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AACI South - Programs & Activites
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Seeking Volunteers Art Classes Scrabble Quilting Club Dunn & Bradstreet on Beer Sheva
Become an Overseas Member Trains, Planes & Automobiles |
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AACI Travel Experience - AACI Southern Branch & Ophir Tours Together Again
.jpg) AACI Southern members receive a discount* and the Southern Branch receives a contribution for all AACI members who book through AACI. The call is on us. Call our native English-speaking agents Marcelle, Leah, Debbie or Livia at 09-746-4010 and they will call you back on their dime. AACI Travel Experience / Ophir Tours offering great service, great prices and have the satisfaction of helping AACI all at the same time. Call now and discover great summer fares to the US and Canada. *Discounts apply on certain flights and arrangements . |
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AACI Southern Branch Seniors -Young at Heart
.jpg) The AACI Southern Branch Seniors is our most active group, planning monthly trips for their members and parties for all occasions. If you have suggestions for places to visit or interesting activities to organize, please call Chaya Aft at 08-642-2915. Past outings have included visits to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai’s Honey Workshop, the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Kibbutz Urim Art Center, and more. If you know of English speakers in the community who might be interested in joining the AACI Seniors, please contact Chaya or Counselor Miriam Green at 08-643-3953 or mgreen@aaci.org.il On Sunday, May 23, the AACI Southern Branch Seniors will gather for a brunch at the home of Chayah Aft for a talk by Prof. Mayer Gruber of the Department of Bible Archaeology and Ancient Near East at Ben-Gurion University. Prof. Gruber will speak about his recent visit to the African bush. Cost: NIS 28. For more information and to reserve your space, call Chayah at 08-642-2915 or Shirley at 08-6423794.
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AACI Offers a Warm Welcome To New Olim and American Visitors AACI wishes a warm welcome to the new olim who have settled in Arad, Beer Sheva, Dimona, Eilat, Ketura, Meitar, Netivot, Omer, Revivim, Shokeda, Yerucham, Yotvata—your presence here is a spiritual boost to our humble communities. There are also many students who have recently arrived in the Negev. These include students in various BGU programs: the Columbia Medical School Program, the Overseas program, MAPMES (Masters of Arts Program in Middle East Studies), Desert Research, Sde Boker International Program and English Literature. New olim and students who wish to meet long-time members of the community are welcome to contact Counselor Miriam Green mgreen@aaci.org.il or 08-643-3953. In addition, during the year, two US-based programs use Beer Sheva as their home ground. Of particular interest is OTZMA, a ten-month program of the Jewish Agency and United Jewish Communities that strives to promote direct contact between North American Jews and Israel through volunteer and educational opportunities. While in Beer Sheva, participants live in the Merkaz Klitah in Shechunah Hey for three months, attend ulpan, and engage in community service projects at the Merkaz Klitah and in the surrounding community. The program is religiously unaffiliated.
Another program to bring its students to Beer Sheva is the Nativ-USY Israel Program. Young North Americans arrive in Beer Sheva in February on the last leg of their nine-month Nativ-USY Israel program. They are housed, along with two counselors, in the Merkaz Klitah Ye’elim for four months while they work as volunteers in organizations and schools all across Beer Sheva. Another group will be living in Yerucham and volunteering there. Nativ combines exploration of Israel with academic studies and leadership training. It is part of United Synagogue Youth, and as such, places an emphasis on Jewish living and learning in the framework of the Conservative Movement. And while these 18-year-olds strengthen their Jewish identity, they’ll be learning how to take care of themselves before returning to colleges and universities in their home States. |
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The AACI Southern Branch Library.jpg) Indulge Yourself! There’s Something for Everyone The AACI Southern Branch Library is an extensive collection of fiction and non-fiction numbering more than 6,000 items. The collection includes classics, biographies, best sellers, mysteries, romances, literature, and life stories. In short, something for everyone. Most of the books in the collection are donations. Others are purchased especially for the Library (recommendations welcome!).Joining the Library is simple. You pay NIS 50 for the year and can take out up to six books at a time. Olim, soldiers and students pay NIS25. Library hours are as follows: Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and Monday and Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The Library is located in Matnas Yud-Aleph, 11 Mordechai Namir St., Beer Sheva. Call the AACI office for more details at 08-643-3953.
If you would like to donate books published within the last five years that are in good condition, please contact Librarian Shirley Goodblatt at 08-642-3794.
