After an enlightening introduction to the Or Movement by Debbie Rolnick this morning, we headed onto our buses and set out to 3 different work spots between the two buses. Our work spots turned out to be 3 fully functioning farm lands within the sandy, sandy desert of the Negev! Who would have thought!?

Half of Bus 2 visited the Keren B'Har H'Negev Vinyard. Driving up to the vineyard, it was hard to believe that there was a functioning fruit farm just ahead of us. We got off the bus and were greeted by HeAlbaz who worked and lived on the vineyard all alone. He was so happy to have all 25 of us there to help him in getting the vineyard ready for season. We raked up the old, dried out vines and prepared the acres of vines with new wires to grow on. Soon shiras, petit vardu, cabinet suvinot, etc… would be growing in the middle of the desert, ready for harvest.

Half of Bus one arrived to Havat HaRoah farm in the middle of the rocky dunes of the Negev Desert. A husband and his wife, their goats, and a few dogs occupy a caravan at the edge of their extensive plot of desert that they now call home. Our group divided into three to till the land for planting berries, fix a roof, and build a barbed wire fence to keep wondering camels out. We pounded over one-hundred posts into the ground and over two kilometers of fence around part of the new home. The sun was high, the work was intense, and the satisfaction was immeasurable. The students really connected with the desert and their personal pioneering spirit. The family was so grateful for the additions we made to their home.

The remainder of both groups traveled to a vineyard/farm to help with a plethora of tasks. Some were assigned to prune grape vines, while others built a road. A few hoed the shrubbery that was growing around the vines, and others sifted through dirt that was used to create mud. While we broke for lunch, we were addressed by one of the seven people who reside on the farm. He told us why he and his wife decided to help out when the visionary for the area passed away. They made a commitment to stay on the farm until the work is completed. He couldn't fully express in words his appreciation for our help, but the motivation he provided lasted throughout the day. We all joined together at the end to make a mud house by throwing mud at a wall. It was a fun, messy and dirty day for all involved!

Today has been another incredible day in the Negev. Bus #1 started off with a tour of Arad, where we learned about the history of development towns and the city of Arad, stopping for an incredible view of the Dead Sea. We then headed to our work site in a lower-income neighborhood of Arad. After a brief explanation of our job, we knew we had our work cut out for us. The group divided in seven sub-groups, each given one apartment building to paint. The new mayor made a stop to symbolize the importance of our visit, and all neighbors knew we were coming after announcements were made in the newspapers. We started off the day trying to communicate between broken English and broken Hebrew, as we tried to create a color palate to brighten the outside of all buildings. After several mishaps and various mistakes were made, our students were well on their way to improving the quality of life of all local residents. Throughout the entire day, locals stopped to pay tribute to our group and the special gift we were providing to the residents. They watched in amazement as we worked fast and furiously to paint pillars, ceilings, walls, and benches until the job was done. Lunch was a delicious falafel sandwich with all the toppings. The list of hilarious and unexpected new friends certainly added to the excitement and craziness of our day. Valentina, a lovely Russian resident, brought out family albums and tried to invite us over for lunch, while grabbing our brushes and painting her own apartment. One young Israeli was so grateful that she invited us for a hip-hop lesson in her studio at the end of the day. We were greeted by a Black Hebrew, born and raised in Israel, who taught us some new moves to take home and teach to the other bus. At the end of the day we were all amazed that we were able to put in so much hard work, accomplish so much, and feel so good about the impact we made on the community. We were thrilled to have the entire group together, with everyone interacting, making new friends, and “feeling like we’d known eachother forever.” The group is anxiously awaiting our plans for tomorrow, to see if it could possibly top today’s awesome adventure.

