THE KIBBUTZ KEREM SHALOM a project like no other

Kerem Shalom is one of FSJU’s flagship projects in Israel, and FSJU decided to invest in it to help it develop since 2022.

Located 50 meters from the border with Gaza and 1.5 kilometers from the one with Egypt, Kibbutz Kerem Shalom has a history and characteristics that make it a unique place. Before October 7, it comprised 66 families, totaling just over 200 residents.

What is striking when visiting Kerem Shalom, apart from its proximity to Gaza, is the coexistence between religious and secular individuals. Of the 66 families, eleven are religious. In Israel, where generally each segment of the population prefers to live in its own neighborhood, such a model is unusual.

In Kerem Shalom, there is complete integration: secular individuals live alongside very strict religious ones. While this sometimes creates friction, it remains at the stage of debate and confrontation of ideas and does not tarnish good neighborly relations. From these debates, compromises emerge so that everyone can continue to live according to their convictions.

The principle applied is that of respect for everyone’s way of life.

Richard Odier, FSJU’s Director General, states: “We were looking for a meaningful project that aligns with the principles and values advocated by FSJU in France and Israel, and that is at the heart of our donors’ concerns. The story of Kerem Shalom is magnificent. This kibbutz is a symbol in many respects, and the landscapes are magical.”

The kibbutz needed help. Firstly, because missiles fired from Gaza had already caused significant damage. The kibbutz bears the physical and psychological scars of the various rounds with the Hamas. A resident confides “ Kerem Shalom is the only place in the country where it is impossible to deploy the Iron Dome, due to its extreme proximity to Gaza. When a rocket is launched, we officially have 15 seconds to take cover; in reality, it’s much less.”

Furthermore, the kibbutz struggled to raise the necessary funds to restore certain infrastructures or to optimize and market its products. It is precisely on these points that FSJU in Israel will provide its assistance. The objective is to secure the necessary budgets to purchase agricultural and hydraulic machinery, as well as to sell its harvests.

Concurrently, we financed the restoration of the kibbutz’s cultural center, “Tarbuta,” which was severely damaged by bombings. In this venue, children can participate in after-school activities; there is a gymboree for toddlers, as well as gym classes for adults and a library. FSJU contributed to making it a secure building, with all necessary comforts, to offer children and adults a pleasant meeting place where they will feel safe.

We will inaugurate this cultural center “Tarbuta” during a ceremony in the presence of Isaac Herzog and the kibbutz residents who have finally returned home, on August 25, 2025.

Since October 7, students from Kerem Shalom also benefit from the student scholarship program named after Alon Shimriz Z’L, which began in Kfar Aza in November 2023 and now extends to students from all Southern kibbutzim and the Nova survivors.