The Convergence of the Personal and the National A Five-Year Plan 2018–2023

Photography: Dana Meir Map of Ramat Hanegev

Be'er Sheva

Dimona Phoenix 40

Ashba Zohar Rota BaMidbar The Perfume and Spice routes

Revivim 222 Hanegev Junction Park Golda Maayan Haneurim 224 Hamaria Mashabei Har Keren Regional Council Mashabim Sadeh Sheizaf Junction Ruah Midbar Tlalim Junction R&D Matnat HaMidbar The Big Crater Beer Milka Shehafim Kornmehl (HaMakhtesh HaGadol) Naot Tene

Zait 204 Nahal HaRoa HaMidbar Nahal Boker 211 Halukim Junction Barne'a Shanti Ba'midbar Midreshet Ben Nitzana Shivta Gurion Orlyya 10 Havarim Carmey Avdat Ramon Airbase Zmorot Avdat Havat Daat 40

Yshai Adler Ben Shahar

Egypt 3 The Perfume and Spice routes

Key: Mitzpe Ramon

City

Settlement The Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon)

Park

Regional Council N Farm

Army Base We are working vigorously to achieve the plan’s ten goals with a very specific guideline - will this action, this From the Mayor choice, this agenda, make Ramat HaNegev and the State of stronger? We have already started accomplishing our goals: a new 1st Regional High School is in its last stages of Our dear partners and friends, construction; a new Regional clinic is being planned and soon construction will begin; a governmental plan for the Nitzana basin is being promoted; a new department was established to improve and control the Warren Buffet once said that someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted visibility and cleanliness of the vast region’s open areas; we are preparing more and more land lots for new a tree a long time ago. My target is that in five years from now, dozens of new families will build families to build their homes in our communities, and much more. their homes in Ramat HaNegev thanks to the planning and the hard work we are doing now. One of the five year plans’ goals is immigrant absorption and strengthening relationships with diaspora Jewry. Our partners and friends from around the world are the most supportive, generous and loyal companions Ramat HaNegev five year plan 2018-2023 is the result of a long process which I initiated a year we can ask for, but there is much more to this friendship and partnership. Our friends and partners give us ago, with the involvement and participation of the council’s Department Heads, the leaders inspiration to be brave and innovative, they teach us honesty, generosity and love, they make us appreciate of our different communities and a variety of relevant professionals. The plan represents the what we, mistakenly, sometimes take for granted and perhaps most important, they give us strength, hope council’s supreme goal of strengthening and expanding the council’s communities through and faith in what we do. ten secondary goals which will transform education, housing, health services, visibility, public service, economic independence, and more. Thank you from all the people and communities of Ramat HaNegev for keeping us in your hearts, thoughts, vision and actions.

With great appreciation,

Eran Doron, Mayor. Photography: Guy Delria'a Guy Photography:

Photography: Tzvika Tuchterman 4 5 The regional council Every agricultural farm in Ramat spreads over HaNegev has access to 2 pipelines 4.2-million dunam, Ramat most of which are and of HaNegev of brackish desalinated military firing zones and constitutes water water There are Women account nature reserves more than The Regional 77,600 dunam for 53% of 22% of the and each farmer can control the mix of of cultivated the Council’s total area of the two according to the crop and the Council in farmland management staff the State of season Israel, and is the largest regional Numbers council in Israel Approximately 60% of the More than 70% of cherry tomatoes marketed the students in grades 1–8 in Israel are grown in participate in the Council’s Approximately 7,400 Pitchat Nitzana afterschool activities The Character The Ashalim solar residents make of the Council’s power station’s it their home There are approximately Communities tower stands 2,400 children in 250 meters high the Council, and still and it is the tallest counting... הידעת?!Air Force base tower in Israel

