The Smooth life working at Ayalim

The clock is ringing and it wakes me from my sleep. My eyes have barely opened as I look around and see people waking up. It is early morning, the stars are still out as the sky prepares itself to awaken, slowly opening up for dawn in the east.

"Good Morning." I hear from a sleeping bag near me. I nod my head in response. This has been my life for the last few days. This has been their life for the last few months. This has been life for the last 9 years in Ayalim.

We are gathering for breakfast, students from all around the country who have decided that their love for their country is expressed through doing, not just talking. The students themselves are joined by idealistic 18-19 year olds, volunteers in a gap year after their last year of high school who push back their army service and future plans in order to give a year of service to the communities of Israel. During the summer months, we all come together to forge the future of the Land.

After breakfast we start to work. Bricks, mortar, drills, electricity and water instillations, pipes - for some of us the language and those words were never part of our daily routine before we came here, but now are a part of our everyday vocabulary. We see people that love the country are taking it on it's next step forward, taking an active role and leaving the complaints and suffering we hear to change everyone's point of view. It's not just the scholarships that bring people here, or the commitment of community service to develop the periphery of the country, it is the declaration that the flag moving forward is the settlement of the Negev and the Galil. We hear the call to more than sitting in front of our TV's, more than living in house in Tel Aviv needing 5 people to get by month to month. Here you won't find the Tent City protests or the demands for someone to help us solve our problems. Here we don't have yells for Tzedek Hevrati (social justice) or affordable accomodation, because here the situation is different. Here people understand what Trumpledor, Jabotinsky, Shlomo Gur, Ben-Gurion, and others knew - there is nothing to complain about when life is hard, only action to take. You decide the reality you need to face, and you find yourself looking around at the strength of a group of young Jews, working in the desert heat with the sun in their faces, loading buckets of cement, building, and working. We are continuing the Zionist legacy we were raised with in way fitting for the 21st century.

What we give of ourselves is amazing, and it comes with the satisfaction that if you volunteer to help, things will be clear that the rewards are greater than any accomplishment from "Kochav Nolad" (Israeli Idol). There is no fifteen minutes of fame we strive for here. We search to give more than we receive, to understand that there is more than instant gratification that is so familiar in Western Culture. Because when you look at a wall you've built, or on a brick that you've lain, you know that in the end when the house is finished you were a part of that building and a part of that greater achievement. The knowledge that you are part of a movement that proves that Israel is still driven by people proving that the Zionist dream need not have any ethical or moral complications.

From a group of 2 men and one dog 9 years ago, Ayalim has grown to over 650 students, 70 Gap year participants, and too many dogs to count. Between studies, exams, and work, these people are committed to the goals they set out on here. At a time when tents are spread around the country with people saying they have no where to live and can't make ends meet month to month, no one asks the question of what the consequences are of a welfare state. There is a movement that does things differently. Who go beyond clicking "Like" on facebook to make a change. 

Many say that the protest in the last few months will be written in the history books as the biggest social protest in Israel, and children will learn in school about the Headquarters of Social Justice being in a pitched tent in the middle of the street. In the end I am reminded of the poem of Rachel, one of the first pioneers of Israel:

"Maybe this wasn't real. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe I never woke up with the Dawn to the garden to work hard and sweat."

Because in the end, at the bottom line, working hard, sweating, that is the way to make reality. This is how the country was built, and this will establish real accomplishments in Social Justice. The way to change things depends only on ourselves, and in this place the pleasure and satisfaction makes it a place where dreams truly come true.

- Boaz Zeira

Boaz is a first year student at the Kfar Adiel village in Ashalim. He has his own blog at http://www.tapuz.co.il/blog/net/userblog.aspx?foldername=loveIsael

Seek

Seek


I seek the peak of the mountain
It stands there tempting me with all its glory
Who would ever think such a desert pinnacle holds the key
The key to my new life
My life away from the obvious the mundane the stagnant
What would you do if given the choice?
Would you tame the desert beast or would you cower under your man made tower
Do not fret for I am no fortuneteller
But I do foresee adventure in your future if you choose to seek it
Seek it at the peak and let the mountain be yours



