A group of English speakers who made aliyah (lit- ascend, referring to moving to Israel from abroad) and now reside in the Sharon Region of Israel (Ra’anana, Herziliya, Kochav Ya’ir etc) visited Ariel on May 11th. They enjoyed an extensive and intensive daylong tour of the city. Their group, known as Unity In Diversity (UID), seeks to familiarize itself with elements of Israeli society that they don’t sufficiently maintain regular contact with, with a primary focus on the Jews living in Judea and Samaria.
Members of the group were, to put it simply, shocked to see the City of Ariel. Their preconceived notions regarding Judea and Samaria, fed by an international media that seeks to paint the region as temporary and extremist, were completely overturned and reversed.
With gaping mouths and incredulous looks, they were overwhelmed to see the size of the Ariel Industrial Parks, impressed to see Ariel’s regional and national sites such as the Center for the Performing Arts and the Ariel National Leadership Development Center and inspired to meet with students at the Ariel University Center.
The group had an opportunity to engage with life in Israel from a new perspective. They understood Ariel’s strategic security positioning from atop Antenna Hill, learned of the unfortunate deterioration in regional coexistence efforts in the wake of the Oslo Accords and enjoyed a personal presentation from Mayor Ron Nachman.
They concluded their visit with presentations by Ariel residents, including Reuven Franks, Ariel’s English Speaking Aliyah Coordinator, Rabbi Hillel Maizels, community rabbi for the Ohel Efraim Synagogue, Yoni Sacks who represents the Netzarim community and Natalie Zacks, an olah (immigrant) from Detroit, Michigan who shared her personal experiences with the visitors.
American Friends of Ariel thanks UID for taking the initiative to visit the City of Ariel, and look forward to host similar groups, whether from Israel or abroad, who would like to see what Ariel is really all about, firsthand.