I first traveled to Israel in my early twenties. Since then, I’ve been there approximately 60 times. A recent trip once again highlighted reasons to love the southern Negev desert of Israel – where Israel’s founder, David Ben-Gurion, is buried, where Ben-Gurion University (BGU) thrives today, and where the future of Israel is being built as we speak.

The Negev is 60 percent of Israel’s landmass yet contains less than 10 percent of the population. It is where a true pioneering sense of 21^st century Zionism can be felt today in a part of the country that no one is arguing about. Last March we took 16 Zin Fellows to the Negev – Americans from across the country ranging in age from 30 to 50 years old. They participate in an 18-month leadership and educational program with BGU faculty which culminates in a six-day immersive experience in Israel. From meeting scientists working on cures for cancer to meeting with graduate students at The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research to viewing rare documents at the Ben-Gurion Archives to visiting wine and cheese farms and hiking the awe-inspiring Zin Valley – the experience was total immersion in the best of Israel.

Professor Simon Barak, one of the program’s faculty leads, said it well when he described the trip as “the best Jewish youth camp experience, but with a modern-day Zionist twist.”

The Zin Valley, where we hiked, is not only gorgeous; it’s our origins. Remember the story of the 12 spies Moses sent into Canaan to scout the land (Numbers 13:1-26)? This took place in the Zin Valley. Ten came back with a negative report, but two were positive. One of them was Joshua, who eventually led the Jewish people into the Promised Land – a privilege not allowed Moses.

In contrast to this ancient biblical story, Americans for Ben-Gurion University sent 16 Zins into the desert and all 16 returned filled with passion and commitment to the potential of the Negev and the Ben-Gurion University. And, who knows? The next “Joshua” may have even been in our midst!

Something that would have certainly surprised Moses’ scouts but delighted our Zins was the entrepreneurial spirit of today’s Negev. At BGU’s Center for Digital Innovation (CDI), we saw the collaborative forces of academia, government and industry in addressing the challenges of the world’s aging population with mind-boggling solutions in digital healthcare and education. One great project: a “smart” apartment for the elderly, complete with “virtual vacation experiences” (think goggles) so you can “tour” the world and enjoy its pleasures even though you may be house-bound!

We also met with Cactus Capital, the recently launched student-run venture capital fund – the first of its kind in Israel. The fund invests in early-stage business and social ventures formed by BGU students and recent grads and offers a training course for students who want to figure out how to turn their great ideas into reality. Practical training in a world-class university setting – simply the best!

We also toured several of BGU’s laboratories to gain insight into the leading-edge research being conducted in so many departments, including but not limited to cybersecurity, nano and bio technology, brain sciences, microbiology, immunology, and genetics. We met with students at BGU’s Medical School for International Health – the top program in the world for doctors who want to practice global health. It’s open to students from all over the world, and the entire program is taught in English.

One of our most memorable nights was closing down the Copa Brewery and Pub, a popular hangout across from the University, and getting to know faculty and staff in a new way. That’s when a faculty band showed up unexpectedly and rocked the house with live music. Even BGU President Danny Chamovitz took the stage with guitar in hand! It made me think that the “hottest” university in Israel is also the “coolest.” It’s just so great BGU has these scientists who are some of the best in the world in what they do. At the same time, they are just really great and interesting people. They represent the talent and vitality of Israel in such a unique way.

The Negev is not boring!

One major conclusion from this trip is that the concept of the Negev as the geographic and psychological periphery of the country is simply outdated. Beer-Sheva, the gateway to the Negev and home to BGU’s main campus, is not only the geographic center of the country; it is also central to the future of Israel.  Literally, in one hour, you can take the train today from Tel Aviv and arrive in Beer-Sheva, right on campus.

Moses would have been shocked. But Ben-Gurion would have been really proud!

An unforgettable moment of the trip was meeting Mushi Ben-Eliezer, David Ben-Gurion’s grandson (above, at the Kirya Army Base, with Prof. Paula Kabalo, one of the faculty leads of the Zin Fellows program ). In a rare moment, Mushi shared what it was like to grow up with the prime minister as your “Saba.” What touched me most was how he talked about Ben-Gurion’s one-pointed dedication to establish the Jewish homeland, often at the sacrifice of personal family time. We visited Ben-Gurion’s home in Tel Aviv, full of twenty thousand books. We went to his retirement “hut” in Kibbutz Sde Boker. We learned about his ideas for the Jewish state to be “Am Segula” – a just society. We experienced how humbly he lived.

Ben-Gurion taught us that while it’s nice to enjoy material things, ultimately our value, our greatness, is defined by what we leave behind and do for others. David Ben-Gurion was a true and courageous leader, and his ideas still inspire us today.

In my opinion, and as I told our Zins, David Ben-Gurion is the number two Jew of all time. I’ll let you decide who’s number one.

I sincerely hope you get the opportunity to visit BGU and the Negev sometime soon and see what we at Americans for Ben-Gurion University are so excited about. In the meantime, you can experience it virtually by browsing the rest of this issue, enjoying our photo gallery, and staying in touch with us. And, maybe next time, you’ll join Americans for Ben-Gurion University on a trip and discover that…

The future of Israel lies in the Negev. 

And the future of the Negev relies on BGU.

Doug Seserman

Chief Executive Officer