The trainees of the pre-military academies and KKL JNF in cooperation with the Ministry of Settlement and National Missions and the Ministry of Defense joined the national mission to help Israeli farmers, who have been left with a severe shortage of working hands since the murderous terrorist attack in the Gaza Strip envelope and the fighting that broke out in the south and north. Many farmers, as well as their workers, have been murdered, kidnapped, injured or are simply missing. In addition to this, the fighting caused thousands of foreign workers to flee the country, in addition to the shortage of tens of thousands of workers in agriculture that existed even before the fighting.
About 50 trainees of the 'Midreshet Hashiluv' in Natur, a pre-military training course on a religious-secular combination track, joined the packing house in Kibbutz Gilgal, where they pack dates and Israeli agricultural produce. 48 trainees of 'Machinat Rakiya' in Harish, religious and secular from all over the country, volunteer at the Kadima-Zoran local council and work in preparing the field itself for growing strawberries. 30 trainees of 'Yeshivat Hemdat' help every day in growing dates, collecting cuttings and working the soil in the Jordan Valley area. The farmers in the area are in need of helping hands due to the constraints and security guidelines that prevent the entry of laborers.
25 trainees of the branch of 'Machinat Tzahali' in the Yavne group, a pre-military training school for religious women who are enlisting in the IDF, volunteer every day to harvest in Kibbutz Tsar'a, and even sleep in kindergartens in the kibbutz these days, and help from the early morning hours with the agricultural work in the kibbutz.
Every week, more academies join the agricultural work and lend a hand to farmers throughout the country with the goal that the lack of working hands will not affect the amount of food that reaches the shelves.
Avishai Berman, CEO of the Council of Pre-Military Academies: "The Pre-Military Academies have stopped their routine activities and are fully mobilized for civilian missions. Many hundreds of trainees go to agricultural work every morning so that the industry does not collapse. I am very proud of our trainees, we all understand that this is the order of the hour to mobilize and help where needed."
KKL JNF Chairman, Yifat Ovadia-Lusky: "Israeli farmers need our help and we are joining the task. Many of them and their workers have been murdered, kidnapped or injured and their settlements have been evacuated. Together with the wonderful trainees of the pre-military academies, KKL JNF is standing up to help the country's farmers and provide them the working hands that they need so much at this time."
