​In 1981, shortly after my marriage, my wife and I moved to the city of Migdal HaEmek in Northern Israel. I was born in Jerusalem, and my wife was born in Tiberias. At the time, I was serving in the Israeli Air Force near Haifa, while my wife was teaching first grade in nearby Nof HaGalil. We were looking for a place where we could begin our lives together.

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We heard about a unique Torah community in Migdal HaEmek, founded by a distinguished rabbi from America whom we had never met before – Rabbi Nachman Bulman zt"l. We thought we would stay for a year or two.​

More than forty years later, we are still here.

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What we found was far more than a community. We found an extraordinary Rabbi and a remarkable vision. Rabbi Bulman possessed a rare ability to bring people together. Americans and Israelis, newcomers and veterans, all felt that they belonged. He built a community guided by Torah wisdom, combined with a deep understanding of the human soul.

His shiurim, delivered in both English and Hebrew, together with his personal concern and genuine care for every individual, drew us in like a magnet.

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When the community needed someone to help oversee the education of its children, I volunteered. I had previous experience in education and wanted to help Rabbi Bulman realize his pioneering dream in Migdal HaEmek. At that time, the school was very small – only six girls and a handful of boys – yet Rabbi Bulman immediately entrusted me with the title and responsibility of principal.

I had the privilege of working alongside Rabbi Bulman for approximately fifteen years. During that time, I received guidance and educational insight that no university degree could ever provide. Although I later earned advanced academic degrees in education, the wisdom I learned from Rabbi Bulman came through direct experience and personal mentorship – what our Sages call Shimush Chachamim, learning from a great teacher through close association.

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The institutions we built together included a girls’ school, a boys’ Talmud Torah, and early childhood programs. Rabbi Bulman was personally involved in every decision, large and small. He believed that education itself is Torah, and that educators must constantly learn and grow.

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Over time, the original community unfortunately dispersed. Many families found it difficult to earn a livelihood in the region, and Rabbi Bulman himself faced serious health challenges that eventually required him to return to Jerusalem. The community changed, the population evolved, and many of the original students moved on.

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I made the decision to remain in Migdal HaEmek and continue the work that we had begun together.

As the years passed, increasing numbers of Sephardic and traditional Israeli families were drawn to our schools. They found in Nachliel a place where their children could receive a strong Torah education combined with warmth, dignity, and personal growth – what we call:

  Excellence with Soul- "רמה עם נשמה"

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Rabbi Bulman once told me that because the institutions continued to flourish, his feelings about the dissolution of the original community were not feelings of mourning, but of sadness tempered by continuity. The mission was continuing.

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I vividly remember my final visit with Rabbi Bulman in Jerusalem, just four days before his passing. He was no longer able to speak. As he lay in bed, weakened by illness, I took his hand and told him:

“We are continuing, and with Hashem’s help we will continue. The institutions are growing, and there is great success.”

He squeezed my hand gently, as if offering his blessing.

That was our farewell.

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Today, the Nachliel Girls School serves approximately two hundred students. After decades of operating without a permanent facility, we are now building our own campus. The school still bears the name Rabbi Bulman chose – Nachliel – and his photograph hangs proudly at the entrance and in the principal’s office.

I serve today as the school’s rabbi, and whenever an important decision must be made, I find myself asking:  “What would Rabbi Bulman have done?”

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In Migdal HaEmek, many people simply refer to our school as “Bulman School.” Few still know the full story behind that name.

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I was privileged to work beside Rabbi Bulman for fifteen years. I believe that the continued growth of Nachliel Girls School is the truest memorial to the educational legacy he left behind.

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His vision lives on every day in the classrooms, hallways, and hearts of our students.

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