Young Jewish Adults at Midbar Kodesh Temple

Midbar Kodesh Temple's young adult group recently hosted a Shabbat dinner for the representatives of the Jewish Nevada's Ramat HaNegev delegation, in Las Vegas for their annual visit. Two of the representatives, selected from 15 communities that make up Ramat HaNegev, spoke from the bima, introducing the group of six. They shared that these diverse communities represent 22% of the physical land of Israel. The Negev Highlands, located 90 minutes south of Tel Aviv, is the largest political region of Israel, but is home to less than 5,000 people who live in small settlements, moshavim, kibbutzim and community villages in the heart of the Negev Desert. While each community has a different emphasis, together they believe that Israel should be a Jewish democratic state which is free and respectful.

Ramat HaNegev partners with several Jewish communities throughout the United States, sending representatives to the American Jewish communities, and welcoming representatives from those cities into their homes. Jewish Nevada, in cooperation with the greater community, provided housing and programming for the visitors. A Las Vegas delegation will visit Ramat HaNegev in May.

The visiting delegation shared that they respect and appreciate the important challenges faced by Jewish America. They said that before their visit to Las Vegas they were not familiar with the hard work it takes to be Jewish in American cities. In welcoming the group, Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel said that aside from our religion and history, that as communities that thrive in a desert environment, we have many things in common. Exchanges of ideas on the issues of water, agriculture and solar energy are valuable to continued success.

The young adult group at Midbar Kodesh Temple has been hosting activities and Shabbat dinners in partnership with Moishe House without Walls. Moishe House is a national organization and global leader of Jewish life for young adults. The program is designed to bring together people in a peer-led environment. The David L. Simon Foundation also provides funding for this project at Midbar Kodesh Temple. For more information on young adult programming at Midbar Kodesh Temple contact Andrew Spivak at 702-454-4848.