I wrote this poem in a writing class in less than 3 minutes. It’s not that I am a gifted poet or even that I write poetry, but it came to me naturally as if it was a no brainer. The Negev for me is not just a place but a state of mind. For me it represents a new and exciting experience that few have had the chance to comprehend. The Negev, just like the old American West has great potential, and like the gold miners of 1849, Ayalim and its students are the real pioneers of this move south. A people are only as strong as their weakest link. Currently both the south and north have much less infrastructure and opportunities than the center of the country. Israel cannot maintain its exponential growth without the successful integration of its northern and southern regions. Imagine America without San Francisco, Los Angeles, or even Las Vegas. Yet for the longest time no one dared to move west because it meant leaving the security of the already established east coast with cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. It took a courageous few to leave their comfort zones and venture out towards unchartered lands. Don’t just read about how the Negev was established, be a part of history and see for yourself.

Crossing the Language Divide

In the Bedouin Village of Bir Hadaj, deep in the Negev, the residents are Israeli citizens but Hebrew is rarely heard among them. Their neighbors, the students at Ayalim's Ashalim Student Village, wanted to do something about this.

"We want to bridge the gap between Bedouin and Israeli society," says Eran Shlomi, social director at the Ashalim Village, "and the children are the key."

As part of their social volunteer commitment, ten Ayalim students have started a Hebrew language after-school club in Bir Hadaj, mostly for children in fifth and sixth grade. In order to form the club, the students received approval from the Village's two elementary school principals and then went from house to house to get the parents' support.

"There is a lot of respect for school and studyin in the Village," says Shlomi, "and Ayalim's students were welcomed into the homes."

The students meet with over 20 children three times a week. They engage them in Hebrew language learning through fun, informal activities that also incorporate Israeli history, national symbols, the army, and national holidays. "These children live in Israel, yet know so little about Israeli culture and society," says Shlomi. "We want to expose them to that when they leave the Village they won't be in shock. The emphasis is on culture, never politics or religion."

"The children love the activities," Shlomi continues. "Although it's mostly for elementary school children, many bring brothers and sisters and cousins, and there are even some first graders in the class."

"The students are highly motivated and feel that they are doing something meaningful," says Shlomi. "They see the results of their work week after week." In addition, while they teach, Ayalim's students also learn about Bedouin culture from their pupils.

Ayalim's student volunteers hope that one day Israelis and Bedouin can live side-by-side in mutual respect and understanding. They see language as a great connector and their program as a significant beginning.

Building more than just buildings

I get asked a lot why I came to live in the middle of the desert, to give up my comforts of living in a big city for a lifestyle that in many ways adds more difficulty to one's day to day life, my answer was always "to build the future of the land of Israel." When I saw pictures of young people settling the Negev, building their own homes, working together and having fun, I was stuck by the romance of it all. Like the early pioneers who first came to Israel to build a more ideal society, I too wanted to be a part of the people that could say “I was there. I had a hand building something where there was once nothing.” I am proud to say I am a part of this, that the future of Israel I have had a hand in shaping, but I didn’t know exactly what I’d be building.

I am building a constructive role model for troubled youth. I am building a positive image of Israel and Jews with the Bedouin Arabs. I am building a future of opportunity for recovering addicts. I am building a community which goes beyond myself and my peers in Ayalim, but seeks to bring up the whole of the region with us. We have issued a call to action for the next generation of Jews, realizing that the work of establishing the country did not end in 1948. Only here, in an area so neglected by the past, so open and ready for change, so separate from the establishment and the tired ideas repeated over and over is such a change possible. This is the real goal of the Ayalim Association, to bring up the quality of life of all Israelis, regardless of age, race, or religion. A Renaissance of the vision of Herzl, a Jewish state with commitments to social values and Jewish morals, and all in the lands in which Ben-Gurion saw that very possibility.

 The recent protests raging across the country have come accompanied by demands for Tzedek Chevrati, or Social Justice, but what does this all mean? It is a vague demand and to what degree is the government even responsible? That may be a distinctly American way of thinking, but I can’t help but be reminded of JFK’s inaugural speech when he encouraged all Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” This spirit is alive and strong in Ayalim as we not only provide a legitimate alternative to rising costs of living in the center, but also want to ensure that it is not only ourselves and our future communities that are secured. We want to elevate the quality of life of all Israelis, and are willing to do the work to create that greater community and society.

