Desert Stars (non-profit)
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| Formation | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lahav, Israel |
| Website | https://www.desertstars.org.il/homepage-english |
Desert Stars (Arabic: نجوم الصحراء, romanized: Nujūm al-ṣaḥrāʼ, Hebrew: כוכבי המדבר, romanized: Kochvi HaMidber) is an Israeli non-profit focused on developing the leadership skills of Bedouin youth and preparing them for higher education. The organization was founded in 2013, as part of a collaboration between Bedouin mayor Muhammad al-Nabari and Jewish entrepreneur, Matan Yaffe.[1][2][3]
In an effort to promote equality, all management positions at Desert Stars are jointly held by a Bedouin and an Israeli Jew.[4]
Desert Stars' initially offered a yearlong boarding school program for male high school graduates in Ruhama.[1][4] The program included activities like wilderness training, and lessons in Hebrew, math, and emotional intelligence from both Bedouin and Jewish instructors.[1] As of 2018, 60 graduates participated, with plans to expand the program to include young women as well.[4]
The organization later expanded, opening the Desert Stars Rawafed Empowerment Center, an after-school center which offers volunteering opportunities, clubs, art programs, and sports teams.[1][2]
In 2016, the group opened a co-ed "leadership high school," with 210 students from multiple Bedouin tribes.[1][2][4]
The organization plans to open Israel's first Bedouin youth village, the Jusidman Campus for Bedouin Leadership.[5]