A group of young adults from Kav HaZinuk chose the ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village as the location for a unique social project.

Kav HaZinuk (The Starting Line) aims to train young people living in the periphery to develop the necessary skills that will enable them to become effective leaders of social change in the future. The project encompasses the various sectors of Israeli society, as described by President Reuven Rivlin.

Participants of the Kav Zinuk program gathered a group including 11 Arab youths, 11 National Religious youths and 11 non-religious Israeli youths. The larger group divided into sub-groups, with a minimum of two representatives from each sector of Israeli society in each.

Every sub-group enacted an activity with students of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran’s special education school. After a number of hours, upon completion of the activity, project participants conducted a roundtable discussion aimed at shattering stigmas within Israeli society.

In the words of one Kav HaZinuk participant:

We chose to hold the activity at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran because we wanted a special setting that brings people together. We wanted to bring people to a place where they could do something good together. We learned that young people and adults with special needs are often left out of the daily dialogue and we wanted to put that issue on the agenda, to remind them that these people are also a significant part of Israeli society. It’s important to stress that the project would not have been the same if it had taken place elsewhere. This place gave the project feeling and warmth, and we are grateful to ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran that they included us in their activity and to the wonderful children of the village. They were the ones who made the project fun!

It is heartwarming to see youth with such values working for the benefit of society’s weaker sector. It is only through the strength of such talented, caring youth that we will be able to change the conception in Israeli society regarding the place of people with disabilities.

The activity of the young people of Kav HaZinuk reflects a deep understanding of a society being measured by its most vulnerable link.

Through our work to strengthen the weak, we will become better people and a better society.

Another small, important step in Tikkun Olam.

We embrace the youth of Kav HaZinuk. May the likes of you multiply and increase!