A delegation of educators from Australia came to tour Israel as part of the educators’ study tour organized by the KKL-JNF’s Education Division Overseas Education Department, JNF Australia and KKL-JNF’s Resources and Development Division. They spent the seventh day of their trip visiting the Gaza border region, Beersheba, and the Negev. The teachers also had the opportunity to tour various schools, meet Israeli counterparts, and speak with pupils.
The fields of Kibbutz Nir Am, which is located approximately one kilometer from the Gaza border, extend as far as the border fence. The delegation members climbed a hill on the outskirts of the kibbutz and looked out over the Gaza border. There, as people see how close the Israeli communities are to the border, one can begin to understand the enormous challenge that the residents cope with each day.
An open-air classroom for environmental studies, together with a center honoring friends of JNF Australia - who provided support for a variety of projects in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council and the Gaza border region - was built nearby. A Hamas terror tunnel was discovered just a few dozen meters away in the kibbutz field as the farmers were harvesting the wheat.
Close by is the Water Museum, which was established in a historic building that was once the pumping station of the first water pipeline to the Negev in pre-state days. The museum tells the story of settlement in the Negev and the major role that water played in the region’s history.
The Nir Am Reservoir, one of more than 230 reservoirs that KKL-JNF has built all over Israel to harvest and store recycled water and prevent pollution by sewage, is not far from here. Israel is the world’s leader in water recycling; more than 80 percent of its effluent is treated and used in agriculture. Most of Israel’s agriculture is irrigated with treated wastewater.
Nahal Oz: Life on the Border
The delegation members visited a battery of Iron Dome, the system that provides defense against rocket fire from Gaza. Unfortunately, the communities in the border region are too close to the launch areas to be properly protected. Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which is only seven hundred meters from the border, is a clear example of such proximity.
A group of friendly soldiers on patrol along the kibbutz fence told us about their army service. “We know that we are doing something important for the country,” one of them told the delegation members. “We are protecting the citizens so that they can live here in peace and quiet.”
Yael Raz-Lahiani, one of the kibbutz members, spoke about life in the region. “If a rocket is fired, we have only three seconds to reach shelter,” she said. “What you hear on the news is real life for us.” She told the delegation about four-year-old Daniel Tragerman, who was killed when a rocket struck his home at the end of Operation Protective Edge. “That was the worst day that our community experienced. But we decided not to give up on Nahal Oz, not to leave the area, and to continue bringing in new families.”
Raz-Lahiani expressed her deep gratitude to the members of the Australian delegation, whose partnership makes the development of the kibbutz possible. This includes the renovation of the old reservoir and the expansion of its holding capacity, together with the creation of environmentally-friendly landscaping in the kibbutz by upgrading the irrigation system and using plants that need little water.
“It is hard to imagine what it is like to raise children in an area like this - in another world and a reality that is completely different from what we are familiar with,” said Rick McLeod of Melbourne. “Still, the inhabitants cope with the challenge and have built an amazing place here, with green fields.”
Shaar Hanegev: A Safe Place to Study
The delegation proceeded from there to learn about the education system in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council. They split off into three groups, according to the teachers’ specific fields - early childhood education, primary (elementary) education, and secondary (high school) education.
The kindergarten teachers led a lovely activity for the kindergarteners of Nahal Oz. The primary-school teachers toured the school and saw the many activities that took place. They visited the music classes, where they were impressed by the talented young musicians. They met the members of the students’ council, who read a welcome message aloud to them in English.
The children from the Hosen Empowerment Center spoke about how they learn to cope with difficulties. They demonstrated the flower and candle method, in which they held an imaginary flower in one hand and an imaginary candle in the other. The children and the guests smelled the flower and blew out the candle - a technique that enabled them to relax through breathing.
“These tools are helpful in other situations besides rocket fire,” Shlomzion Cohen, the school principal, said. Several of the children talked about how what they learned had helped them. One, a girl whose father was diagnosed with cancer, recalled the way she taught her family how to call upon their inner strength and continue with the routine of their daily lives.
In the open-air classroom, which was established with the help of JNF Australia, the delegation members met with the student members of the Green Leadership group, who gave a presentation about nature and the environment. At the end of the visit, the members of the group prepared cards for the school and hung them on a special tree set aside for that purpose. The cards contained wishes for the children such as peace and joy, and the promise that they would never walk alone.
The high-school teachers toured the regional high school, which is reinforced to protect against rocket fire. At the entrance to the school are an archaeological park and an ecological garden that were established with the support of JNF Australia. Aharale Rothstein, the principal, said: “Archaeology represents the past, the link with our roots. Ecology represents the future. It is important to us to strengthen the pupils’ identity so that they know why we are here. We nurture democratic values at the same time.”
The mobile shelters that are scattered throughout the schoolyard serve as a reminder that rocket fire is an inseparable part of life even during school hours. If an alarm sounds, the pupils can reach shelter within seconds no matter where they may be. “We talk about the situation with the pupils, try to answer their questions, and give them a feeling of safety,” Rothstein said.
“It is amazing to think that the pupils who are so close to Gaza can live lives that are so full of vitality and love and enjoy the whole experience, just like the children in Australia do,” delegation member Lindi Bloch said at the end of the tour.
