March 15, 2010 / 29 Adar 5770
Anyone who visits the youth villages in Israel’s Negev region cannot help but feel inspired by the blossoming of what was once barren, desolate land, thanks to the hard work of the younger generation.
And this is precisely the emotion felt by Lee Wunsch, President of the Houston Federation, and Vice President Suzanne Jacobson, as they set out for a preliminary tour of the Ramat Hanegev area on Sunday, March 7th.
During their trip they visited the Kfar Adiel students village in Moshav Ashlim, where they heard an overview about the work of the Ayalim organization. The guests toured the village and met the students who live there, study in the University of the Negev in Be’er Sheva, and volunteer in educational programs in communities throughout the Negev. The students are even building the village – by themselves.
After the visit in Kfar Adiel, Lee and Suzanne proceeded to Ramat Hanegev, where they visited the Center for the Development of the Negev, learned about the latest, state-of-the-art agricultural technology, and toured modern greenhouses.
Afterward, they visited the pool complex in Neve Midbar and were impressed by the high quality of service offered at the facility. They met women from Ofakim who are employed as chefs at the Neve Midbar restaurant and prepare tasty, authentic foods of all the various ethnicities in Israel.
The visit was a resounding success. Lee and Suzanne saw firsthand the importance of developing the Negev, and particularly the Ramat Hanegev region, given its vast potential for future development.