This week the town of Yerucham was treated to a musical concert that celebrated home-grown talent. Despite having a population of around 10,000, the town has established itself as a cultural oasis in the under-developed Negev desert region.

The concert was a testament to the impact of the state-of-the-art music conservatory, which provides all the young people in the town with the opportunity to discover and nurture their creative talents.

Even more remarkably, the conservatory has only been properly functioning for a relatively short period of time. Only a few years ago it was in a state of disrepair and was too small to meet demand.

However, the building was extensively renovated with funding from JNF UK. It was named the Stanley Grossmith Music Conservatory, after Stanley Grossmith, a major contributor to the project. Officially consecrated in October 2017, the conservatory represents one of many projects that JNF UK have supported in the area.

The vision of the JNF UK is to build Israel’s future in the parts of the country that have historically been neglected. The Yerucham concert shows just how successful these communities can be!