Stories from Ramat HaNegev

The Story of Nir

When in Israel, go South to the beautiful Ramat HaNegev Region. Take route 211 to the end, the end of the world, about 1 Kilometer from the border with Egypt, and you find a true desert oasis! It is the "MASAIT" (truck in Hebrew) in the middle of the desert, not a mirage, the most popular restaurant on wheels in the area. A happy meeting place with good homemade food and especially appreciated by hungry farmers, IDF soldiers serving in the area, and tourists alike.

In the kitchen, you will find the fantastic Nir Alkasi. After ten years of working as a chef in Northern Israel, he brought his wife and one child and down to Israel's pioneering frontier. He opened this unique local gem on wheels, gave birth to 2 more children, joined the K'Mehin community near Nitzana. He keeps happy and cooking his delicious foods and is also known by soldiers as "Nir, the Shnitzel King of Nitzana." Hit the road, everybody, visit K'Mehin and make sure to ask Nir what the special of the day is at the "Masait".. enjoy!

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The Story of Shifra

Meet Shifra Buchris; she is the coolest mother of 10 children (ages 2 To 20) you will ever get to meet. If you think that she probably spends most of her days in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches for her children, you are wrong! Colonel Buchris is the commander of The Southern Border Guard Unit, in charge of some 200 Km of Israel's border with Egypt, located within the Regional Council Ramat HaNegev. 

 Indeed, Shifra is a busy commander, continually watching out for terrorists and smugglers trying to cross the border from Sinai into Israel's territory. Shifra will tell you that "…this region could be quiet and boring and all of a sudden, in one second, it will wake up and come to life with some serious events …" 

For the family, the family's matriarch is not home; she is out somewhere, in very unusual hours of the day (or the night), and this is a very typical situation. 

Shifra will tell you, "… the fact that I am a mother to 10 children is a big advantage! It is not always easy to maneuver between the two worlds, but I manage to do it, and it is essential to me to spent time with my children. When I see my children, I feel a big light turning on inside me. This is my life. I do feel so lucky to have this wonderful family of mine, and doing my job with the border Guard gives me great satisfaction…"

Shifra and Amitay love the Ramat HaNegev region and have built their new home in the Religious community of MerchavAm in Ramat HaNegev Regional Council.

 

The Story of Oded

"Man's deeds are his best witnesses.." this is what 93 years Oded Barzilai, member of Kibutz Revivim, located in Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, told me when I had asked him to tell me about his life.

Oded has done so much here on behalf of our home. A small Lemon tree sits at the Ramat HaNegev facility, planted in his honor when he retired. Oded has a fantastic story, and collecting them is a real pleasure. From his family, his kibbutz, the Engineering Dept, and friends from around the country. Here are just a few more lines on what this unique, salt of the land, pillar of his community accomplished, to mention a few:

Fighter in the PALMACH (the precursor of the IDF) with the famous IFTACH Unit and participated in Tiberias, Lod, Mishmar HaEmek, to mention a few. Oded met his wife Hadasa(of blessed memory) while both were in the PALMACH.

Former Mayor of the Regional Council Ramat HaNegev

Chief Regional Engineer of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council

Treasurer of Kibutz Revivim

Director of the Kibutz Revivim

Grandfather to his eight grandchildren and great grandfather to his two great-grandchildren.

Oded still dreams and wishes that David Ben Gurion's vision for Ramat HaNegev will become a reality. Within the next 20 years, Ramat HaNegev will triple its population and number of new communities, just as David Ben Gurion said, "It is in the Negev that the Jewish people will be tested."

And to Oded Barzilai we say: Well done and lots of health and good wishes!

 

The Story of May

My name is May Sabri; seven years ago, I came to Ramat Negev from Mitzpe Ramon with my family.

I am a student at the new and excellent Regional High School and will be in its 2022, part of the first graduating class.

As a youth, we have the power to influence and change. To dream and do.

My little brother is deaf, and I heard about the "Arrow in the Negev" program several years ago, supporting youth with special needs. 

The Arrow Program in the Negev is a program where youth from the regional council volunteer and serve as a kind of "big brother" to siblings of children with special needs. When there is a child with special needs in the family, most of the attention is directed to the child with special needs. Attention is unintentionally diverted from the other children in the family.

Once a week, the tutor meets with the trainee for an hour and a half; during the session, they play together, cook, hike, paint, and do many other activities.

The council coordinates the program, and the volunteer's role is to listen to the mentors' feelings and help them create a personal connection. When I finish high school, I plan to go on a year of service before my military service and serve through the Jewish Agency for Israel as a Teen Emissary abroad. A goal I set for myself this year is to help the community develop and grow.

I believe in the statement that says, "a small change leads to a big change." Each of us has the power to change and influence. Sometimes the smallest changes affect an entire community or people's lives. If each of us does a good deed, even one small act may be, we will initiate a change in the world.