Bus # 2 began their day learning about the history and landscape of Be’er Sheva, the “Capital of the Negev”. We first looked at the city from an overview point and then toured at street level. Following our shpatzir, we split up into three groups and went to different schools in the neighborhood. Group # 1 went to a high school where they helped the students in their English studies and in turn they were taught a few words in Hebrew. Group # 2 went to a physically handicapped home where they were each given mezuzotthat were designed and created by the residents themselves! And finally, group # 3 visited a special needs school. They were given a tour by the director of the school and learned that not only does the school teach all of the regular educational requirements, they teach the students everyday skills, such as cooking, eating properly at a table, designing through arts and crafts, just to name a few! The children also have the opportunity to learn through animal therapy by taking care of rabbits and gerbils. After our time at the schools, we all met up as a group again and had good conversation over good Israeli falafel.   But the day was not over yet! We got back on the bus and went to the Be’er Sheva River Park where we learned from the director of the project, Itai Freeman, the plans for future of Be’er Sheva. We cannot wait to see what the future will bring!

We capped off the night with two groups together on a night hike along Nahal Haverim under the stars.

“Seeing the looks on the faces of the Israelis and hearing them say ‘toda’ for our work.”

“Proving to myself and everyone who knows me that I could do it [participate in ASB] and that I am more than just a sorority girl who only thinks of herself.”

“Being together as a group for the first time and making so many incredible friends.”

“Spending time on the hike with our ‘tribe,’ and by myself, where I had a chance to reflect on this awesome opportunity.”

We arrived in Israel last night (after a bit of a delay in JFK from the weather) and immediately headed south to the city of Dimona, where we are spending the next three nights. This morning began with a meeting with Meir Chazan, the head of culture and youth for the city. He gave us a brief history of the city and the neighborhood in which we'd be working.

We spent the day working outside a community center. It is in an area of town that was once one of the worst parts of the city. A couple of years ago, members of the community chose to clean up the neighborhood and create a better place to live.

We had several different work projects. Some of us cleaned out, flattened, and cemented an area that will now be a stage for children's plays. Some of us painted outdoor storage areas, according to the four seasons. We're only nervous that the Israeli children will be a little confused with our "winter" season. I don't think they've ever seen a real snow man.

We also removed uneven ground tiles, flattened the ground and repaved the area. We weeded, cleaned and totally transformed a totally run down, unusable park area into a place where children can play and enjoy.

The day was organized by the municipality of Dimona and an organization called Ayalim. We worked side by side with its members, young college students from Ben Gurion University who have decided to live in Dimona in a youth village. Their goal is to expose young Israelis to life in the Negev and to volunteer is the communities in which they are living to help improve the lives of the residents.

After we finished our work and had a brief hour to shower and change we went to Yerucham, another development town. There, we met with Mayor Amram Mitzna.  He is the former mayor of Haifa.  He told us about the challenges Israel faces internally in developing these towns and making them good places to live.

The day has been pretty long and it's still not over.  We are heading out soon for dinner at the youth village.

Bus 1 Highs!

-         “I have never felt like I worked so hard and accomplished so much in one day”

-         “It was amazing to stand on top of the highest building (approximately 15 feet) and look down in amazement at the work we were doing”

-         “We wish we could have a video of the kids faces when they see what we built (the new stage)”

-         The “worker’s” lunch

-         “Having the whole group together finally (our 9 delayed at JFK friends finally joined us)

-         Hot Israeli guide (the Americans are okay too)

Bus 1 Lows!

-         Fighting with ElAl pilot to get him to fly to Israel

-         Nicking the pipe and watching water explode all over bus 2’s Israeli guide

Answering the needs of the Jewish homeland, Jewish National Fund (JNF) will send 250 Jewish college students, graduate students and young adults (under the age of 30) to volunteer in Negev Desert of Southern Israel during their spring break vacations this March to help with JNF's Blueprint Negev Campaign.

This trip will be JNF 's third annual Alternative Spring Break connecting program participants to the land and the people of Israel by working in community service projects benefiting local communities and residents.

Participants will spend a full week volunteering and experiencing what the early pioneers of Israel experienced: building the land of Israel. While days will be filled with hard but fulfilling work, nights will be filled with entertainment, music, and fun. The groups will also interact with the people they are helping and hear from environmental experts and scholars to better understand the need for populating the Negev.