Ran Huri

"Over the past two years, every participant in the Netu'im program learned something: recognition and gratitude towards his or her past, roots, and history." Yair Mordecai, alumnus of the Netu'im program in Ofaqim.

Yair, a resident of the town of Ofaqim, aged 29, a Masters student in Education and a teacher in Ofaqim and in Merhavim, recently completed two years as a participant in the Netu'im local leadership program in Ofaqim. The program, conceived by Kol Israel Haverim - Memizrach Shemesh, seeks to develop participants' identification with their community and with their Jewish heritage, and to develop community leadership among local residents. We work alongside the Young Adult Centers with groups of local students in a unique program that integrates Beit Midrash study with social action.

"Before Netu'im I used to dream about completing my degree and leaving town. At work interviews, I used to tell people that I'm from Be'erSheva, not Ofaqim. By the time I was in the army, I had already begun to get the feeling that as a mizrachi Jew and resident of the periphery I was worth less."

What is it in Netu'im that motivates participants to go through this personal and group journey?

The Beit Midrash encounters make room for the personal life experiences of the participants. The Jewish textual sources and the personal stories, and the discourse that evolves from their conjunction, place the students in the centre of attention and develop their self-awareness and sensitivity to social issues. They train as change agents and operate social action projects for the community's benefit.

"The learning process that we underwent together provides a strong foundation for the activities and for the excellent study sheets the students prepare as part of the projects", reports Efrat Riger Buchris, the group facilitator. "They succeed in putting them together in a way that reflects the spirit of our Beit Midrash of these past two years."

Last year Yair participated in the "And thou shalt tell thy son" project, which gave voice to the stories of Ofaqim's founders and took place during an evening of piyut singing in the Djerba synagogue in town. "During the activity we also learned about ourselves. If my grandfather and grandmother were among the founders of Ofaqim, gave up their dreams and did so much for the town, we young people cannot leave the town behind. We, as local residents, must pick up where they left off and take the lead."

This year,Yair's team focused on the future generation and held study encounters in 7th grade classes at the Multi-disciplinary High School, in preparation of their project on family roots. During the meetings, the pupils were shown how the negative image that they have of Ofaqim does not really represent the reality with which they are familiar: their friends, family members and themselves. The central message conveyed to them by the students and additional local leaders was that each one of them is capable of becoming a leader in his or her community if he believes in himself and takes action.

And what about the future? In the upcoming weeks, the group members will hold meetings with youth, seniors and educators. And Yair is convinced that the group that has consolidated will, ultimately, continue to work together for the benefit of the town.

"This is an amazing program with unlimited giving", says Yair, summing things up. "Efrat, with her fascinating facilitation and individual approach, developed leadership abilities in each and every one of us. The commitment of the Memizrach Shemesh people deeply affected us. Today, it is perfectly clear to me that I am not leaving Ofaqim. With G-d's help, I've bought a lot here, where, with my family, I plan to build my home."