secular religious Ramat HaNegev school buses communities communities travel 1,500,000 mixed Three solar power stations in Ashalim produce km per year family farms communities 2%-2.5% of the State of Israel’s electricity moshavim kibbutzim 7 6 7 Communities and Demographic Growth: The region's population will grow 1 to 10,000 residents within the next five years, with future plans for 15,000 within the next ten years. The Regional Council will spearhead the process Objectives of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council operates of demographic growth in the settlements, in accordance with the different demographic characteristics that exist within the region. in the spirit of David Ben-Gurion’s vision and Ramat Education: The Council will strive to provide quality education for all the the Five-Year of Israel's national mission to populating, children of the region, with emphasis on the establishment of a regional high developing and preserving the , a 2 school and excellent early childhood education. commitment that is central value of Eco- HaNegev Economic Independence: The council will develop economic independence, Plan for the state of Israel and its residents. and will work towards strengthening the economies of the communities through 3 the development of independent means of income. 2018-2023 Ramat HaNegev community is pluralistic Vision Visibility, safety, and security: The council will strive to significantly 4 improve its visibility on the region’s streets and to upgrade the level of safety and tolerant. The council strives to provide and security in the communities. its residents with a high standard of living, Strengthening Jewish peoplehood: The council will promote a progressive and innovative educational absorption in its communities and work to strengthen Jewish peoplehood 5 between communities outside of Israel and the residents of the region. system, excellent services, community These measures will ensure the continuity of the Jewish people, and the empowerment and a sense of belonging. achievement of the council’s goals. Regional Basins: The council will promote the characterization of three regional basins and an industrial basin in the region, and will work to strengthen them The Council will foster the growth and 6 by emphasizing the individuality of all the areas, and by demonstrating the consolidation of the physical and interpersonal advantages of the development and advancement of the anchor. environment, and will work towards the Individual and community: The council will consolidate appropriate responses to the changing needs of the regional residents by putting particular emphasis establishment and advancement of 7 on the needs of the elderly and establishing a regional health center. sustainable, multigenerational, and diverse Public Services: The council will tailor the organizational structure to communities, all of which will contribute to the the changing needs of the population receiving the services, through the high level of community life. Alongside with 8 use of cutting-edge technology and an organizational culture of service, transparency, and participation. these developments, the council envisions the economic independence of the region, the National missions: The council will advance the establishment of a national 9 landfill and incineration site. The council will work to implement reciprocal communities, the local leadership, and future relationships with the Bedouin population of Har HaNegev and Bir Hadaj. generations. Council-communities relationships: The council will work to build good relationships between the municipality and the communities, in residential, 10 municipal, planning, and community services.

88 Photography: Netta Gavriel 9 Completing all the communities’ urban building plans and detailed 1 planning for the expansion of the communities.

Guiding the communities’ leaderships in planning and community 2 processes as the basis for demographic growth. Community Building 3 Marketing of 700 plots for construction. Formulating a demographic growth plan according to ‘basins’; a and Demographic 4 plan defining priorities for planning, development and marketing according to the area and the unique character of each basin.

Growth Depositing the master plans for Neve Tmarim and Nitzanit, two 5 new communities to be established in the Regional Council. Photography: Merav Dvash The region's population will grow to 10,000 residents within the next five years, with plans for 15,000 within the increase in the number of residents per year next ten years. The Regional Council will Total number of residents in the Regional Council spearhead the process of demographic 2018 growth in the communities, in accordance 7631 369

with the different demographic 3 8 2021 Tali Camp Ashalimאשלים מחנה טלי 8 שדה Boker בוקרcharacteristics that exist Sde 9318 675 within the region. 2018 2022 1 2158 22 רביביםRevivim 473 9791 2021 2128 מדרשתMidreshet Ben- בין Gurion גוריון 2022

אחוז Communityהישוב 1743 population as % of !?Did you Know מאוכלוסיית 7 the Council’s total משאבי Mashabei שדה המועצהSadeh population 2017-2022 In Retamim, the children make up the

1021 952 2017–2022 1008 7 781 796 761 highest percentage of the community’s 780 742 748 טלליםTlalim 734 709 699 698 673 8 652 622 571

587 population. מרחב Merchavעם 585

514 1

506 Am 180 עזוזEzuz 410 117 389 404 87 87

132 .…to be precise 60% 338 338 338 326 291 294 271 284 278 282 252 238 236 3 4 8 ניצנהNitzana Retamim קדש Kadeshברנע Tali Sde Tlalim Ezuz Nitzana Midreshet Beer Kmehin Sheizaf Retamim Merchav Kadesh Ashalim רתמים Mashabei Barnea Camp Boker Sadeh Ben-Gurion Milka Am Barnea 3 4 Sheizaf שיזף כמהיןPercentage 3 Kmehin באר Milka מילכהof Increase: 0% 31% 11% 23% 37% 34% 41% 34% 69% 35% 512% 44% 66% 26% 34% Beer 10 11 Maintaining and fostering the existing education system, 1 incorporating innovativeness in the education system and promoting future-oriented pedagogy as a promoter of demographic growth by means of a high-quality educational continuum for all the children of the Council. Education Completing the construction of the regional high school by 2 September 1, 2019.

The Council will strive to provide quality Providing solutions for the shortage in human resources for early 3 childhood education. education for all the children of the region, with emphasis on the establishment of a Developing a unique “educational language” in Ramat HaNegev, regional high school and excellent early 4 with all its diversity, and adapting the organizational structure of childhood education. formal and informal education and the strategic plan accordingly.

Cultivating leading educators in the Council by encouraging 5 educational entrepreneurship and providing autonomy in the incorporation of programs that foster scientific, technological, musical and values education in the education system.

Did you Know?! The Ezuz forest was planted during World War I by students of Charles Netter – graduates of Mikve Israel agricultural