Fourteen young Chabad-Lubavitch families have a dream. It’s not one of fame or fortune, but rather of a place tucked away in Israel’s Southern Negev Desert. Their dream is to bring Chassidic wisdom to life in a place called Neve Chabad.
“My husband and I are millennial Chabadniks,” says Bruria Efune, co-founder of Neve Chabad with her husband, Rabbi Mendy Efune, “I’m 27, and he’s 29. All through school, we ran children's programs, gave out Shabbat candles and put tefillin on people. Our generation of Chabad youth grew up in a constant state of doing good things,” she tells Chabad.org.
“Once we got married,” she continues, “we were asking ourselves, how can we take that positive energy and harness it to its full potential?”
That's how the idea of a new town, named Neve Chabad, was born.
From the start, the project has been proceeding with the support and guidance of Lubavitch Youth Organization of Israel and its director, Rabbi Joseph Aharonov. Three criteria needed to be met, says Efune: A close-knit community that provides a support network for young families; a place firmly rooted in Chabad-Lubavitch values; and a place where they can positively impact others.
So far, 14 Chabad families have joined together, fully committed to turning the vision of Neve Chabad into a reality. Most of the core group now live in a close-knit community temporarily located in Beersheva. Their main inspiration says Efune, are the teachings and influence of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
Pediatrician Dr. Chaim Arias, his wife, Leah, and their four children will be moving from Las Vegas to Beersheva this summer to join the group. “My wife and I spent years in Israel, both alone on our own private journeys, and as a young family while attending medical school,” says Arias. “Thank G‑d, I have been blessed beyond what I could have hoped for. Raising a young family with my wife and watching my children grow has brought depth and love and light to my life. But I know I could breathe deeper, live fuller. Give more. To me, Neve Chabad means living intentionally, not giving up on the inspiration that started us on this path so long ago.”
Bringing the Rebbe’s Teachings to Life
The project follows a centuries-long history of Chabad in the Land of Israel, beginning with its founder, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Feeling a strong desire to move to the Holy Land, in 1777 he set out, turning back only months later, after deciding he could not risk the future of the Chassidic movement in Europe. Yet Rabbi Schneur Zalman yearned for Israel and its people, and in 1788 he founded Colel Chabad, a charity for the country’s needy, which still exists today. In 1844, his granddaughter, Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim, the daughter of his son and successor, Rabbi Dovber, and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim, settled in Hebron, becoming the founders of the first Ashkenazic community in the city of David, one closely identified with Chabad ever since.
And in 1949 the sixth Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory—founded the village of Kfar Chabad in central Israel. When, following an Arab terrorist attack in 1956 that left five children and their teacher dead, voices suggested the village be abandoned, the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson—instead encouraged his Chassidim to redouble their efforts in building the village, founding new schools, and a few months later sent special shluchim to reassure the pioneers. Throughout the following decades, the Rebbe encouraged the establishment of new Chabad settlements, neighborhoods and institutions throughout the Land of Israel. The Rebbe similarly encouraged his Chassidim and the people of Israel in the run-up to and during the Six-Day War, launching the tefillin campaign as a way of spiritually assisting Israel’s soldiers, and stating publicly that G‑d would deliver a miraculous victory. Today, hundreds of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries, schools and organizations are a vital and central part of Jewish life in cities, towns and villages all around Israel
A Relaxed, Spiritual Resort
The plan is for the town itself to be a resort destination including a five-star hotel, and for residents to have regular 9 to 5 jobs, some of which will be related to the resort. Due to the sensitive nature of the project, the exact location has yet to be announced, but it will be somewhere in the Negev.
“The purpose of it all is for people to come experience what happens when Chassidut comes to life,” says Efune. “The entire town will provide that experience, as well as a vacation.”
Neve Chabad will offer Torah classes and activities for the entire family, such as zip-lining and horseback-riding. Guests will be invited to community members’ homes for Shabbat meals as one of many opportunities to connect with the residents. The emphasis will be on tourism, and any resident who wants to set up a tourist business will be able to do so. Residents also plan to run kosher bed-and-breakfasts.
