Bachelor’s Degree Commencement Exercises at the Elkana Campus

 By Shabtai Teller, “Kol HaOrot”

At a moving ceremony, attended by a large crowd of many parents, spouses, relatives, and other guests, 150 graduates of Orot Israel College recently participated in their commencement exercises at the Elkana Campus. Degrees were conferred in the following fields of study: early childhood education, special education, secondary education, and dance and movement. The exercises began with introductory remarks from President of the College Rabbi Professor Neriah Gutel, and these were followed by blessings from Chairman of the Academic Council Professor Yisrael Rich.

Rabbi David Boskila, representing the Department for Training Teaching Professionals, also offered blessings to the graduates. The guest of honor at the festivities was the Chair of the Administration for Religious Education and the Rabbi of Ofra, Rabbi Avraham Gisser. His address focused on the ethical-educational advantage of private colleges over other institutes of higher learning, emphasizing that the graduates’ principal function as teachers is to serve as spiritual role models for thousands of Israeli children.
Distinguished awards were conferred upon the graduates Rivka Artzi, Hen Ben Hamu, Reut Nussbaum, Lital Edot, and Adi Feldman. The graduate speaker was Michal Landau, who currently serves as a homeroom teacher and instructor in media studies for the tenth grade at the AMIT girls’ school in Beer Sheva. In her address, she highlighted the profound investment that the College and its staff have made in their pedagogical methods and their Torah-ethical approach.
The College’s graduates serve in numerous, varied educational roles, in diverse sectors and educational institutions throughout Israel.