Book Sale at AACI Library Popular books in good condition are being sold at the AACI Southern Branch Library for NIS 5, during Library hours. Romantic novels priced at 2 for NIS 5. |
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Support for Job Seekers AACI Employment Club Meets in Beer Sheva If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, you may be eligible for programs at the unique Start-Up organization. Geared to keeping young people in Beer Sheva, Start-Up offers courses, job fairs, special programs for olim, and tiyulim. Contact AACI counselor, Miriam Green at mgreen@aaci.org.il or phone: 08-6433953 Please let us know whether you are a senior member of AACI (55 years & above for our purposes) and would like to receive the Senior Spectator. Email Barbara Casden at Seniors@aaci.org.il |
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Finding Work for Olim and Vatikim a Priority  The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI) is dedicated to the successful absorption of North American olim into Israeli society. To that end we have established an Employment Club in Beer Sheva to assist both new and veteran olim successfully find work. Our participants include accountants, lawyers, teachers, bankers, nurses, and writers. As part of a new initiative, we want to create a Referral Service to advertise actual positions to our participants. The goal of our efforts is to introduce prospective employers and employees to each other.
How can you help? When you notify our office of openings in your company or organization, we will seek to inform appropriate candidates to make contact with you, according to your needs and direction. When you volunteer to act as a mentor in your field, we’ll connect you with an appropriate oleh or vatik candidate in your profession.
Please note that the AACI Employment Referral Service is not an employment agency. We can refer reasonably suitable candidates to you, but the responsibility to screen and interview remains up to you.
What we need from the employer
What information we have about the Jobseeker
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 Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev and Israel’s fourth largest metropolitan region, has over 200,000 residents. The prosperous university-city has commercial and industrial centers, serving 600,000 residents in the entire metropolitan region. Built more than 4,000 years ago, Beer Sheva grew as a city under Ottoman rule in the 19th century and under the British in the early 20th century. Modern Beer Sheva was founded in 1948 and built up by immigrants from about 60 countries. In the past 15 years, the city’s population has doubled, with tens of thousands of new immigrants as well as young and veteran Israeli couples choosing to make Beer Sheva their home.Beer Sheva – The Future Development of Israel – “A Window of Opportunity” Beer Sheva and the Negev represent the central focus for Israel’s future development, with 60% of the country’s landmass, and its available land reserves. In recent years the city has witnessed particularly rapid development, and a large-scale plan is being implemented to transfer major army bases from central Israel to the Negev including the Intelligence, Communications and Training bases of the IDF. Ongoing highway improvement, paving Highway 6 to the Dimona Junction and intensive upgrading of the railway shorten travel between Beer Sheva, Tel Aviv and the north. These processes, alongside many city development projects, strengthen Beer Sheva as Israel’s fourth urban center. Urban Development In recent years the city has been undergoing vast development with such major projects as: *A Wastewater Recycling and Purification Plant, one of the most advanced in Israel, built some three years ago. *Payis Center for the Performing Arts, scheduled to open in Sept. 2008, includes 950-seat and 450-seat auditoriums. *Reconfiguration of Rager Boulevard from the northern entrance to the city, is in an advanced stage of development with the addition of 1,600 housing units, public, commercial and office buildings.
