Israeli President Shimon Peres opened the new school year at a special ceremony in the president's house in Jerusalem on August 26.
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Visiting pupils on their first day of school, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted his government's decision last year to provide free education for 3- and 4-year-olds.
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The record number of children attending school has necessitated a growing educational infrastructure: there are now 62,955 classrooms in Israel and 141,085 teachers, administrators and other staff.
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Students in Sderot started the school year safe from attack in a new rocket-proof school building. The $27.5 million structure features concrete walls, reinforced windows and a unique architectural plan all designed to absorb rocket fire.
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Among the 145,374 first-graders was Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were murdered in the 2008 terrorist attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai, India.
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Thousands of children of migrant workers also began the school year, including these first-grade Filipino students at Paula Ben Gurion School in Jerusalem.
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