DEVELOPMENT n i w e L n o e d i G f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P

RONALD S. LAUDER

making a BY DAVID GERLACH dream t’s one thing to talk about building pulsing communities in a desert from scratch. Everyone can dream. It’s quite another to into reality Iactually start doing it and help inspire thousands of families to begin a life in the Negev desert—an arid, largely underutilized mass of land in the southern part of Israel. But that’s exactly what JNF, its president—Ronald Lauder—and its partners are doing through Blueprint Negev. Lauder is calling upon Jews in North America to follow him in a $500 million push to develop Israel’s grand frontier, just as their parents and grandparents did. “We are building new communities for young people who want to fulfill a dream,” Lauder says. “The people moving to the Negev are the true Zionists.” Lauder speaks big but keeps his appeal simple and direct. Throughout a morning conversation with Lifestyles at his office overlooking New York’s Central Park, he gets right to the heart of the matter. It doesn’t matter whether he’s musing on tapping the vast water deposits beneath the Negev or how to get people

www.lifestylesmagazine.com 6 DEVELOPMENT inspired to support the developing but Lauder understands the starts and moved to the town and a new school is Blueprint, he commands the room and stops that litter the Negev’s history over taking shape. The JNF of Broward/Palm isn’t shy about explaining how things the last 60 years. Textile mills in the Beach Counties adopted Giv’ot Bar and work and how things are going to be. Negev drew families in the 1960s. Arad eagerly listens to news of a community It’s what one expects of a successful developed a strong cultural center as growing and pioneer stories, such as business titan—he’s chairman of the middle-class families arrived. But then that of Dan Dilion. He had a growing Estée Lauder companies—and a major many of the mills closed during the family but was priced out of moving to philanthropist who finds time to lead, next decade and, at the same time, the northern part of Israel. So Dilion among others, the Metropolitan many lower-income families came to contacted the Or Movement (one of Museum of Art and his foundation that the region, namely, from Russia. JNF’s partners in the project in addition has built Jewish schools for thousands Opportunity, however, was lacking. to Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, Daroma, of children in 16 Eastern European Simultaneously, many of the wealthier and the Israeli government) and heard countries. families moved away. Today, the region about Giv’ot Bar. A match and a move On this morning, however, it’s all moves forward slowly, while a growing were made. “It’s a terrific, communal about the Negev. There’s something Bedouin population of 170,000—it’s environment for our children,” he says. special about this project as he leans expected to double in the next seven “It is near our families, gives us quality forward and lays out the facts. It offers years—struggles economically with of life, and the housing is affordable.” a rare opportunity, Lauder believes, to massive unemployment. Lauder nods Giv’ot Bar’s future should be just create vibrant, growing communities in his head and insists that Blueprint calls as welcoming: A playground has been a largely forgotten desert. The Negev for educational and economic support built and plans include a community represents 60% of Israel’s landmass, for the Bedouins and real, solid eco- center, synagogue, parks, and green “One of the great things about this Jewish religion is we do have the ability to work together as one.”

and yet only 8% of the population lives nomic opportunities to draw Jews of all spaces. there. As Blueprint develops, this will income levels to the Negev. Lauder says Each community built through radically change. welcoming, supporting, and enticing a Blueprint will have its own religious Today, Israel stands at a powerful diverse population and knowing what center and school. “Give children a juncture as the major cities—Tel Aviv, has worked—and what has not—is sense of their own education and what Jerusalem, and Haifa—are bursting and essential to making the Negev work it means to be Jewish,” Lauder says overdeveloped. The country’s popula- this time around. noting the success of his schools in tion is growing, yet within limited con- Blueprint calls for nourishing Europe. He hopes the communities will fines. The Negev is the logical next step existing communities and building 25 consist of a mixed population where for growth. But this sentiment has been new communities, seven of which have religious and secular Jews live together. held for a long time. When the bound- already been established: Sansana, “One of the great things about this aries of Israel were drawn after World Haruv, Shomria, Giv’ot Bar, Be’er Milka, Jewish religion is we do have the ability War II, Israel’s first prime minister, David Kmehin, and Merhav Am. The commu- to work together as one.” Ben-Gurion, stressed the importance of nities will grow from a modest start of Lauder fears “a ghettoization of including the Negev. He saw it as 50 families each to include upward of the Jews.” In his mind, it’s just as bad to essential to supporting an expanding 1,000 families. In the next decade, the put all Jews in one area of a German country in the decades to come. Ben- plan calls for 100,000 housing sites to city, for example, as it is to put all of Gurion masterfully said: “The Negev be built for 500,000 new residents. By the Orthodox Jews in one community will be the test of the creative ability the end of 2006, more than 1,000 fam- in the Negev. There are many Negev and pioneering valor of Israel.” Lauder ilies will have moved to the Negev. pioneers who share his beliefs. could not agree more and, luckily, he’s Giv’ot Bar, one of the new com- David Perlmutter moved to Israel more than up to the challenge. munities, is rising in the northeastern in 1982 and began to raise a family in Ben-Gurion’s hope remains today, Negev. A few dozen families have Beit Shemesh with his wife, Tamar,

