Young Jewish people from the UK have witnessed first-hand how JNF UK continues to support struggling communities in southern Israel nearly three years on from October 7.
Open to Year 12 students, the JNF UK Fellowship Programme aims to help teenagers develop leadership skills, form a stronger bond with Israel and speak about the country with greater confidence and understanding.
It includes monthly workshops in London on advocacy and public speaking, which culminate in a visit to Israel.
Fellow Yoav Oshman said after returning home: “Although our trip with JNF only lasted a few days, its impact is like one of a journey far longer. Specifically, I now understand that it is not optional to just vocally support Israel, but that real action has to be taken.”
Yoav and other participants experienced moments of remembrance, hands-on volunteering and exposure to Israeli innovation.
JNF UK Fellows volunteering in southern Israel (Photo:Jamie Gordon)[Missing Credit]
Much of the itinerary centred on the south. In Sderot, fellows heard what daily life was like so close to the Gaza border, and they volunteered at the Sderot Chesed Centre, a local support service backed by JNF UK that continues to help families in the area.
They also visited the Nova festival site, where listening to a survivor’s testimony and looking at the memorials to the victims brought home the scale of what took place on October 7 and its lingering effects on the country, said the trip’s organisers.
Fellows also had the chance to explore the creative side of Israel. In Jaffa, they learnt about Israel’s entrepreneurship at the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation, and in Be’er Sheva, they helped in a practical way by working with JNF UK partner Osim Shchuna on home and neighbourhood improvements.
In the Negev, students toured the Ramat Negev Agricultural Research and Development Centre to see how scientists are pushing farming forward in tough desert terrain and met young Israelis on the Derech Eretz leadership programme – a JNF UK-supported initiative focusing on building teamwork and responsibility.
JNF UK CEO Elan Gorji said: “We hope the fellows return home with a deeper connection to Israel, greater confidence in sharing what they have learnt and a lasting commitment to making a positive contribution within their own communities.”
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