Following the tragic events of October 7, the city of Tiberias faced the urgent challenge of absorbing over 12,000 evacuees from the north and south of Israel, including 3,000 displaced youth who needed to be integrated into local schools and to adapt to life in their new community. ​

Chen Ophir, the director of the Tiberias municipality's youth and culture unit, was unexpectedly tasked with leading the effort to integrate the evacuee children into the city's education system. This challenge was compounded by the fact that many of her colleagues, including the director of the education department, were called to reserve duty when the war started. Chen rose to the occasion and mobilized a team that repurposed everything from auditoriums to storage rooms into new educational spaces. Within two weeks, 1,100 students were enrolled in local schools, and within seven weeks, a new school was established to accommodate those who had not yet been placed.

Beyond providing for formal educational needs, Chen integrated evacuee youth into the municipal student council and set up the Wow Center, a place where displaced youth come together to relax and socialize. She also organized a shiva for a displaced family whose son fell in action and a bat mitzvah for an evacuated 12-year-old.

Chen’s remarkable leadership not only helped address the immediate needs of the evacuees but also underscored the power of collective effort during times of crisis. In the video above, she describes her experience firsthand and speaks about the invaluable support she received from the Mandel Center for Leadership in the North and the Mandel Graduate Unit in Jerusalem, whose staff members provided ongoing guidance and practical solutions​.

“You don’t need an official title to make a difference,” said Chen, ending with a message of hope. “We need the right people, effective management and leadership… Our country is still in its adolescence. But in the end, it will be fine. It will be good.”