www.lifestylesmagazine.com 7 DEVELOPMENT before landing in the small but five-star hotels, spas, biking, and never had the oil or gas that other growing community of Haruv. The world-renowned bird watching— countries had,” Lauder notes, “but Perlmutters are one of 22 families living Ramon Air Force Base and Ben-Gurion they ended up with water.” Water, there. “We wanted to be part of the University are already important fix- indeed. Lauder says there may be kind of community that actually func- tures in the region. Lauder wants to “something like two billion cubic tions as one and shares community tap these assets and keep the gradu- meters of water” there, which could be activities,” he says, “where religious ates in the Negev to support a hi-tech brought to the surface through drilling and secular Jews live side by side economy. In addition, innovative agri- in the same way oil is unearthed. “It’s because they want to, not just because cultural practices are being instituted one of the largest untapped natural that’s where they ended resources Israel has.” n up.” So far, the bridges i To develop the housing stock, w e have been gapped. Every L economic opportunities, and n o e d week the residents study i infrastructure, Lauder knows G f the Torah portion o that a private and public part- y s e t together and learn it two r nership is essential. “You have u o c

ways—from both o to be able to balance the two. t o h

Orthodox and non- P No one should be able to just Orthodox perspectives. put their money wherever What may prove more dif- they want. They have to work ficult is developing a bal- with us (The Negev anced curriculum once Development Authority).” He the school opens. The res- realizes that certain projects idents, however, want to require a public lead—like make it work. roads—and developing real To make it easier for employment opportunities families to start a new life must come largely from the in the Negev, a bank for private sector. Lauder realizes the region must be estab- that sometimes areas tradi- lished. “Most families that tionally funded by the state, come there don’t have like schools, can be run pri- income they can show,” vately. The schools he sup- Lauder says. “There has to ports in Eastern Europe are all be a bank that under- private; there was no publicly stands that and is under- supported precedent for written partly by private donations, and some 30 reservoirs supported by Jewish families there, he adds. partially by the government, to give JNF are providing 10 billion gallons of Lauder wants to make sure a out mortgages.” The second function fresh water to the area. This last land development free-for-all does of the bank: to provide small business resource could be one of the region’s not lead to grave environmental con- loans. Lauder also wants to see real greatest assets—and even a source of sequences in the Negev. He insists, transportation options developed, par- power for these new communities. however, that this does not mean ticularly a high-speed train connecting Lauder lights up even more brightly land should sit unused awaiting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem and with Be’er when asked about the water prospect. public developments and housing. Sheva—the largest city in the Negev, In addition to discussing petro- Lauder leans on his business acumen with a population of almost 200,000. leum and nuclear power options in the as he sizes up projects and opportuni- He also envisions Mitzpeh Ramon Negev, Lauder is intrigued by the ties, certain of how to use the becoming a rising hub in the region. promise of producing electricity by lit- strengths of both sectors. “Many The Negev offers a number of erally moving water via canal from the people in the Jewish world are on one solid foundations and opportunities Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. In side or the other. It’s very rare to find from which to build. In addition to addition, a remarkable, pristine water someone who has that balance.” promoting tourism in the region—like source sits below the Negev. “Israel Lauder’s assuredness is apparent.

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“What I can do as an individual with significant, but limited funds, is affect the Jewish people. The money people direct to JNF can literally build communities, places for families to grow and make a life.” F

One of the greatest challenges N through JNF’s Alternative Spring Break. J f o

Lauder sees to developing the Negev is y They traveled to the Negev as cha- s e t r

the Israeli government’s bureaucracy. u lutzim, pioneers, and worked in the o c o

“For any one decision you sometimes t newly formed communities to help o h have to go to as many as five different P transform the desert into livable land. agencies to get permission to get Lauren Anderson, a sophomore something done.” He would like to see from Emory University, did not know one Ministry of the Negev. what to expect when she decided to Lauder also knows that without skip the Caribbean and head to the the financial support of young Jews in Negev for her holiday. “What ensued America, the dream of Blueprint over the next 10 days broadened my Negev will remain an unrealized one. knowledge of the Jewish community To make Blueprint Negev truly flourish, and will forever impact my commit- Lauder and JNF must make potential ment to Israel.” As part of Anderson’s supporters realize that they are giving experience, she planted trees, visited more than a donation; they are patients at the Schneider Children’s building a new Israel. His own words— Hospital, and built houses. She and actions—offer a prime example. Negev residents enjoy their sur- helped create new life in the Negev. roundings in Israel’s next frontier. “What I can do as “I learned more an individual with about the possi- significant but lim- bility and power ited funds is affect of American Jews’ the Jewish people. impact on Israel The money people than I ever could direct to JNF can have through literally build com- countless semi- munities, places for nars and tzedakah families to grow projects in the and make a life.” States,” she says. As further Anderson incentive, Lauder Northern Negev planned communities map. understands what floats the idea of a Right now, the Negev dream is Blueprint Negev program in which the Israeli govern- just beginning to become a reality. truly offers. If today’s generation real- ment would sell a piece of land in the Lauder frankly states, “People are able izes—like their ancestors—what a Negev to a donor and then lease it to buy into a dream when you turn grand possibility awaits Israel, Lauder’s back to the Negev Development the dream into reality.” As a result, and JNF’s dream will indeed be a Authority. The Authority would pay more and more people, like the Jewish reality. “The older generation knew interest on the lease, which would community in Palm Beach, are begin- that the money they put in was really remain in a bank in Israel and could be ning to realize what is possible in the building the state of Israel. The used when the donor and his or her Negev. This past spring, 25 American younger generation said, ‘Look, the family comes to Israel. It’s a new idea, university students saw and experi- state is built, what else can I do?’” Lauder admits, but one can sense he enced the excitement in the desert Well, they can help finish the job; knows it’s right on the money. there’s still work to do. lifestyles

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