Boston-based venture capitalist Izhar Armony has committed $25 million of his family’s wealth to improving education in Israeli communities affected by the October 7, 2023, attacks, believing better schools could encourage displaced families to return home.
Armony’s involvement began shortly after the attacks, when his cousin, Sharon Avigdori, and her 12-year-old daughter, Noam, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri and taken to Gaza. Both were released in November 2023 during the first hostage-release deal.
Following the incident, Armony travelled to Israel on October 10, 2023, and joined a five-person team helping evacuated families secure temporary accommodation. His early efforts included providing displaced families with basic necessities such as underwear and toothpaste.
“I felt it was my responsibility because I can,” Armony said, explaining why he chose to become directly involved rather than simply provide financial support from Boston.
His involvement later expanded into education after leaders of communities near the Gaza border warned that families might not return unless conditions improved. A population survey conducted in February 2024 identified schools as a key factor in encouraging their return.
In response, Armony founded Habaita in 2024 to support educational programmes in Israel’s Western Negev and Galilee regions. The initiative, which operates across 14 municipalities, provides students with opportunities in technology, performing arts and competitive sports.
By the 2025–2026 school year, the organisation reported that its programmes had reached 40,000 students, up from 9,900 during its initial pilot phase.
Armony’s family has committed $25 million towards the initiative’s $120 million five-year budget, with additional contributions expected from Jewish philanthropic organisations and the Israeli government.
Despite the scale of the investment, Armony has set a firm deadline for the initiative to end in 2029, arguing that the government must eventually take responsibility for sustaining successful programmes.
“If we say we’ll be here forever, the government has no incentive to step in,” he said.
Armony acknowledged that improving education would not, by itself, guarantee the return of displaced residents, as population recovery also depends on other factors. However, he said the initiative was tracking parents’ and students’ satisfaction with schools to assess its impact.
Since the October 7 attacks, Armony said his priorities had shifted considerably. Having previously visited Israel mainly for family holidays, he spent 165 days in the country one year and 155 days the next, devoting more of his time to humanitarian and educational efforts.
He said his ultimate goal was to help drive population growth in the Western Negev and Galilee by improving education, while ensuring that government authorities and local municipalities could sustain successful programmes after his initiative closes.