World ORT welcomes first new school to its global network in four years

World ORT has added a new school to its global network for the first time in four years, welcoming Colegio UE Moral y Luces “Herzl-Bialik” in Caracas, Venezuela. The affiliation comes as Venezuela’s Jewish community works to recover from earthquakes that struck the country in June.

Founded in 1946, the school serves a Jewish community of some 4,000 people and enrolls 332 students from preschool through high school.

World ORT said the affiliation is expected to strengthen the school’s academic offerings and raise its profile within the local community.

The relationship predates the formal affiliation, as students from the school have taken part in World ORT’s Ecology Summer School. World ORT has also operated in Venezuela, running educational and vocational programs across the country and training students and craftspeople in trades including plumbing, electricity and oil-industry crafts.

World ORT chief executive officer Dov Ben-Shimon said: “We are honored to officially welcome Colegio UE Moral y Luces ‘Herzl-Bialik’ to the World ORT network.

“This affiliation has been years in the making, but its timing could not be more meaningful. Venezuela’s Jewish community is still recovering from the earthquakes that struck in June and this school no longer has to face that recovery alone. It now has the full strength of a global network behind it, exactly when it’s needed most.”

School board president Deborah Mizrahi de Sananes said: “We are deeply honored to become part of the World ORT network, connecting our students and educators with a worldwide community that shares our values of excellence, innovation, Jewish identity and social responsibility.

“This year, as we celebrate 80 years serving the Jewish community of Caracas, joining the World ORT network is a natural next step: it connects our legacy with a global vision for the future, creating new opportunities for our students, educators, and families.”

The affiliation comes after years in which Venezuela’s Jewish community and the country more broadly have navigated significant political and economic challenges. In June, two earthquakes struck Venezuela. While no members of the school community were physically harmed, the earthquakes affected many families and caused serious damage to the school’s facilities.

World ORT by the numbers

145 years of operation

More than 30 countries

Five continents

More than 80,000 students

More than 200,000 beneficiaries annually