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Blueprint Negev Update:
You See a Desert, We See an Opportunity
 Since Jewish National Fund launched the Blueprint Negev initiative, we are already transforming the harsh, barren land of the Negev Desert into a region where people can live, work and thrive.
The time for action is now. Following ten years of dramatic population growth in Israel, the economic, demographic, and geographic data all point to the necessity of developing the land. It’s time to get innovative, be responsible, and turn our collective dreams into reality. With the support of so many across the United States, we can make this happen.
When we first introduced Blueprint Negev to you in the Fall 2004 issue of B’Yachad, we told you about some of the work that had already begun: the revitalization of struggling Negev towns like Ofakim, and the rehabilitation of the polluted river in Be’er Sheva. Now, we’d like to tell you about a few of the new developments already underway in the Negev.
JNF & Today’s Pioneers
 One of the most vital elements to Blueprint Negev’s ultimate success will be our ability to bring new residents to the Negev. Today, new communities are being established throughout Israel’s dry, southern region. Among them are Sansana, Harouv, Shomria, Givot Bar, Be’er Milka, Kmehin and Merhav Am. Residents of these towns come from all aspects of Israeli life, but they are united by a singular commitment to the pioneering ideals of those who came before them. Life in these communities is not easy. Most families live in temporary housing that is little more than a trailer while they work to build their future homes. They are the pioneers of the 21st century, and they make do with harsh conditions. But they are steadfast, knowing that through their own hard work and dedication, and with the support of all of us at JNF, they are building a new life for themselves.
Already, we at JNF are hard at work creating the infrastructure for these new communities. Reservoirs are being built, roads are being laid, and parks are being built to provide children with a place to play. Together with organizations like OR, JNF has created educational facilities to promote a number of initiatives for attracting these new families and teaching them how to build a new life that is environmentally responsible, including the Agricultural Youth Project, which teaches Negev residents how to farm in the desert using expert techniques developed in JNF research facilities. And together, we’ve built the OR Information Center, where an assortment of sources on new communities, housing, social initiatives, volunteer identification, and placement opportunities are easily accessible.
Expanding the Opportunities of All Negev Residents
 Aleh, or “going up”, was founded in 1982 to provide children with disabilities throughout Israel with high-level medical and rehabilitative care and help them realize their full potential. The newest center, Aleh Negev, will provide rehabilitative services to the entire Negev population, which suffers from a tremendous shortage of paramedical, therapeutic, and special education services.
The twenty-five acre communal Rehabilitative Village will be home to over 200 adults with disabilities, and will serve an additional 12,000 disabled children and young adults each year on an outpatient basis. The goal of the Aleh Negev project is to create a community that will meet the needs of the severely disabled throughout their lives.
JNF looks to support and enhance this remarkable facility by raising funds to develop dormitories, a hydrotherapy swimming pool, workshop center, special education center, and other modern therapeutic tools. JNF is also using its expertise to develop beautifully landscaped grounds, meticulously planned to stimulate the senses of residents through the scents of herb and flower gardens. Aleh Negev will also contribute to the strengthening of the economy in the Negev by offering over 500 employment opportunities in a wide range of fields.
Blueprint Negev —
It’s Not A Mirage, It’s Our Vision
Blueprint Negev encompasses so many projects: building new communities, revitalizing established towns and cities, bolstering services and opportunities throughout the region, improving quality of life for area residents through the establishment of parks and recreation areas, and making all of this possible by building vital reservoirs to serve the needs of Negev residents. From instituting economic development funds that will pave the way for 250,000 new residents to move to the Negev over the next five years, to creating 100,000 housing sites over the next ten years with over 40 new reservoirs and shady green parks, JNF is focused on providing Negev residents with the means to raise their children with a quality of life that will ensure that generations of families choose to stay in the Negev.
David Ben-Gurion once said about the development of the Negev, “This mighty task requires an all-out effort by the entire people, and the people’s most reliable and efficient agent in greening the wilderness is the Jewish National Fund.”
Without the help of our donors, our visions would remain only dreams, and our projects to strengthen Israel’s future would never see the light of day. We are drawing on a century of experience to make this happen not conquering the desert, but managing it; not greening it, but restoring it. This is the essence of Blueprint Negev.
To find out how you can get involved with Blueprint Negev, contact your local JNF office at 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.
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