Under warm strands of string lights and an ink blue evening sky, the very first graduating class of Adam V’Adama agro-tech school celebrated the past two years of work, growth, and friendship surrounded by the community they’ve served in Sde Nitzan and their families who arrived from all around Israel.
True to their trailblazing and industriously independent spirit, the students arranged this event, homemade pasta and quiche for their guests, sang songs, and gave commencement speeches. ICEJ Vice President of Aid and Aliyah Nicole Yoder and her able assistant Jannie Tolhoek were especially honored to commemorate the achievements of this class as the ICEJ has been a partner of Adam V’Adama from its beginning.
Two years ago October 7 was still traumatically fresh in the heart of this country, and starkly visible in the destroyed farms and towns of the Gaza Envelope. Sde Nitzan urgently needed farmers and field workers to continue planting, growing, and harvesting produce for the nation. However almost everyone was evacuated, and the thundering booms from Hamas bombardment in nearby Gaza routinely crackled through the air.
In this climate, 30 courageous students enrolled in Adam V’Adama. They did not know their teachers, did not know the curriculum, and had no physical classrooms. They did have hope, hard work, trust, time, and a desire to serve their country; all of which they offered in abundance.
We could report more detail on their rigorous schedule; how students rise before the sun to work in the fields, spend the afternoon in classes, and the evening studying Torah and making music. We could write about the agricultural breakthroughs they’ve made like the fungi cross-breeding project Tamar is conducting with agronomist Omri in response to shortages at her family’s horticultural farm that will be published and further researched by a leading university.
We could write about the practical hope and help they’re providing the local community; this next generation not only responding to terrorism and tragedy but choosing to flourish and bloom in the desert. Where there were once literal ashes from fires intended to incinerate the Gaza Envelope—home to 60% of Israel’s produce—today grow orchards of oranges, fields of mangoes, and trellises of tomatoes.
But it’s more informative, meaningful, and important for these remarkable students to share their own story.
Every morning when I wake before the sun I’m exhausted. I have the urge to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. But I decide to get up, brush my teeth, and go outside. I work. I don’t give up on myself before I even start. This choice is a victory over everyone who says it’s impossible, strong proof that anything is possible if I want. These are the moments that shaped these years.
All the emotions I felt, the connections I made, the exciting conversations, the rolling laughter, returning to my room at the end of the day and feeling this crazy satisfaction and feeling, “Wow, I did something meaningful today”, all shaped my experience here.
When someone is present in the mental and physical senses, she can breathe. When she doesn’t want to be somewhere else, she can be happy. And I was happy here. When we girls went out to dance in the sprinklers, when we woke up at three in the morning to set off on a journey, when we rode our bikes through the fields of Sde Nitzan, when we went to school and picked flowers to put in our hair, the satisfaction of work when we finish a line of seedlings, the hours of conversation as we worked in the orchard…
Before, I believed that someone must be born with talent and that’s how they achieve success. What this program helped me realise is that any person can achieve huge success. A person’s success does not depend only on talent, but hard work, investment, perseverance and effort.
We were working in the greenhouse, spraying dahlia seedlings. There was about an hour left to work, it was hot, and we weren’t close to being done. And then in one moment we all just decided, “We’re finishing the greenhouse; there is no way we won’t.” Everyone started working full speed, not resting for a moment. When Assaf arrived, he was shocked, he couldn’t believe how we managed to finish so quickly.
The beginning wasn’t easy for me. I fell asleep in so many classes, I was tired most of the day, I couldn’t really function. Then came a moment engraved in my mind. We journeyed up to the compound and raised the flag together, everyone walking quietly and in the background, hearing bombs from Gaza. I immediately realised I was in the right place. I was doing the right thing. I wasn’t breaking down. And I stayed here until the end.
Today, Adam v’Adama is bigger, brighter and healthier than ever. They have state-of-the art facilities (dorms, new classrooms, a greenhouse and learning center) and extraordinary teachers. One instructor shared: “I do not just teach my students about English, I teach them about life.”
This school is a physical expression of chosen community, service, sacrifice, patriotism, and love. The ICEJ is truly honored to partner with them and look forward to countless future graduations with anticipation and joy. To contribute to the mission of this special school, donate here.
