חוברת מידע

Table of content 4 6 The Story of Kerem Shalom 8 We Become a Movement 10 Who are we? 11 What comes first?  12 Our Approach 13 Vision and Values 14 What we do 16 Strategic Plan for 2020  18 Our Staff  20 Partners and Supporters Our voices

The Shtula community is the first in the Galilee. It was established in 2019 and has 28 members. Shtula Soldiers’ Community The Kisufim community The urban soldiers’ established in 2018, Community in Arad comprising 25 members. was established in 2019 and comprises Kisufim 30 members. It is the first urban garin and is Ein HaShlosha the process of coalescing. The Ein HaShlosha community established in 2018, Arad comprising 22 members. Kerem Shalom Tzochar The Kerem Shalom community The Tzochar community the first of the Soldiers’ Communities, established in established in 2019, comprising 22 members. 2017 and comprising 28 members.

The Story of Kerem Shalom Asher Katz, the founder of the Soldiers’ Communities, tells how it all got started: A year and a half ago, I found myself in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom with some friends from the army. Located right on the border with Gaza and suffering from the terrible security situation that followed the Israeli withdrawal from Gush Katif, the place was largely abandoned. Sand covered former lawns and empty houses completed the picture of neglect. My friends and I sat down and started to sing and a resident came up to us and commented, \"It's good to see some young energy in this place\". In that moment I decided to move there. I sent a message to my soldier friends, \"Does anyone want to move with me to Kerem Shalom?\", and by the end of the week 70 soldiers had signed on. 4

Once there, we painted, planted, sawed, and hammered. We wanted to create attractive and pleasant public spaces not only to improve the look of the place, but to encourage a community atmosphere. We held mass 'renovation days' that brought in droves of volunteers and got the word out that something new and exciting was happening in this embattled and forgotten corner of the country. We set-up weekly activities for local kids and youth with the goal of proliferating that \"young energy\" that the resident had spoken so wistfully about. Since we came to Kerem Shalom, another 15 families have moved to the kibbutz and there is a waiting list for those wanting to join. Another 50 housing units are under construction to accommodate the demand. As for our soldiers group, we have made our home in Kerem Shalom and continue to live there following our release from the army. Our intention is to build our adult lives there. 5

We Become a Movement To our great surprise and pleasure, that is only the beginning of our story: a spontaneous gesture swelled into a movement and there are now six communities such as ours. The tremendous promise of the \"Soldiers’ communities\" is only starting to unfold. The current six communities were established on an ad hoc basis: soldiers were clamoring to be a part of our initiative and so we kept forming more and more groups. It quickly became obvious that to actualize this large wave of human and social potential, an institutional framework needed to be created and programs developed to promote the settlement and acculturation process on a large scale. Therefore, our next step was to form an umbrella organization for the movement. 6

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Who are we? We are soldiers serving our compulsory army service. Members come from all parts of the country, from all sectors of Israeli society and from all the different army units. We are secular and religious, from big cities and far-flung moshavim, native Israelis and lone soldiers who have made aliyah without their families. What we have in common is the belief that our Israeli identity is far more significant than any sectoral identity and the desire to be part something much bigger than ourselves: the building of our country according to Jewish and Zionist ideals. 8

How does it work? Groups – called \"Soldiers’ Communities\" – of twenty to thirty soldiers on active duty move to challenged communities in the Negev and the Galilee. On the weekends, when the army discharges them to their family homes, they head instead for their new homes on the country's borders. On Thursday and Friday they engage in projects that both bond them with and contribute to their new communities. On Shabbat they enjoy communal meals and host gatherings with local youth that bring a fresh and vigorous new atmosphere to their locales. The members of the Soldiers’ Communities obligate themselves to make their permanent homes in their adopted communities following their army service. 9

What comes first? Looking at Israeli history, we ask ourselves: What came first? A unique generation that established a nation or the goal of establishing a nation that created a unique generation? We believe that the goal shapes the generation. A classic pioneering song from pre-state days says \"We came to the Land of Israel to build and be built by it.\" On the face of it, the Soldiers’ Communities are a means to rehabilitate communities in distress and accelerate the growth of Israel's underdeveloped periphery, but on a deeper level they are a means to actualize the potential of our generation. 10