              Living here and being a part of the Ayalim Association, we are constantly reminded that we don’t need to ask anyone for help in something we can do ourselves. From building our own pub to organizing projects to the local Bedouin school, from to planning our philosophical discussions and Beit Midrash to working with local bus lines to establish routes so the elderly will be able to do their daily grocery shopping, all aspects of our social and logistical lives are taken care of by us. So when I am asked why I came to live in the middle of the desert, my answer is still to build the future of the land of Israel. Only now it is so much more than just buildings. Come build with me.

End of Program Tiyul- a Microcosm of the last 5-months

Breakfast in the Negev, Lunch at Lake Kinneret, dinner in the Golan, a stroll around the Bahia Gardens in Haifa, a swim at the beautiful beach of Caeseria, a visit to the Illegal immigrant camps at Atlit and a delicious dinner in Beer Sheva. There aren’t many countries where you can enjoy such a variety of experiences in just two days.

Perhaps, these two jam-packed days, which made up the final Tiyul (tour) of the Ayalim Entrepreneurs program epitomise the diversity and richness of experiences that Ayalim participants have enjoyed over the past five months. During this time a small group of Diaspora Jews have been exposed to a unique side of Israel they would probably never have been aware of if it was not for the Ayalim program.

Like everything on the program, this Tiyul was nothing like the Tiyulim they were used to on Birthright and other Israel programs, where they were clearly outsiders, tourists coming to sightsee in the ‘Jewish homeland’. Rather the Ayalim Tiyulim are lead by Hadar, a dynamic Ayalim students with a background in Jewish and Israel history. Hadar has a wealth of knowledge on almost everything in Israel, and wherever you go she shares her knowledge and personal stories in an intimate way that would never have be possible with a busload of students.

Everything about the Ayalim program is personal and “real”. The participants have truly become part of the Ayalim student village, experiencing life as young Israelis and taking part in birthdays, weddings, tiyulim, Al HaAish (Barbeques), midnight walks through the desert, bonfires and more. As one visiting American friend described her weekend at the Ayalim’s Ashalim village, “it’s like living permanently in a summer camp for adults”.

The Tiyul followed the same pattern as the program, a mixture of activities designed specifically for the international students and activities in conjunction with the Israeli students. The trip coincided with the Ashalim village’s end of year Tiyul. So that in the evening the group met up with the Israeli students in a kibbutz in the Golan, where after watching a beautiful sunset they spent the night enjoying an “all HaAish” with the students.

During the day, in true Ayalim fashion the group enjoyed a flexible schedule where they visit places of interest where they had never been before. (The Tiyul also had an entrepreneurial aspect in that creative solutions were found in order to avoid the thousands of families who were enjoying the last week of summer vacation.) Besides visiting the Kinneret, Haifa and Caeseria the group also toured the Atlit immigrant detention camp which was established in the 1930s by the British to detain Jewish refugees who had illegally attempted to enter Israel. In addition to the official tour, Hadar spoke about her grandparents who after the Holocaust had been detained there before being sent back to Cyprus and then only later re-entering the land of Israel. As someone in the group pointed out Atlit was a poignant reminder of “how much we need to appreciate this country and how easy it is for us to come spend time here and enjoy all Israel has to offer”.

In sum, the Tiyul was a perfect ending to a program that has been in many ways as fun and exciting as it has been interesting and meaningful. It has incorporated both a strong and first hand understanding of Israel’s rich history and a real encounter with its people and a young generation of students, entrepreneurs and leaders who stand poised to play a role in determining the future of this unique country.

Reflections of an Angeleno: "There is still and always will be work to do in our homeland"

Reflections from an Ayalim Entrepreneurs Participant from Los Angeles

I had been living the life of so many 20-something Jewish Angelenos, and life was good. I worked at a job I enjoyed. I lived on the westside with a very close group of friends in a neighborhood of young people. I walked to Farmers Markets on Sunday mornings and live music on Wednesday evenings. Shabbat on Friday nights with my family and out to bars or parties on Saturday night. My biggest concern was my parents wanting me to find a girl and get married. I didn't know what I wanted as far as that, but I did know that I was looking for something more, something to do that I could feel good about and contribute to society. 

