SIGNERS–Clockwise, they are Barbara Sherman, Steve Morris,
Alon Schuster and Aharale Rothstein {Ulla Hadar photo}
By Ulla Hadar
SHA’AR HANEGEV, Israel — With tractors due to roll onto the property the next day to begin construction of the Sha’ar Hanegev Educational Village, representatives of the municipality, school administration and the United Jewish Federation of San Diego, partnership organization of Sha’ar Hanegev, signed a scroll formally inaugurating the project.
Steve Morris, UJF’s chief executive officer, signed the ceremonial document on Tuesday, Feb. 16, along with Sha’ar Hanegev Mayor Alon Schuster and the school’s principal, Aharale Rothstein.
Morris, who traveled to Israel in a delegation that also included Barbara Sherman, director of donor development, commented that he was “personally thrilled that we reached the reality… of actually constructing this new school village.”
He also said an important part of his job is “to figure out ways to make the partnership work in the future.”
Noting that Sha’ar Hanegev is right next to Gaza, which still occasionally launches Kassam rockets toward Israel, Mayor Schuster paid tribute to the teachers of Sha’ar Hanegev for “the way they cope with the situation and succeed and succeed in continuing their educational and Zionist work despite the daily difficulties…”
Rothstein, principalof the Sha’ar Hanegev High School, said programs of the educational complex will reflect some of the lessons learned during more than 10 years of partnership between Sha’ar Hanegev and San Diego.
“We have been exposed not only to our Israeli side but to our Jewish sides,” he said. “In order to understand the complete aspect of being Jewish we need to understnad the part that exists here in Israel and the part that exists in the Diaspora because without the unity, there is no Eretz Israel.”
He added that it is important that students in Sha’ar Hanegev learn “who they are and why they are here. This is the only way we can maintain the existence of the Jews in Israel, forever and ever. No Kassam missiles, no threats, nor anything else will move us from here. This school, which will be protected against missiles, is a must that we need to see rise as soon as possible.
In addition to the speeches, a local group “Birds of Peace” entertained with a medley of songs from the movies “Yentl” and “Fidller on the Roof.”
While in the Sha’ar Hanegev municipality, Morris and Sherman also visited the Ibim Student Village, Sapir College, the Ihadav Senior Center, the Hydortherapy Center and an overlook of the border with Gaza.
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Hadar is Sha’ar Hanegev bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World