Essentially, everything will be turned into a Chabad experience. For instance, a scenic park will include a meditation library, where people can read while sitting in nature. Efune cites her father, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, as her main source of inspiration for Neve Chabad in particular and for the idea of making Chassidut come to life in general. She wants to bring her father’s books, such as the Bringing Heaven Down to Earth series, to life and sees the meditation garden as a perfect way to do that.
Neve Chabad may also have farm animals with accompanying signs explaining associated Jewish laws and Chassidic lessons. A plan is in the works for a sustainable element to Neve Chabad as well, such as harnessing solar panels and utilizing environmentally friendly materials. In addition, Neve Chabad hopes to work with Chabad emissaries around the world to offer programming for students who aren’t yet ready to spend an entire year in yeshivah learning all day, but want to volunteer in Israel building a new town and get practical Jewish experience.
“We want to create a relaxed, spiritual environment for international guests to enjoy,” says Efune. “In that way, every single resident of the town will be contributing as living examples of what happens when Chassidut comes to life. Our resort’s target audience is really anybody.”
“We do everything together,” says Efune of the core group living in Beersheva. “Every Thursday night, the men have a farbrengen. Every motzei Shabbat [Saturday night], the women gather together. We have barbecues and events for our kids. We also have monthly Rosh Chodesh events for all English-speaking women in the area who want to come. We have a community that is already operating. Building a new town is not just about building the houses, but building a community with a united goal. All of the families joining us are determined to make this happen. We need people who have the determination to see this through to the end because it’s not going to be easy.”
‘The Struggle Is the Purpose’
The process of creating a town from scratch in Israel is a long and involved one. It’s not something that happens overnight; the phases of development are numerous, tedious and bureaucratic. Once the Neve Chabad team finalizes the development of the land, there is still a lot of red tape to deal with from various government agencies. The OR (Hebrew for “Light”) Movement is helping tremendously in this regard. The organization, begun in 2002, builds new communities and revives existing ones, in addition to running the Center for the Development of the Negev and Galilee. The OR Movement has established nine towns so far; Neve Chabad will be their 10th. It acts as the liaison between the Neve Chabad team and the government, handling much of the complex bureaucracy.
“Neve Chabad is an amazing initiative; the only one of its kind,” says Roni Flamer, CEO and co-founder of the OR Movement. “The leadership of the seed group, which decided not to stay in Israel’s center but to move down south and really walk the walk, has the spirit to make their dreams and vision come true. I know it’s not going to be easy, but the journey is part of a very important process to make sure that dedicated people are going to be part of it. In our experience at the OR Movement, this kind of foundation builds a sustainable, successful community.”
In terms of Neve Chabad’s timeline, nothing is for sure. While much remains up in the air, and progress must be kept quiet, the Efunes hope to move in with the rest of the core team in one to three years. They plan on offering a volunteer program for young adults who want to come and help get Neve Chabad off the ground. Neve Chabad will be built up in stages starting with smaller cabins, while plans are solidified for the larger buildings. The hope is to be fully functioning in 10 years, while opening the resort gradually along the way.
“A lot of times, people learn Chassidut from a book, and then they close it and don’t see how it fits into day-to-day life,” explains Efune. “I find that we can learn a lesson for everything in our day. Chassidut teaches us how to deal with life. For example, if you’re struggling with a task, and feel that you can’t finish it and want to give up, Chassidut places an emphasis on the fact that the struggle is the purpose. As long as you’re fighting for the right thing, you’re doing the right thing. Even if you spend all day just trying and don’t win in the end, you actually did win.
Oftentimes, she adds, “people reconnect to Judaism when they are already living a very full life, and attending a class once a week doesn’t do it. This will be a space where people can go and take even a one-week vacation to immerse themselves in learning, and let everything sink in.”
“This project has a soul of its own; it’s taking us along on a journey,” adds Rabbi Mendy Efune. “We feel humbled to be part of it and just pray that we can together produce something the Rebbe would be proud of.”
Start a Discussion