and the need to continue classes.
Who participates in the program and why the Shreiber Family Lyceum was chosen
The courses were opened by the General Director of JNF-KKL “Eurasia” Yigal Yasinov. He spoke about the 125th anniversary of the fund and its projects in Ukraine. Natella Andryushchenko, director of the Shreiber Family Lyceum and chair of the JNF-KKL Pedagogical Council in Ukraine, gave a report.
A representative of the international Jewish youth organization “Hillel,” educational program coordinator Yuri Sergeev, gave a lecture on informal Jewish education. Previously, he was involved in educational and leadership projects of Hillel CASE.
Bila Tserkva Corporate Lyceum of the Shreiber Family is located at: Pavla Skoropadsky Street, 4. Registered on December 4, 2024. According to the Ukrainian educational database AIKOM, 34 teachers work here, education is conducted in Ukrainian, and preschool, primary, and secondary directions are provided.
The school is associated with American actor Liev Schreiber, known for the series “Ray Donovan” and supporting Ukraine through the UNITED24 platform. In January 2025, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration named him one of the main donors for the construction of the lyceum.
The creation of the institution involved the Jewish Lyceum “Mitzvah-613,” the international educational organization ORT Ukraine, the local community, and benefactors. The founders include the Bila Tserkva City Council, the organization “Educational Resources and Technological Training,” and the “Mitzvot” fund.
Natella Andryushchenko previously headed “Mitzvah-613,” taught in primary school, was involved in Jewish traditions, and completed an Israeli course on informal education “Melamedia.”
In July 2023, Andryushchenko participated in an eight-day international KKL seminar in Israel. At that time, 250 educators from 22 countries and 27 educational institutions, including 14 teachers from Ukraine, gathered. The materials obtained were used in teaching geography, ecology, history, nature, and Jewish traditions.
From July 7 to 14, 2026, KKL held the next seminar — 209 educators from 26 countries, including Ukraine. The program covered ecological and educational projects, Jewish history, Zionism, the consequences of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the topic of hostages, and working with children in wartime conditions. The names of Ukrainian participants were not published, so Andryushchenko’s participation in this seminar is not confirmed.
NANews reported on the participation of Ukrainian teachers in international KKL seminars.
Israeli psychological assistance to Ukrainian children: cooperation since 2022
On August 5, 2022, Parimatch Foundation, together with the Israel Trauma Coalition, announced a four-week crisis psychological assistance course. Training in two groups was available to 62 psychologists in the Kyiv region. Among the partners were the regional administration, the education department, and the institute of postgraduate pedagogical education.
In August 2022, Ukrainian psychologists also underwent training in Israel with the participation of the embassy and MASHAV — the state agency for international cooperation under the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In September, a Ukrainian educational delegation, including Deputy Minister of Education Vera Rogova, school directors, and specialists from inclusive centers, studied in Israel the organization of school activities during military threats and methods of psychological support.
In 2023, a Resilience Center opened in Kyiv. Its creation was preceded by cooperation with the Israel Trauma Coalition, internships of Ukrainian psychologists in Israel, and a memorandum with city authorities.
One of the well-known Israeli methods is “Hibuki Therapy.” A child learns to express emotions by caring for a special soft toy dog. The method is used in Ukraine to help children traumatized by war. NANews detailed this project in 2024.
The inclusion of “Hibuki” directly in the new KKL courses has not yet been confirmed by the organizers.
Inclusive education, school safety, and KKL’s environmental experience
On July 3, 2026, a resource center for inclusive education opened at the Kyiv Regional Institute of Postgraduate Education. It provides sensory spaces, STEM laboratories, equipment for children with hearing and vision impairments, art therapy, distance learning, and a mobile community assistance team “We Are Nearby 365.”
The center is not declared as part of the KKL program, but it operates on the basis of one of its organizers.
For Israeli readers, it is important to distinguish the conditions of school safety. In Israel, Home Front Command instructions are in place, and protected rooms are used. In Ukraine, the duration of alerts, the availability of shelters, and the condition of school buildings vary significantly by region. Therefore, it is about adapting Israeli experience, not literally transferring instructions.
The environmental direction is related to the main activities of Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (קרן קיימת לישראל). The fund was founded on December 29, 1901, at the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel to acquire lands for the Jewish national home. Subsequently, the organization engaged in reforestation, water resources, natural areas, and environmental education.
In 2026, KKL celebrates its 125th anniversary, including events with the participation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Yigal Yasinov: Kharkiv, Knesset, and the “Ukraine” Forest in the Negev
Yigal Yasinov was born on April 27, 1966, in Kharkiv. He repatriated to Israel in 1993, and after the parliamentary elections in January 2003, he became a member of the 16th Knesset from the secular party “Shinui,” which received 15 mandates.
Today he heads JNF-KKL “Eurasia.” On August 23, 2026, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Yasinov recorded a greeting in Ukrainian from the “Ukraine” forest in Israel’s Negev, in the Sha’ar HaNegev area, near the Gaza Strip.
The history of the memorial area includes the Odessa Grove of 2014, commemorative tree plantings, an olive tree associated with Petro Poroshenko, and the participation of Ukrainian representatives.
The “Ukraine” forest is located in the Dorot forest massif, which was affected in 2018 by fires caused by incendiary devices from Gaza. There are no confirmations of a direct rocket hit specifically in the Ukrainian memorial grove after October 7, 2023.
Other Israeli educational projects in Ukraine and further plans
Israeli experience is also used outside KKL programs. Educational programs for children undergoing long-term treatment in hospitals are developing in Ukraine. NANews previously reported on the Israeli model of education in Ukrainian children’s hospitals.
On June 18-19, 2026, at the Teachers of the Future educational festival in Lviv, the “Kindergarten of the Future of Ukraine” model, developed with the participation of the Israeli organization Early Starters International, was presented. The festival gathered over 2500 participants. The project is dedicated to emotional development, independence, and children’s adaptation to changes. Details — in the NANews publication.
These projects are not part of the announced KKL program and have independent organizers.
NANews Israel News Nikk.Agency traced the participation of Israeli organizations in the training of Ukrainian specialists since 2022: training of 62 psychologists in the Kyiv region, international KKL seminars with the participation of Ukrainian educators in 2023 and 2026, Natella Andryushchenko’s work with educational materials obtained in Israel, and the launch of new courses in Bila Tserkva.
As of October 29, 2026, JNF-KKL confirmed the start of the program and its main directions, but did not name the number of listeners, the full duration of the courses, teachers from Israel, sources of funding, certification conditions, and the timing of results.