JNF UK backs Negev academic course with British-funded renovation of building
Jewish charity celebrates bachelor's degree which launched last week offering students the chance to study society, music and culture
The British arm of the Jewish National Fund has celebrated the launch of a new bachelor’s degree in the Negev that will utilise a building paid for by British supporters.
Two three-year programmes, which began last week, offer Israeli students the chance to study either ‘society and culture’ or ‘music and culture,’ the latter focusing on music from the east, including ethnic instruments and Jewish liturgical poems.
Supporters of JNF UK paid for the recent renovation of the conservatory at Yeruham, where the students’ first two years of study takes place. One of Israel’s first frontier towns, Yeruham was established in 1951, but has suffered from economic under-development in recent decades.
“We are now completing the advancement of educational programmes for all age groups in Yeruham, from early childhood through investment in primary schools to high school and now also in tertiary education,” said JNF UK chair Samuel Hayek.
“Our goal is for every child and student in the Negev to realise their maximum potential and to turn the Negev into a magnet for talented people from all over.” 
Credit: Yaniv Yitshak
Listen to the Jewish Views podcast!
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
