The thirty participants from around the world, participating in a young leadership delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest, embarked on a week-long journey with KKL-JNF all around the country, to see the vibrant, young and vital side of Israel.
“For me Israel is an enchanted place,” said Micol Radzik (26), who hails from Milan in Italy. “This delegation has let me see Israel with new eyes – not as an ordinary tourist, but in company with people who share my love for the country. There’s a remarkable atmosphere here, and I feel at home.”
The delegates spent a fascinating and packed week visiting sites all over Israel, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, from the Galilee to the Negev. Along the way, they learned about projects in which KKL-JNF is a partner, and took part in a number of events at the Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s largest music competition, which was underway in Israel at the time of their visit.
“We’re excited by this delegation, which is the first of its kind,” said KKL-JNF Director of International Relations Karine Bolton Laor. “This is an opportunity to promote not just Israel, but the international KKL-JNF family, too.”
“We want to show participants the real, amazing Israel, take them to visit different places and introduce them to people from different sectors of the population,” added Tomer Yechezkel of KKL-JNF’s International Relations Department.
“It’s great to be here in Israel with people from all over the world,” said 22-year-old Ellie Kotkis from Perth, Australia.
Passions and dreams
On the first day of their trip, the young participants visited Jerusalem’s Old City and the Armon HaNetziv Hass Promenade. On the second day in the capital, they went off the beaten track to visit KKL-JNF’s remarkable Muslala project, which brings together a community of young artists, social and environmental activists, educators and entrepreneurs to generate social and environmental change in urban spaces.
With the support of JNF Calgary (Canada), KKL-JNF has constructed a green terrace on the roof of Jerusalem’s Clal Center, a building that for years was notoriously neglected and abandoned. Today the balcony is home to the young artists’ green activities and a variety of creative workshops.
Muslala director Matan Israeli guided the delegates’ tour, and, as they stood on the terrace, he told them: “The greatest challenge of our era may well be how to combine urban living with natural surroundings. This terrace is the paradise that we are creating here.”
“I love Israel, I come here whenever I can and I’ve already decided to immigrate when I finish studying,” declared 24-year-old Melanie Wisener of Montreal, Canada.
The delegation headed out to the Jerusalem Hills to visit KKL-JNF’s Nes Harim Field and Forest Center, where they engaged in workshops and other activities against the backdrop of breathtaking panoramas. The group members have volunteered to raise funds for a project to be carried out in Israel, and one of the options offered them was the Big Brother organization, which helps lone soldiers who have immigrated without their families. According to Daniel Aharon, the organization’s founder, “For me, every one of these lone soldiers is a hero who has chosen to change his life in order to make his home in Israel.”
KKL-JNF’s Resource Development Division Director Ronnie Vinnikov, who came to meet the delegates, told them: “Thanks to your passion and your dreams we shall be able to ensure that this country continues to thrive.” The evening concluded with ODT games, an Israeli-style barbeque and singing to the accompaniment of darbukas.
Behind the scenes
It was not for nothing that the group described itself as a delegation to Eurovision, which this year, took place in Tel Aviv. As part of their activities surrounding Eurovision, the delegates watched the semi-finals at a cocktail and screening party in Jerusalem. “I love Israel, KKL-JNF and the Eurovision, so for me this is the perfect package,” explained Ebba Gerz (37), of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The group then made their way to central Israel. They journeyed to the Alexander Stream (Nahal Alexander) in the Sharon region and learned about KKL-JNF’s role in rehabilitating this waterway, which had languished from pollution and neglect. With the support of its Friends in Italy, KKL-JNF transformed the stream and its banks into a beautiful green park and natural gem. The fish, waterfowl and aquatic turtles that have returned to the river are evidence of the project’s success. The delegates cycled along the river to Lake Hefer, a birdwatching park established by KKL-JNF with the support of its Friends in Canada. The site includes an artificial lake, footpaths and “hides” from which visitors can observe the birds.
“This trip has given us a glimpse behind the scenes in Israel,” said Teneille from Sydney, Australia. “We’re learning about nature, history and the country’s development.”
“I’m really enjoying this opportunity to experience Israel in a different way,” said Sophia Jasqui (32) of Mexico City. “And we can pass on the information we acquire here to our communities when we get back home.”
The evening meal was a hands-on affair at a cookery workshop in Herzliyya. After all, you can’t truly connect with Israel without tasting the local dishes, and if you can prepare them yourself, so much the better. “There’s nothing like Israeli food,” confirmed Benjy Ware as he chopped up tomatoes. The group enjoyed the fruits of their labors - pastilla, farna bread, Moroccan fish, lamb with artichokes and hummus, and ended with sfinge (Moroccan donuts) for dessert.
Closing the gaps
The following day the group went up north for a trip to the Nahal HaShofet gully, where KKL-JNF has created a disabled-accessible path. The delegates attempted to experience the excursion from the viewpoint of people with special needs: they walked blindfolded, used wheelchairs and attempted to understand the explanations while covering their ears.
At the ecological farm in the Valley of Peace (Emeq HaShalom), the delegates met up with guide Raz Rutman, who uses a wheelchair. He shared his life story and emphasized, “It’s vital that nature be accessible to everyone.”
In the afternoon, the young delegates were hosted in the Druze town of Isfiya, where they heard a fascinating talk on the unique Druze religion by Timur Mansur and enjoyed a traditional meal.
At the KKL-JNF House of Excellence in Upper Nazareth, the delegates met high school students and instructors participating in the academic and high tech enrichment activities there. They met with KKL-JNF Houses Director Avi Musan, who described the lessons, courses, lectures and workshops the house provides in order to help youth in Israel’s outlying areas excel and reach their full potential. “Our goal is to narrow the gaps between central Israel and the periphery and promote excellence as a way of life,” he explained. This KKL-JNF House is the first of ten planned for northern and southern Israel.
That evening, the group embraced everything that White Night in Tel Aviv had to offer: parties, shows, exhibitions and good food far into the night. The following morning was devoted to initiatives and innovation in Tel Aviv in the framework of a variety of assignments and activities, because, after all, Tel Aviv has a lot more to offer than parties and the beach.
By the time the action-packed week drew to a close, the delegates had observed Israel from a slightly different perspective than what is portrayed in the media, and got to connect with the country and what it stands for. “We’ve had an amazing week,” concluded Troy Edwards of Dublin (Ireland). “This has been a life-changing journey that showed us a lot of what Israel has to offer and impressed us with KKL-JNF’s contribution to the development of the country.”