The Task of Our Generation is to Build a Strong and High-Quality Public Service

Throughout the history of the State of Israel, the education system has been a cradle for nurturing leaders of significant national missions. Within the walls of schools, youth movements, and preparatory schools, the foundational ethos of Israeli society was born—settlement in the Negev and Galilee, significant military service, and volunteering for education in peripheral areas. 

Recent times have highlighted the critical role of public systems in our national resilience—welfare systems supporting underserved populations, infrastructures connecting localities, and procurement processes ensuring emergency preparedness. The reality we live in today is a direct result of decisions and investments made by public servants a decade or two ago. The future reality for our children and grandchildren depends on the decisions made today. 

Globally, the public service is in crisis, including here in Israel. Talented young people are turning to other career paths, perceptions of responsibility for governance are changing, and the employment world is undergoing a transformation. Yet, Israel is unique. We have always been able to identify national challenges and mobilize for them. The civic awakening we are witnessing today—the desire to take responsibility, to volunteer, to choose a meaningful career—is a historic opportunity. Just as the pioneers dried the swamps and made the wilderness bloom, our generation’s task is to build a strong, high-quality public service. 

This is not a story about “bureaucracy” or “clerkship.” It’s a story about civic leadership, about making a real difference in Israeli society. It’s about a city planner shaping the future neighborhoods, an economist leading a reform affecting the cost of living, and a director of an education department transforming education in an entire city. For this to happen, we need you, the educators. You are the ones who can ignite the spark in young people’s eyes, showing them the meaning in what they do. You can position public service as a meaningful fulfillment goal, just as you have done with other great fulfillment goals. 

Here are some practical ways to get started: 

• Inspirational sessions with top public servants: Sessions that reveal success stories, challenges, and impact of their work. 
• Shadow internship: A program allowing teens to accompany public servants and experience the routine of work and its impact. 
• ‘Policy Maker’ workshops: Simulations and role-playing games illustrating decision-making processes in the public sector. 
• Local Youth Parliament: A forum convening with local authority representatives to discuss topical issues and impact policy. 
• Hackathons to solve public administration challenges: Competitions where youth offer creative solutions to local challenges. 
• Tours in local authorities and government offices. 
• Course ‘Introduction to Public Service:’ A program to understand the structure, functions, and impact of public service. 

These are just some ways to recognize the importance of public service and set it as a fulfillment goal. Beyond specific actions, it is important to understand the big picture — we’re talking about shaping a new generation of leaders who will choose to lead change from within the system. It’s a national mission that requires us to rethink the meaning of fulfillment in Israeli society. And if there is anyone who can lead this change, it is you, the educators, who have always known how to present the truly important challenges to the young generation.