Desert Stars: Bedouin Society’s Future Leaders
The delegation visited Desert Stars High School for Bedouin Leadership, a school that is the first of its kind. It was established approximately a year ago at the Joe Alon Bedouin Heritage Center with a donation from Harry Triguboff, one of JNF Australia’s most prominent supporters. The pupils were carefully chosen from all over the Negev in a meticulous application process that emphasized motivation, scholastic ability, and leadership talent. It is hoped that Desert Stars graduates will become the future leaders of Bedouin society in the Negev.
The principal of Desert Stars is Ahlam Al-Sanaa of Lakia, the first high-school principal to come from the Bedouin sector. “I did not come to the school just for a job,” she said. “I came out of a sense of mission and a wish to be an example.” Her story of how she had learned to read and write as a child while working as a shepherd was deeply moving to the guests. “My parents believed that education was the key to progress,” she said. “It was my hard life that gave me the desire to succeed.”
Regarding the status of women in Bedouin society, she said: “A Bedouin woman who wants to succeed has to be a kind of superwoman. I believe that it is my personal responsibility to succeed, and I want my daughter’s future to be better than mine.”
Yael Bialer, director of resource development at Desert Stars, said, “If we give the young people hope, skills, and aspirations for the future, they will give back to their community and drive change from within.”
Oded Berman, the director of the youth village, spoke about the collaborative effort of Jewish and Bedouin educators. “In addition to contributing to coexistence, cooperation helps us to be more creative,” he said.
Nimrod Sheffer, a member of the board of Desert Stars, said that in his view, the inequalities in Israeli society were the major threat to the State of Israel. “Bedouin society needs true leadership that will lead the community towards becoming part of a united Israeli society,” he said.
The delegation members split up into discussion groups that included the school pupils and listened as the latter spoke about their lives and their studies. Mai, a young woman from Rahat, said that she dreamed of becoming an English teacher. “My friends thought I was out of my mind when I decided to go to school until six o’clock in the evening every day,” she said. “I told them that I wanted to go forward in life, and not go around on the streets.”
“I believe that as a leader, I will be able to be a force for change in my community,” said Ranim, a young woman who comes from Rahat as well. “My dream is that women will have a place and status in our society, and I believe that thanks to the school, I will be able to be part of that change.”
Lin, a young woman from Lakia, said, “My parents are very supportive of me because they want me to succeed in life.”
“I decided to go to school here because I wanted a good school in a good environment,” said Omar, a young man from Rahat.
At the conclusion of the visit, the delegation members met Sheikh Shahada Abu Sabit, the director of the village, who said: “We hope to create leadership that will remain here in the Negev and be a force for change. We feel it is important that the young people build a strong identity, that they know that it is possible to be a Bedouin Muslim and a proud Israeli at the same time. We encountered opposition from Bedouin society at first, but today people are beginning to understand the importance of what we are doing.”
“The educators at Desert Stars are a ray of hope, an oasis in a complex community,” said Gita Smith of Sydney. “They serve as an example for their pupils and inspire them to go after their dreams. They encourage them to take responsibility for their future in order to have a better life.”
The ANZAC Memorial Centre: Honoring the Liberators of Beersheba
The ANZAC Memorial Centre, which was built adjacent to the old British cemetery, tells the stories of the soldiers from Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in the British army and participated in the liberation of Beersheba during World War I. The museum, which was built with the support of JNF Australia, includes an exhibition of photographs, film clips, documents, personal effects, and letters written by the soldiers.
The delegation members toured the museum and learned about the ANZAC troops’ experiences. At one point they got into an elevator that showed a film as it climbed slowly upward. When the doors opened, the members emerged onto a terrace overlooking the cemetery.
One hundred seventy-four Australian troops, thirty-one soldiers from New Zealand, and more than one thousand British soldiers are buried in the Beersheba War Cemetery. The ANZAC Museum honors and commemorates these soldiers.
Irene Whitton, who lives in Sydney, spoke about her grandfather, an ANZAC soldier who served in Sinai and in pre-state Israel during World War I. “He did not talk about the war - at least, not about its awful aspects,” she said. “It moves me very deeply to visit here and walk in the places where he fought, which were nothing but desert in his time, and contain blossoming communities today.”
Workshops and New Learning Kits
The day concluded with an introduction to new material on Zionist, environmental and social values developed by KKL-JNF’s Education Division for teachers to use in their schools. “We believe that this material will serve you and gain your pupils’ interest,” said Hani Dassa, the director of the KKL-JNF Education Division Overseas Education Department.
Ariel Chestner, a representative of the Education Division, introduced the various items, which included a giant map of Israel, a parachute with images from various places in Israel, costumes of principal figures in the Zionist movement, topics for debate, activities on the topic of independence, explanatory texts about Jerusalem, and an abundance of fascinating material. “We are confident that this material will provide added value to your work in the schools,” he said.
The delegation members tried the activities out for themselves. They answered questions, showed their knowledge in quizzes, searched for places on the map, and participated in discussions on matters of ethics. Mostly, they learned, enjoyed themselves - and, for a moment, became pupils full of mischief… and joy.