When I first heard about Ayalim, what struck me most was the fact that I had no idea what this program even was. Here was a group of young innovators, continuing the job of establishing the country of Israel that I in America thought was long over. Here was a community that saw the change they wanted in the world and picked themselves up from nothing to achieve their dreams not just through words, but the actions to make these dreams happen. Here was a society being created with the common goal of bringing what had been discussed for fifty years, the development of the periphery of Israel, and making it a reality. I wanted to know what was going on for myself, I wanted to be a part of having a hand in the future of the Jewish State. How in the world was all this happening, and no one had told me about it? How was it possible that when I discussed this Association with people they had never even heard of it? I wanted to take action myself, stop talking the talk and get my hands dirty doing things that needed to be done, no longer letting other people do all the work that I knew I was going to benefit from.

In America, it is easy to feel a disconnect to taking action for one's beliefs. The apathy of my generation is rampant not because of any lack of a desire to make change, but rather the burden, whether warranted or not, of feeling any change we struggle to create surely cannot be achieved in the climate of contention both at home and abroad. Here was a chance for me to be a part of something bigger than myself, and to be on the ground level of a change that is happening and no one can stop. Combining that with the Land of Israel, which I'd always longed for more of a connection to, only made this mission greater to me. I thought I knew what it meant to be a Zionist. To support the idea of a homeland for the Jews, to defend her reputation at home, and if needed, criticize and disagree in a healthy productive way when warranted. It wasn't until I arrived here in Ashalim that I realized that to be a part of creating that vessel that needed support, defence, and criticism could be so powerful. 

Let us establish a new role for Diaspora Jewry in the support and development of our Jewish Home. Let us not sit idly by as important and meaningful change happens that we should be a part of. There is work to be done here, and one need not make Aliyah to be an integral part of that. Living and working here evokes a feeling like no other. It is a feeling distinctly Jewish, raw and emotional, indescribable and touching. Wherever life should take me after this, I always will hold in my heart that I am a part of the people that did not rest, and made clear and evident the fact that there is still and always will be work to do in our homeland. 

Ayalim in Action- Offering an alternative solution to the housing protests

From its inception Ayalim has always been an organisation about “doing”. While most people sat talking about the apathy of the youth, the dwindling of Zionist ideals, and the numerous problems of Israeli society, the founders of Ayalim decided to take action and began building student villages in the Negev and Galilee regions with the vision of developing these peripheral areas of Israel. 

Today, 9 years later, the organisation is well established, operating on a national level with 13 villages and over 500 students living in the North and South of the country. However its leadership has in no way become complacent and continues to engage with and take an active part in the social issues of the nation. The current housing protest is no exception.

Unsurprisingly, Ayalim has chosen to participate in a somewhat unconventional manner and is plotting its own course in the social protests that have engulfed Israel in the past week, becoming the largest social demonstration in the history of the State of Israel. Ayalim sees itself as well positioned to offer an alternative solution to the problems of lack of affordable housing and high living costs that have galvanised over 150 000 people to take to the streets and demand the government address these issues. Ayalim sees at least part of the solution in focussing on the periphery, by removing unnecessary bureaucracy and giving people the incentives that will make it financially viable to move to these areas. Ayalim is calling on the government to support young people who have made this move and provide the means for others to do the same.

To this effect, Ayalim has taken the initiative to establish 11 residential points in the Negev and Galilee. Within one day 300 families had already signed up to live in these areas. Ayalim plans to follow a method reminiscent of the Homat V’Migdal techniques used by the pre-state pioneers who first built towers and then received official recognition to establish settlements.

However Ayalim’s actions are in no way politically contentious, in that all the locations where they are setting up caravan are in areas of consensus within Israel (within the Green Line.) These areas include Ramat HaNegev, Dimona, Yeruham, Ofakim, Mitzpeh Ramon and Kiryat Shmona. These are places that lack resources and human capital and can greatly benefit from an influx of young people who are fed up with the high costs of the city and are looking for an alternative lifestyle.

