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.