Meeting Points for IDF Soldiers and their Families

As one of its many projects for the benefit of IDF soldiers throughout the country, KKL-JNF, together with its Friends worldwide, establishes family meeting places near army bases, many of which are located in distant areas. These are pleasant, shady spots, with picnic tables where families can meet their loved ones doing their military service.

In Israel, every boy and girl, upon reaching the age of 18, is drafted into the army for a 2 - 3 year period of compulsory military service. In most cases, they serve far from home and often do not see their families for extended periods of time.

KKL-JNF mobilizes its Friends throughout the world to help provide optimal conditions for Israel’s soldiers. We landscape IDF camps, provide them with exercise facilities and construct pleasant shady corners where parents can meet and sit quietly with their sons and daughters who are serving in the army.

KKL-JNF incorporates the IDF in its educational activities, such as planting ceremonies and International Cleanup Day – a worldwide event organized in Israel by KKL-JNF and joined by 40 million people all over the world.

KKL-JNF dedicates woodlands and other sites to military units and to the memory of fallen soldiers. Major memorials have been erected in memory of fallen members of moshavim (in Azrikam Forest) and kibbutzim (in HaZorea Forest). In Yaar HaMeginim (“Defenders’ Forest”) we have preserved numerous memorials to those who died in Israel’s wars. In Haruvit Forest, an entire park equipped with disability-accessible paths and recreation areas has been dedicated to disabled IDF veterans: Park HaLohem (Disabled Veterans’ Park).

KKL-JNF has played a role in the green development of the new IDF training-base city that is currently being established in the Negev. This activity accords well with KKL-JNF’s objective of changing the community map of the Negev, where it is involved in a number of turning-point projects designed to attract a young quality population to the area.

To the IDF with Love

Families travel long distances to see their children during family visiting days on weekends, but many bases do not have the facilities to accommodate them all. With the support of its Friends from around the world, KKL-JNF has established pleasant, shady meeting points with greenery and picnic tables so that families can visit with their loved ones comfortably and enjoyably.

The following is a selected list of facilities in IDF camps provided in recent years by KKL-JNF and its Friends at home and abroad:

Southern Israel:

Ovda – Recreation area; children’s playground; meeting point for soldiers and parents
Gvul Yarden (Jordan Border) – Pergolas for security observation points
Tlalim (anti-aircraft) – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Hatzerim – Landscaping and planting; playground; meeting point for soldiers and parents; squadron area landscaping; recreation area; pergolas
Ein Yahav (Arava regional brigade) – Landscaping; planting; seating areas
Raviv – Relaxation area; meeting point for soldiers and parents
Sayyarim – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Nevatim – Meeting point for soldiers and parents; recreation area
Sde Ramon – Meeting point for soldiers and parents; seating area; park
Eilat (Navy) – Seating areas and pergolas
Ashdod (Navy) – Seating areas
Hatzor – Seating area and pergola
Plugot – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Shizafon – Meeting point for parents and soldiers
Gadna Sde Boker – Exercise facilities

Central Israel:

Merkaz LeMoreshet HaModiin (Intelligence Heritage Center) – Amphitheater; venue for ceremonies and other events
Ein Shemer – Soldiers’ and parents’ corner
Yaar HaMeginim (Defenders’ Forest) – Recognition site for soldiers without families
Latrun – Shiryon Park
Training Base 12 (Tzrifin) – Awnings and seating areas
Training Base 7 (Tzrifin) – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Palmahim – Meeting point for soldiers and parents; relaxation areas; recreation area
Tel Nof – Meeting point for soldiers and parents; relaxation areas; landscaping Mahaneh Adam – Meeting point for soldiers and parents; recreation area; dog-training facilities
Yaar Haruvit (Haruvit Forest) – IDF Disabled Veteran’s Park; disabled-accessible footpaths and recreation areas; exercise facilities; sports ground.

Northern Israel:

Biriya – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Mehva Alon - Soldiers’ and parents’ corner
Bat Galim Training Base – Sports ground; meeting point for soldiers and parents
Bat Galim (operational) - Meeting point for soldiers and parents; exercise facilities; seating areas
Havat HaShomer – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Gadna Tzalmon – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Livnim – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Nabi Yusha – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Utzvat Barak – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Shayetet 13 – Exercise facilities; promenade; pergolas
Plugat Siyur 7 – Memorial heritage trail
Meishar (Tzfat) – Soldiers’ and parents’ corner
Gibor – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Ramat David – Exercise facilities; picnic area; air-crew quarters (at planning stage); pergolas; soldiers’ and parents’ corners
Ramat HaGolan – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Shomera – Meeting point for soldiers and parents
Elyakim – Picnic area and exercise facilities (at planning stage)

To IDF Soldiers and their Familes with Love: A Slideshow

Ashdod Naval Base

KKL-JNF has built a family meeting point at Zikim in the Ashdod Naval Base, thanks to Friends of KKL-JNF in Mexico. The meeting point is equipped with picnic tables, shade pergolas, water taps, paths and other picnic facilities. Another meeting spot is being developed in another part of the base, with the support of KKL-JNF in France.

Eilat Navy Training Base

KKL-JNF has established a family meeting place at the Eilat Navy Base, thanks to Friends of JNF USA. The meeting point includes pergolas, benches and picnic areas for soldiers and their families, as well as landscaping with beautiful desert plants.

Tsalmon Gadna Base

KKL-JNF has established a pleasant family meeting place at the Tsalmon Gadna base, thanks to the generosity of Friends of KKL-JNF in Venezuela. The meeting spot now features planted shrubs and shaded picnic tables. Tsalmon is a training base for counselors who work in the Gadna - the youth program of the IDF that prepares young Israelis for military service. In addition to the trainee counselors, 11th grade high school students also come to the base for programs.

Bahadim City

KKL-JNF is carrying out infrastructure works and environmental landscaping at Bahadim City, a mega training base in the Negev, which will house 11,000 soldiers, officers and career soliders once complete. The building of a 20 km bicycle path is planned, as well as a visitors center and a pleasant, shady meeting point for soldiers and families at the base entrace. In March 2012, KKL-JNF World Marketing Conference participants planted the first trees of a forest grove planned for Bahadim. The soldiers are already dubbing the base "the green town".

Palmahim Air Force Base

KKL-JNF is in the process of developing a soldier-family meeting point at the Palmahim Air Force base. Development plans include building plazas, and planting lawns and trees groves. The old installations will be removed and new, shaded tables will be put up. The site will be accessible to people with disabilities.

Hatzerim Airforce Base

KKL-JNF is developing two soldier-family meeting spots at the Hatzerim Air Force Base. One will contain a number of seating corners for soldiers and their families. The second site is larger, and will include a short promenade, landscaping and shaded areas.