What a year it's been! The 20 young people who were the Arava Leadership Academy's very first students have been busy all day every day from the moment they marched into the Academy on Moshav Hazeva with their knapsacks on their backs at the end of a two-day hike through the desert.

During the year the students, high school graduates who decided to postpone their Army service for a year in order to take time out to decide upon their paths in life, studied Judaism, Zionism, social studies, philosophy and many more subjects. But since one of the Academy's underlying principles is expressed by working the land, a greenhouse was set up on the grounds of the Academy, supervised by moshav members. The students grew tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce and more, and also toiled in the fields of regional farmers who didn't have enough workers.
 

The young people additionally devoted a lot of their time hiking around the region and the country, since they believe that the best way to develop ties to the land is to get to know it in the most direct way possible - on foot. They spent six weeks out in the field during the year, hiking and conducting navigational and desert survival exercises. The culmination was the Israel Trek, a three-week hike along the length of the entire country which they planned entirely by themselves.

Since the year at the Academy immediately precedes Army service, much time and thought was given to preparing for the Army, including talks about the IDF and security, combat outcomes, the structure of the IDF, command and leadership dilemmas and more. The students also trained three times a week, jogging and doing exercises, and participated in a number of races, the longest of which was a 21 km race!

To all of the above volunteering and social endeavors should also be added. The Academy's approach to leadership and contribution to the community calls for the students to devote one day a week to volunteer activities.

The students volunteered at the Hazeva Field School, an absorption center in Beersheva, the Center for the emotionally disturbed in Beersheva, a school for youth at risk and more. They also participated in a number of additional activities, such as painting and cleaning the homes of senior citizens in Dimona, and took an active part in community activities, including moshav holidays and memorial ceremonies.

And last but not least, much effort and many resources were invested in the establishment process and during the Academy's first year, including renovation of the buildings and various facilities and improving the fa?ade and grounds of the Academy. The students took an active part in all of this work, and brought up and implemented many of their own ideas.
 

Next year the Academy plans to accept 30 students, including six Australian students from the IBC program, to which we say: Yishar koach!