Our Approach Our approach is to turn the common wisdom on its head. Instead of a top-down model of government policy creating incentives and offering solutions to draw people to disadvantaged areas, we want to bring motivated and talented young people at the start of their adult lives to these areas in the belief that they will create their own solutions to the obstacles they face. We see the center of gravity of a person's life as decisive. We are appealing to people with an entrepreneurial spirit, most of whom fulfill key positions in the army, and proposing that they flip the center of gravity of their lives from a focus on personal advancement to a wider ideological perspective of building their personal lives around building up their surroundings. Instead of bringing employment and educational solutions to lure people to challenged areas, we are bringing people who will create their own solutions! 11

Vision and Values Our vision: is to create a generation that will develop the country by centering their lives around national goals and missions. Values Our values: • Mutual responsibility Vision • Entrepreneurship • Love of country based on Jewish and Zionist tradition Goals Goals: 1. Creating communities with an intensive communal life centered around national goals. 2. Initiating projects that will promote development in the Negev and Galilee. 3. Promoting Jewish and Zionist values. 12

What we do Form groups of 20-30 On completing their army Create young, vibrant soldiers who in their service, the members communities rich free time work on self- figure out how to build in initiatives and generated community their adult lives in their opportunities that will projects that integrate chosen communities by attract subsequent them into life in their creating the frameworks waves of newcomers. new homes and that will address their communities. needs 13

Strategic Plan for 2020 January 1, 2020 Complete our evaluation of the progress and challenges of the March 1, 2020 existing six Soldiers’ Communities in order to map out the process and end of the first quarter requirements for establishing strong and stable foundations for the June 1, 2020 Soldiers’ Communitys. end of second quarter Finalizing the organizational structure of the umbrella organization; creating a framework for the transition from army service to civilian life; deciding whether to establish new Soldiers’ Communities. Continuing to lay the social and economic basis for the existing Soldiers’ Communities and planning the next wave. 14

September 1, 2020 Activating the post-army transition program for the second wave of end of third quarte soldiers due to be released in the summer; if it is decided to January 1, 2021 create newSoldiers’ Communities, launching the process. The year-end goals are: 1. To have the six currently existing Soldiers’ Communities firmly and stably established; To have the umbrella organization working efficiently; 2. To have a successful post-army transition program in place; 3. If it is decided to establish new Soldiers’ Communities, to have the process in progress. 15

Our Staff The umbrella organization has one full-time paid staff member and five part-time volunteers. Asher Katz - founder and CEO. Asher grew up in Neveh Daniel. He is a member of Soldiers’ Community Kerem Shalom and served in the Tunnel Monitoring unit within IDF’s Southern Command. Additionally, Asher authors the blog ‘Daily Zionism’. Asher is in charge of management, coordination an supervision of the organization. Bar Chiut – Strategic Coordinator. Bar grew up in Korazim in the Upper Galilee. He is a member of the Soldiers Community in Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha and in the army is a combat navigator in the Air force. He is responsible for building long-term strategic plans and overseeing their implementation. New ideas, approaches, and Soldiers’ Community locations pass through him for integration into current work plans. Idan Dardik – Development Coordinator. Idan grew up in Beit El and is a member of the Soldiers Community in Kibbutz Kisufim. He is an officer in the elite unit of Egoz. Idan is responsible for recruiting new soldiers and accompanying them through the process of 16

coalescing into a strong working group. Shachar Bar Yitzchak – Content Coordinator. Shachar was raised in Ashchar and is a member of the Soldiers Community in Tzochar. She is a staff officer in the Officers Training School. Shachar is responsible for formalizing and standardizing the plans, methods, and processes that have proven most successful into an 'operations manual' for building strong Soldiers’ Communities. Omri Hallel – Soldiers’ Community Coordinator. Omri was raised in Shoham and is a member of the Soldiers’ Community in Kerem Shalom. He is an officer in the elite reconnaissance unit Orev . Omri is responsible for day to day contact with the Soldiers’ Communities, accompanying them through all the stages of their establishment. He facilitates the communication and cooperation between the different Soldiers’ Communities and with the umbrella organization. Lavi Eisenman – New Media Coordinator. Lavi was raised in Neve Daniel. He is an intelligence officer in a classified unit. He is responsible for promoting and 'trending' the movement. 17

