OR Movement

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How it All Began

The Start of the Future They were two young boys standing in the middle of Auschwitz, and they were shaken up. It was the day that would change the path of their lives, and the future of Israel, forever. Time stood still as they took in the scene, and let history come to life. Here their people were nearly annihilated. Here they were so callously walked to death, so easily torn apart. Here darkness had become powerful enough to suffocate the very human soul. Roni and Ofir had come on the school trip with the attitude of any young teen about to spend a week travelling with friends – they were ready to have some fun. What they weren’t ready for however, was reality hitting so hard. Suddenly, Israel was no longer simply their home county. Zionism wasn’t just a philosophy. It was a vital key to the future of the Jewish nation. The boys looked at each other and made a promise. They would start a movement. A movement of light. The young men finished high school, served in elite units in the army, and then reunited in 1999. They had work to do. First, they needed to define the modern Zionism. What were the needs of the state today? What would inspire the youth of the 21st century? In search of answers they began to hike the Israel Trail – a trip that took them on a foot tour from one side of Israel to the other. The journey revealed a serious concern. The young men hiked days of empty terrain with rare specks of civilization, and witnessed an unhealthy trend. 80% of Israel’s land mass was being ignored, and nearly the entire population was dependent on just one center of economy and life. It was simply unsustainable. The Negev and Galilee had to be developed. There laid the future of Israel; the future of Zionism. It had been fifteen years since any new community had been built in the Negev. Israelis perceived it as a big stretch of empty desert land, a long dusty road to the vacation town of Eilat. Government officials barely gave thought to the area, and residents were slowly leaving. It was time for Sansana to be built. The new community gathered a group of idealistic young Israelis, who planted their new homes in the desert stretch of the Negev, and inspired a new trend of Zionism. In 2002 OR Movement was established. As the movement began building more new communities, their desert neighbors began to join in. They came for advice and support. The young movement began to revive older towns with seed groups of families who believed in the future of the Negev. The Negev began to see a new life. The journey of OR Movement was filled with highs and lows, and difficult bureaucracy to navigate – but most importantly, it was filled with the perseverance of light over darkness. Today, the OR Movement builds new communities; strengthens existing communities and towns; runs the Center for the Development of the Negev and Galilee (which was adopted by the government in 2005); and writes plans, creating maps for the future of the Negev and Galilee. Ultimately, the two young boys and the movement they inspired will bring the Negev and Galilee to become independent and thriving centers of life, right in time for Israel’s upcoming 100th birthday in 2048.