*A Sports Complex including a 16,000-seat stadium, five training fields and extensive parking. *The Beer Sheva River Park, 8 km. of green expanses, with attractions including an amphitheater, lake, sports facilities, promenades, a conference center and more, will enable hundreds of thousands of residents to enjoy a quality outdoor recreational environment. *A Children’s Museum will be opening in 2009. *The Old City: Millions of dollars are being invested in renovating infrastructures, preserving buildings, and transforming the Old City by building culture and leisure centers to attract young people and students: *The Youth Center for Culture, Arts and Communications in the heart of the Old City. Already in operation. *A Science Museum, one of the largest in the country (contributed by the Rashi Foundation), is being built, as part of the renovation of this area. A Young and Dynamic City
Beer Sheva is a young city with over 100,000 residents under age 34, who enjoy a quality education system, stressing science and technology. In the past decade NIS 1 billion has been invested in the building and infrastructure of schools. Beer Sheva is home to fine institutions of higher education such as: Ben Gurion University of the Negev, with 18,000 students, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering and Kaye Teachers’ College. Each year more students apply to Ben Gurion University (a world leader in many academic disciplines) than any other university in Israel. The Soroka Medical Center is one of the country’s leading hospitals. An academically-sponsored drama school was recently opened to serve the many talented young people of Beer Sheva and the Negev. Beer Sheva is home both to shopping malls and to many cultural institutions, including Beer Sheva Theater, the Sinfonietta, LOGON, dance troupes, museums and more. A Balanced Budget City
For the first time in many years the Beer Sheva Municipality balanced its budget in 2005. Its financial strength was improved and debts to banks, suppliers, and charter institutions reduced. The Municipality has an operating annual budget of about NIS 1 billion – NIS 850 million in the ongoing budget; NIS 150 million in the development budget, over and above the previously mentioned projects. The city has completed privatizing its water and sewage system with the setting up of the “May Sheva” Corporation, and also operates through subsidiaries including: the Beer Sheva Economic Development Co.; “Kivunim” for Culture and Leisure; the Regional Industries Management Co.; the Bet-Yatziv Youth Hostel, in partnership with the Rashi Foundation, and the Beer Sheva Foundation (which raises donations for the city), and more. Employment and Industry
Since the start of the 90s, following a surge in development when the city received Development Area A status for capital investments, Beer Sheva has become an attractive city for entrepreneurs and investors. In addition to 7,000,000 sq.m of industrial zones in the south of the city, a new high-tech park is being built adjacent to the university. The High-Tech Park is a joint venture of Ben Gurion University, the municipality and the U.S. company KUD. It will be one of the most advanced parks in the country, facilitating integration of leading high-tech companies in one well-situated compound, and providing employment opportunities to the thousands of students graduating each year in the city. |
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Campaign for Overseas Members
.jpg) AACI is conducting a campaign to increase our overseas membership. We urge our members to help us by informing us about potential overseas supporters. Please send us names of relatives and friends who might join AACI as overseas members. Your support, and that of your family and friends, will enable AACI to continue to provide its vital Aliyah and Klitah services and to maintain its high level of programming. Please email membership@aaci.org.il |
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Bi-Weekly Meeting for Olim who are going through the Absorption Process
You are invited to join AACI for an informal conversation with some of the more established olim in the community to discuss the challenges—the highs and lows—you've been facing as new olim in Israel. We’ll meet at Merkaz Klitah Ye’elim at 7:45 p.m., on New date to be announced This is an opportunity to talk about your experiences in a comfortable setting. We’ll commiserate and celebrate and problem-solve together.
· Informal advice from people who were once olim;
· Hot-off-the-presses advice from other olim;
· Informal advice about Israel and Beer Sheva; and
· Suggestions on where to find more comprehensive information.
Please RSVP to AACI Counselor Miriam Green at mgreen@aaci.org.il. The sessions will be run by lay-people. Merkaz Klitah Ye’elim is located on Rehov Ye’elim in Shechunah Hey, Beer Sheva. Entrance through the parking lot behind the “Gesher.”
p.s. There is now a ramp for wheelchair access to MK Ye’elim
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In addition to the main branches of Bituach Leumi on 15 Rager St., and 6 Wolfson St., the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) now has new offices on Shazar St., Beit Prizma (next to Misrad Haklitah). These offices are for “kabalat kahal,” client reception and for various payments—including Health Tax (Mas Briut). There is a national hotline with electronic information at *6050. Bituach Leumi recently published an updated book in English on “Your Rights at the National Insurance Institute,” and maintains an English website that can be accessed either through the “links” on the AACI website
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AACI Southern - Summer Picnic - July 4th on July 26 How can it be.
 Well with every July 4th/ Canada celebration we need good music.As the real July 4 Canada day fell during the 3 weeks before Tish Abav the AACI Beersheva branch moved their celebration to July 26 as to be open to all.
It was great fun with great music, fencing lessons and demonstrations, face painting, massages and most important great people with great Southern spirit. Approximately 250 attended from all over the South in a centrally located BeereSheva Park.
The organizers were AACI Branch Co-Chairs Reesa Stone and Denis Weintraub and AACI's counselor Miriam Green with a score of other volunteers to make sure a good time was had by all.
Kol Hakavod to them all for such a great 4th of July on July 26!
Click here to see photos from the picnic
(Pictures by AACI Member, Denis Weintraub) David London
AACI Executive Director
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