Growing up in Tzfat
Schools & kids
How school and kindergarten registration works in Tzfat, which kinds of schools the city has, and the extra help new-immigrant children receive.
Photography: Yitzhak Ponte
Registration, step by step
All schools and kindergartens go through the municipal education department. Information usually comes out in December, registration runs in January–February, and placement letters arrive in June–July; you then have seven days to appeal. Families registering for the first time after aliyah usually go in person.
What to bring
Teudat Zehut numbers for each child and parent (passport numbers are accepted if you don't have them yet) and proof that you live in Tzfat: an arnona bill in your name, or a rental contract for at least a year with the parents' names on it.
Gan (kindergarten)
Gan is compulsory and free from age 3 to 6. There is a modest yearly fee for the compulsory kindergarten year, and afternoon programmes (tzaharon) cost extra. Care for babies and toddlers up to age 3 is optional and subsidised by income.
The kinds of schools
Tzfat has state schools, state-religious (mamlachti dati) schools, Chareidi schools — Ashkenazi and Sephardi, including Beit Yaakov for girls and Talmud Torahs — and Chabad schools. Chareidi schools usually take applications directly: you apply to the school first and register once your child is accepted.
Help for new-immigrant children
Schools must give immigrant pupils individual or group support. A staff member follows each child, Hebrew progress is tracked, and the immigrant-pupil file stays open for the first three years. In their first year children are exempt from national tests and receive accommodations such as extra time and translated instructions.
High school
Registration for state-religious high schools starts around December and for state high schools around March. Many high schools also hold an entrance test and an interview, so start early.
Details checked November 2026. Hours and rules change — confirm before you go.
Good to know
Questions residents ask
When do I register my child for school or gan in Tzfat?
Usually in January–February for the school year that starts in September, through the municipal education department. Olim registering for the first time usually do it in person.
What documents do I need?
Teudat Zehut or passport numbers for the child and parents, and proof of address — an arnona bill or a rental contract for at least a year.
From what age is gan compulsory?
From age 3. Gan for ages 3–6 is free, apart from a small yearly fee and optional afternoon programmes.
Will my child get help with Hebrew?
Yes. Schools must give immigrant pupils support, track their progress for the first three years and give them accommodations in tests.
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