Ayalim hopes that within 21 days it will provide them with housing facilities and in 60 days the organisation expects to receive government approval for the building of permanent communities as part of its Housing Plan for the Negev and the Galilee. Ayalim Deputy Director Dany Gliksberg explains: “We need to offer young families like those protesting in the tent cities viable solutions for their future.” Ayalim sees the current housing protest as a historical opportunity that could potentially provide a catalyst for both developing the periphery and offering young Israelis the potential for an alternative, less stressful lifestyle in these areas.

Ayalim entrepreneurs- Pioneers in the 21st century

The sun has not yet fully risen, yet there is a buzz in the usually quiet desert landscape. It’s 5:30 a.m. and students are slowly beginning to emerge from the caravans and tents where they slept the night before. They sleepily spread chocolate spread onto their Matzot, while sipping Turkish coffee as they prepare themselves for a another day of hard work in the hot desert sun. Despite the fact that most only made it to bed a few hours before, they wake up voluntarily, ready to spend another day “getting their hands dirty” in the true sense of the word as they lay the bricks for a new set of houses.

If the unsuspecting visitor were to happen upon this scene, it would not be surprising if he began to wonder whether he was witnessing a desert mirage. Perhaps he will pinch himself and wonder whether he has travelled back in time and woken up in the 1940’s where he is witnessing a group of the Chaultzim (Pioneers) who are in the process of fulfilling the impossible dream of building the land and making the desert bloom. Perhaps our poor visitor will begin to wonder if too much time in the desert with too little water or too much Arak (a potent Middle-Eastern alcohol) has begun to muddle his mind.

However if this unsuspecting visitor would draw closer he would notice that there are loudspeakers blasting the latest Israeli tunes and that the Israeli flag hangs proudly above the building site. On closer inspection he would soon realise that these young men and women, in their standard Shoresh sandals and torn shorts, are in fact third generation Israeli “Sabras”, determined to ensure that their generation plays its part in the epic story of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

While to many this scene may seem to come out of a history book, it may actually sound quite familiar to thousands of Israeli students who have taken part in one of Ayalim’s regular “Shavuot Avodah” (Work Weeks) in the past 9 years. Over a few intensive days more than 500 students from across Israel come together to build houses, plant gardens, run children’s clubs and renovate one of the 12 Ayalim Student Villages that have been built by the Ayalim Association in the Galilee and Negev regions of the country since its establishment in 2002.

The last such “work week” was held this past April over Chol Hamoed Pesach. Students from across Israel, joined forces at Ayalim’s first student village, Adiel in Ashalim to build another 15 more houses in the village which already houses over 60 young Israeli students who currently study at Ben Gurion University. It’s hard to believe when witnessing such an event, which even included a visit from Israel’s President Shimon Peres, that all this began only nine years ago with a small group of young entrepreneurs who had just finished their army service. They had a vision of developing the Negev and Galilee by harnessing the talents, energy and idealism of the best and brightest young Israeli men and women.

Today the Ayalim Association serves over 20 000 at-risk youth and children in these areas. The association runs educational and social activities in Ayalim’s Ofarim Family centres, builds educational greenhouses at local schools, plants community gardens and most recently begun working with local Bedouin communities in the Negev. Beginning this year Jewish college graduates from around the world now also have the opportunity to be a part of these projects through the new Masa Ayalim Entrepreneurs Program.

The Ayalim Student Village model is based on a reciprocal relationship of social activism and entrepreneurship where the students in exchange for financial assistance for their studies engage in community service in the area and initiative projects to help develop and rejuvenate the region. These students are in many ways the Israeli pioneers of the 21 Century, who have made the decision to be a part of a vision that is greater than themselves and to live in a community that is based on giving and concern for others.

Perhaps most inspiring and encouraging is the popularity of these student villages among students who go through an intense selection process to be a part of these unique communities. Another impressive characteristic of the Ayalim villages is the diversity of the students that live there which includes both religious and secular students who come from vastly different backgrounds and who often have distinctively different political views. Visiting an Ayalim village, one is in many ways reminded of the egalitarian, socialist values at the heart of the establishment of the State of Israel. No one is too important to get involved in the physical work and at the same time no one is too small to take initiative and help shape and build the future of the organisation.

