JNF Breaks Ground for New Green Dorm at Arava

Gene Kay, Mountain States Region Chair and Stan Kamlet, Regional Director participated in a groundbreaking ceremony of Israel’s first carbon neutral dormitory at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies located at Kibbutz Ketura in the Negev. The dormitory, designed by Israeli architect Avner Simon will be based on principles currently at the forefront of environmentally sustainable architecture & will serve as a prototype for energy efficient buildings in Israel & around the world. The dorm will house thirty-two researchers, academics, students and practioners interested in how cutting edge technology can help advance a critical common cause: a sustainable future for the region’s human and natural resources.

The Colorado Carbon Neutral Dormitory is being built through a $1 million fundraising effort by the Mountain States Region of the JNF and a grant from the Israeli government. The dorm will include the Butch Weaver Courtyard & Desert Gardens as well as the Norm Brownstein Student Housing Module.

In recent years, the Jewish National Fund has been a major partner of the Arava Institute, a premier environmental teaching and research institute in the Middle East where Jewish and Arab students study together.

Others from Colorado attending the groundbreaking ceremony were Alan Cohen, Louan Kamlet, Lee Kay, Lyle and Pam Laverty and Bob Rensink.