From Learning Potential to Professional Achievement: Empowering Ultra-Orthodox Women Through Nursing Education
Written by: Debbie Mankowitz
•
Date: October 18th, 2026
How the Feuerstein Institute combines cognitive development, individualized support, and professional education to help women build brighter futures.
The opportunity to pursue higher education can transform lives, providing access to professional achievement, economic independence, and new possibilities for future generations. For Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) women, however, the path to a professional qualification may require overcoming educational, financial, and personal challenges.
The Feuerstein Institute’s Nursing Program helps talented women navigate these challenges, enabling them to pursue a nursing career in an educational environment that honors their religious values and cultural identity.
Currently, 43 women are participating in the program, which is operated by the Tessler Academic School of Nursing at Sanz Medical Center–Laniado Hospital in Netanya, in partnership with Ruppin Academic Center. Students complete a four-year program of academic and clinical study leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), preparing them to enter Israel’s healthcare workforce.
At the heart of the program is the Feuerstein Institute’s distinctive approach to identifying, understanding, and developing each individual’s learning potential.
Looking Beyond Academic Performance to Recognize Potential
Conventional academic measures do not always capture a person’s capacity to learn and develop. Previous educational opportunities and experiences can influence what a student has already achieved, without necessarily reflecting what she is capable of achieving with appropriate support.
The Feuerstein approach looks beyond existing knowledge to explore how individuals learn, respond to challenges, and develop new cognitive strategies. Through assessment and individualized guidance, the Institute helps identify learning potential and supports students in strengthening the skills needed to progress.
For nursing students, these skills are especially important. Professional nursing education requires the ability to process complex information, solve problems, adapt to new situations, and apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings.
Feuerstein-based support helps students develop these capacities while managing the academic and practical demands of their studies. By addressing individual learning needs and building effective learning strategies, the program aims to ensure that a student’s potential is not constrained by her prior educational circumstances.
This approach embodies a central principle of the Feuerstein Institute: the capacity to learn is not fixed, and with appropriate mediation and support, individuals can continue to develop and achieve their potential.
Providing Access to Professional and Economic Opportunity
The nursing program offers more than an academic qualification. It provides a pathway to skilled employment and greater economic opportunity for women and their families.
Haredi women play a vital role in supporting their households financially, yet their average earnings remain substantially lower than those of non-Haredi Jewish women. Access to professional education can expand employment opportunities and build a stronger foundation for lasting economic security.
For women pursuing a demanding nursing degree, achieving this goal requires considerable commitment. Students must balance intensive academic and clinical training with family responsibilities and, in many cases, the need to earn an income while studying.
The program’s educational structure is designed to support these women in pursuing their professional ambitions while remaining connected to their religious identity and community.
Financial Support That Helps Students Succeed
Financial constraints can be a major barrier to completing higher education. Tuition, transportation, educational materials, and living expenses can place considerable pressure on students and their families, particularly during an intensive four-year degree program.
For the Feuerstein Institute, financial assistance complements the educational intervention. Identifying and developing a student’s learning potential is an important first step; ensuring that financial difficulties do not prevent her from completing her education is equally important.
Together, individualized guidance and financial support help create the conditions in which students can develop their abilities and translate them into meaningful professional achievement.
Preparing the Next Generation of Nurses
The nursing program combines theoretical instruction with extensive clinical training, culminating in a BSN degree and in the Israeli Ministry of Health licensing examination.
Laniado reports that approximately 94–96% of its nursing-school graduates pass the licensing examination on the first attempt. Feuerstein-supported students are included in the cohorts reflected in these overall results. Although this figure is not a separate measure of outcomes for Feuerstein-supported students, it provides context for the professional training environment in which they study.
For participating women, completing the program can mark the beginning of a meaningful career in healthcare, offering opportunities to apply their knowledge, serve patients, and contribute to the wider community.
An Impact That Extends Beyond the Individual
The benefits of education extend beyond professional qualifications and employment. When women have the opportunity to realize their potential, their achievements can influence their families and communities.
Graduates can serve as role models for younger women, showing that higher education and professional advancement are attainable while maintaining a strong connection to religious and cultural values. Their experiences may broaden expectations and motivate others to pursue opportunities that once seemed out of reach.
The program therefore supports advancement on several levels: educational, professional, economic, and within the family and community.
From Potential to Possibility
The Feuerstein Institute’s Nursing Program brings together a distinctive understanding of learning potential, individualized cognitive and academic support, and access to professional education. By helping talented Ultra-Orthodox women meet the challenges of nursing school, the program opens a path to qualification, meaningful employment, and greater economic independence.
For the women currently participating, this is an opportunity to build their futures through education and professional achievement. Their progress also reflects a broader principle at the heart of the Feuerstein approach: when individuals have the right opportunities and support, their capacity to learn and develop can open doors to achievements that once seemed beyond reach.
Leave a Reply