Partners and Supporters The Soldiers’ Communities are fortunate to have found generous and experienced partners who are supporting and mentoring our process: 1. The Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization – Through this division, the government of Israel establishes rural communities and aids in strengthening existing ones. It has funded physical projects. 1. The Ministry of Agriculture – The agriculture ministry aids in the development of the country's agricultural industry as well as supporting rural agricultural communities. It too has funded physical projects of the Soldiers’ Communities. 1. The Jewish National Fund, England (JNF UK) – Britain's oldest Israel charity has supported Zionist pioneering since before the state was founded. Today, its focus is on promoting development in the under-developed south of the country. The JNF UK has helped fund physical projects. 18

1. Tnuat Or – The Or Movement is a private organization dedicated to the development and population of the Negev and Galilee regions of Israel. They have been very generous in sharing their experience and expertise with us. 1. Tal Russo – General Russo is the former commander of the IDF's Southern Command as well as the former commander of the Depths Corps. 1. Noam Lanir – Mr. Lanir is an Israeli businessman and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Babylon and contributes to many educational projects throughout the country. 19

Our voices Hello, my name is Shahak, I am 21 years old and I am originally from Tel-Aviv. Why originally you ask? Well, I recently moved to Kibbutz Kisufim, which is located near the Gaza Strip. How did I get there? I overheard about this project during a rather boring meeting in the army, and I decide to come check it out that same weekend. Everything from that stage forward is history- well, not quite, but mainly the love story formed between myself and the Kibbutz. First and former, I am led by Zionism,along with the vision and desire to succesfully strengthen and further the State of Israel through my personal world, and of course the connection to my friends and the members of the Kibbutz which became my second home. Being part of something larger than just myself grants me a strong feeling of meaning and satisfaction, which drives me to drive down south weekend after weekend to Kissufim. 20

One of the things that I love most about my Soldiers’ Community is tradition - each week we cook together for our Shabbat meal, and each week someone else decides that this he or she will be the star chef. Alongside this we will sing Shabbat hymns, some with better voices than others, but always together. (Shahak Banai) My name is Jenna, I’m 19 from Australia, and a lone soldier in israel. Before I discovered the Soldiers’ Community, I was living with other lone soldiers in an apartment in central Israel. As much as I loved living with my friends in a big city and volunteering in the army, I felt I needed more meaning in my life. The idea of settling in the periphery areas of israel, whilst being able to live with likeminded Israelis, really helped me to be able to integrate further into the Israeli culture and made me feeling like I’m making a real impact on Israeli society. (Jenna Lazarus) 21

Living your dreams: How often do we tell ourselves; “Wow, look at how inspiring this person is”, or “Wow, what amazing things this person does”. How often are we awe-stricken with people’s life work. How much courage it takes to go out of your comfort zone in order to achieve one’s dreams. I am not referring to a materialistic dream such as a fantasy post army service trip, or that amazing car that we want to purchase. I am referring to dreams that we believe in. Each one of us had a dream to be the 21st century’s Ben- Gurion or Jabotinsky, or alternatively to be Messi or, God forbid, Ronaldo. How many of us, or the people surrounding us, put all of their comfort aside and uproot their lives in order to live such a dream? These people are incredibly rare. In the past year I have become a part of a group of incredible people that decided to do this. That left their Mom and and Dad and their friends, and moved to a completely separate 22

place - one where they can fulfill their dreams and ideologies. I am part of a group that was not promised a thing. We know not what will occur tommorow, or in the days to come, but we do know one thing - we have arrived at this place in order to live slightly bigger lives. We are not establishing a country, forming an underground rebellion or even becoming the star goals in the National League, but in the small place in which we are living we are attempting to go the extra mile, and to constantly take that one extra step that will take us slightly out of balance, and throw us out of our comfort zone. As the saying goes, “Life is like riding a bicycle - if it is tough, it is a sign that you are pedaling uphill.” God willing, we will continue to build and create, and rise in our journey. (Dor Vishengurd) 23

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“It is in the Negev that the creativity and pioneer vigor of Israel shall be tested. Only by means of a united effort of a pioneering nation we can tackle the huge task of making the desert bloom. This effort will secure the future of the State of Israel, our people and civilization as a whole.” David Ben Gurion For more information: mail: [email protected] cellphone: 972-52-8830152 Graphic Design: rachelm.studio