Despite this seemingly socialistic mentality and camaraderie that is at the heart of the organization, perhaps one of Ayalim’s most important features is its focus on entrepreneurship. Students are encouraged to initiate new projects and are given the support and guidance to make them into a reality. In this respect the organisation has recently initiated a new Masa program, the Ayalim Entrepreneurs Program focusing on entrepreneurship to give Jewish college graduates from around the world the ability to be part of this unique organisation as well as learn from some of the best of Israel’s entrepreneurs. The program is based in the Ashalim community, in what has been described as “Israel’s new pioneering frontier”- the Negev Desert.

Perhaps the greatest champion of this vision of the Negev Desert was Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion who lived in the Negev and is buried not far away in Sde Boker. Ben Gurion believed that “It is in the Negev that the creativity and pioneer vigour of Israel shall be tested.” The young Israeli entrepreneurs who form part of the Ayalim Association seem to have taken up that challenge in the 21st Century.

Caylee Talpert

For more information on the Ayalim Entrepreneurs program please e-mail entrepeneurs@ayalim.org.il or visit us at: http://ayalim.org.il/masa/

A day in the life of an Ayalim student

In this post, we will share with you a personal account of what it means to be an Ayalim student:

"Being an Ayalim student means doing 10 things at once- studying, organizing activities, going to activities, thinking about the next event and at the end of the day inviting friends from the village for dinner. It means studying at college or university but mainly learning about the reality we live in.

If we walk around the Kiryat Shmona village on an average day it is likely we will see a few things: children in an activity at the family center- participating in music, cooking, art, international club, magic and more, at the Gymboree across the road we will see mothers with their young children doing activities together with a small group of students in a warm family atmosphere, we will see students with the children they tutor on the way to the basketball court or the student's house, and a student in a car picking up seniors to go to the coffee shop where they will enjoy coffee and an activity organized by local youth and the students.

Besides all the activities (and there are far too many to list here), life in the village is filled with activities for the students- trips, workshops, parties and culture evenings.

Being a student in Ayalim means sacrificing a lot- hours of sleep, free time, study time, but mostly gaining- community life, meaningful life, close friends who are a support system and of course a lot of fun and experiences that remind me every day why the not always simple choice of Ayalim is the right choice.

It is waking up in the morning in the most beautiful area in the country and seeing the gaps between the beauty and the neglect where we live. It means deciding to truly wake up, continue being active, try to close this gap and continue the progress that has already begun in the neighborhood.

Being a student in Ayalim means being excited about even the smallest developments and changes in the residents. It is knowing that we are part of a process and that the little pleasures will multiply and lead to change.

In my opinion, it is seeing the potential and the place we're trying to get to, in the local community and with new communities, not giving up and keep moving forward with joy and good energies."

Chen, Kiryat Shmona student village, psychology and education student at Tel Chai college

Welcome to Ayalim's blog!

After 8 years of growth and activity and with the launch of our new website, we decided it's time to share online what is going on at Ayalim.

For those of you who don't know us, let me tell you a bit about Ayalim: The Ayalim Association is an Israeli non profit student organization that promotes settlement and social development in the Negev and the Galilee. These two regions comprise 80% of Israel's territory and produce only 8% of its economy. Sixty years after the foundation of the state, these regions still yearn for development. Founded in 2002 to undertake this critical challenge, Ayalim is committed to bringing to these areas promising young Israelis. It does so by founding student villages in the disadvantaged communities of Israel's South and North. In return for scholarships and discounted housing in the villages each Ayalim student works approximately 500 annual hours with children and youth at risk in the Negev and the Galilee.

Today, Ayalim lists over 500 students, living in eleven student and entrepreneur villages across the Negev and Galilee: Ashalim, the urban and rural villages in Dimona, Yachini, the villages in Beer-Sheva, Neve-Ur, Menachamia, Akko and Kiryat Shmona.

In this blog, we will be bringing you news from our 11 villages and introducing you to Ayalim's activity. We look forward to your comments and hope you enjoy hearing about us.

Come back next week for more news!

And check out our website: www. ayalim.org.il