Published in Women's Magazine

Making Neighborhood | Sarit Levi Ashkenazi

Eliad and Asnat Flager arrived at Teneh Omarim following friends and stayed because of the human capital and warm atmosphere. The mixed community manages to maintain good and respectful relationships, and the neighbors have long since become family

The Flager Family

Eliad (34) and Asnat (33) Flager, he is a tender manager in the catering field and she is a midwife at Soroka.

Status: 14 years of marriage + three children (Shahar aged 13, Raz aged 8 and Nitzan aged 7).

Address in Waze: Teneh Omarim

From where to where?

Eliad grew up in Beit El and Asnat in Kochav Yaakov. "We met volunteering at Magen David Adom Jerusalem and haven't parted since". After the wedding they wandered between several places of residence until they settled in Givat Shmuel. "Over the years we went through personal processes and chose a non-religious lifestyle, but we had a need for community and didn't find our place in the city. We were looking for a rural environment to raise our children in the way we grew up. When we happened to meet a couple of friends with whom contact had been broken for a few years, they told us they live in Teneh Omarim, a mixed community for religious and secular people, and suggested we come to see for ourselves".

Why here?

"We came on Friday to see some houses in the community, and the friends who received us organized a spontaneous lunch with several other couples. When we met the people, we were captivated by the warmth and good atmosphere and decided this is the place for us", they say. "At first I dreamed of a classic kibbutz in the north", Asnat admits. "But very quickly I understood that it's roughly like immigrating to a foreign country. In Teneh Omarim we can be who we are, they accept us with our background, we speak 'the same language' and at the same time can choose how to bring ourselves".

Living together

The population in Teneh Omarim includes a diverse human fabric of secular and religious people who maintain shared life. "There is a strong religious community here of evacuees from the Morag community from Gush Katif, a veteran and young secular community and many mixed couples and formerly religious. The feeling is that everyone can find their place here and each person can be who they are and express themselves through community action".

Partnership challenges

"Although challenges exist, there is a status quo that has been maintained over the years and saves discussions. For example - the pool is open a third of the time for women, a third for men and a third for mixed swimming, and it is open on Shabbat. When discussions arise, they are resolved through dialogue and usually by multiplying events. For example, on Purim there was a women's party, a men's party and a mixed party. In addition there was an initiative for Megillah reading for families beyond the one at the synagogue".

A place to pray in

"In Teneh Omarim there is a mikveh, Torah classes and two synagogues, one in each neighborhood, but we don't really visit them", they admit. "At the same time, and out of a desire to connect to who we are, we established in the community the community study house 'Mele HaTena'", says Asnat. She established the study house about five years ago, with a religious female partner and a formerly religious male partner.

The community study house

The study house offers the community spiritual and Torah content. "Everyone is invited to study and everyone has something to give. When we opened the first study evening we prepared twenty chairs and fifty people arrived. On Shavuot evening, about 100 participants from all ends of the community population arrived. Later there was a community evening on Tisha B'Av and study for the Elul period and the holidays. There was a fascinating lecture by a mixed couple, a lecture by a PhD in psychology who brought an innovative angle on the Book of Ruth, a lesson in 'Ein Aya' given by a woman who leads the religious community of Morag evacuees, and I gave a study on the subject of Messiah", says Asnat.

Vibrant social life

"In Teneh Omarim there are many joint activities, gatherings and cultural evenings and most of the public takes part in them. In summer about 60 families go out together camping in Yatir Forest. There is a 'Poyke' competition by groups, games and life. All in all it's funny and fun here", they smile.

Education system

In Teneh Omarim there is a daycare, a secular multi-age kindergarten and three religious kindergartens, one for each age group. Elementary school children travel a distance of about twenty minutes to the religious school in Otniel, or a distance of ten minutes to the secular school in Meitar. "We decided to send the children to the religious school in Sansana, an anthroposophic school that emphasizes inquiry and development through personal and experiential experience. The children hike a lot in the forest". For middle and high school students there are secular schools in Meitar and Be'er Sheva, and for the religious the closest option is Otniel Yeshiva, a new high school yeshiva in Meitar, Ulpanat Tzvia in Sansana and Ulpanat Amit in Be'er Sheva.

Where does the youth go?

Youth take part in two youth movements operating in Teneh Omarim: the religious Bnei Akiva and the secular Kadima. "The youth is very active and involved. Until less than a year ago Eliad was in service in the career army as deputy head of logistics in the Military Rabbinate, and since I am also considered essential, during the Corona period and in the war the community mobilized to help us with everything. We felt wrapped", Asnat recounts. "The youth took a significant part in the action and the community organized kindergartens for the children of essential workers in the economy, meals and assistance in all areas".

A place to hang out

"There is a coffee cart in Susya, food trucks and many wineries in the area", says Eliad, a winery enthusiast, and Asnat adds: "Be'er Sheva has also revealed itself as a vibrant city with bowling, cinema, bars, restaurants and good performances, and it has the largest Max Stock branch in the country", she laughs.

Main grocery

"There is a grocery store in Teneh Omarim, but large shopping is done through deliveries or in Be'er Sheva and Meitar, where there are also brand stores. In the community there is a community second-hand shop called 'Sheni Yafe Lach', and all the income from the shop is designated for community projects such as building a pergola at the observation point, roofing a plaza at the library, establishing a dog garden and so on".

Our home

"The landscape in Teneh Omarim is virgin, special and full of open spaces. When we arrived at the community six years ago, we bought a private house with a garden from people who left. The house includes four large bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. We have in the garden a trampoline, a vegetable garden we planted, fruit trees and a balcony overlooking the view. We love to host in the garden and with the new project by Harei Zahav company, we are waiting and looking forward to new neighbors who will expand the community, add to the good atmosphere and integrate into the social action".