Israel

The David and Laura Merage Foundation and the Andre and Katherine Merage Foundation's primary emphasis within Israel is focused on the southern part of the country in the Negev region.

Our goal is to impact towards a positive change which emphasizes the natural advantages and potential of the region in terms of quality of life and to turn the Negev into an attractive, developed region for its residents, visitors and potential new residents. The Foundations achieve this goal through partnerships within the community and the government. We have dedicated ourselves to the betterment and development of the Negev, through the initiation and support of community intervention, economic and tourism development and cultural/educational programs designed to offer an outstanding quality of life to today's Negev residents and to attract additional populations to make the Negev their home.

We are focused on promoting programs to accelerate the economic and business development of the region in order to ensure plentiful opportunities for employment at all levels for the current and future population of the region and see this as the main channel for Negev development. We also support innovative educational programming which includes projects to insure the availability of the most advanced educational facilities, technologies and methodologies for the communities which we serve.

One of our successful social investment partners is Ayalim Association. Founded in 2002 by a group of young army veterans, Ayalim Association works to promote the establishment of student villages and entrepreneurship in Israel, specifically in the Negev and the Galilee, which will lay the groundwork for permanent settlement and social activism. They seek to channel young people's motivation and energy towards social action projects and current Zionist achievements. Largely due to partnerships with the David and Laura Merage Foundation and the Andre and Katherine Merage Foundation since 2004, Ayalim currently has eight villages, with 450 students active in communities in the Negev and the Galilee and 5,000 students who applied to join the association and are on stand by for future developments. In December 2005, the Ayalim Association was recognized by Prime Minister Sharon as a national settlement movement.

To learn more about the Merage Foundations' efforts in Israel, visit merage.org.il.