Our story

The Beginning

In 2002 Matan Dahan and Danny Gliksberg decided to invest all the money from their discharge grants and purchase two mobile homes, which they placed in Ashalim in the Negev. Ayalim was born, and since then has founded over 22 student villages, alumnus compounds and community seeds, attracting hundreds of young Israelis every year, who choose to join the organization and live in the Negev, Galilee or Israel’s social periphery. The organization is named for Eyal and Yael Sorek, who were murdered by terrorists in their home on Karmei Tzur.

Our Vision

In the spirit of Ben Gurion’s vision and the Zionist project, Ayalim believes that young communities are of utmost importance, in both a national and a moral level. What leads the organization is the belief that the future of Israeli society and the country relies on the development of the Negev and Galilee, as well as the belief that investing heavily in these areas is key to the State of Israel’s prosparity. This mission is what leads the students, gap-year volunteers, families and Ayalim’s alumni community.

Our Activity

We fulfill our vision of developing the Negev and the Galilee by founding student villages, that serve as a base for introducing young Israelis to the area. The students and village members are active in the community around the village, donate their time to support and reinforce the communities in these areas. After graduating, many of our alumnus choose to keep living in the Negev or the Galilee and to build their homes there, some on their own and some as part of one of our community seeds.