Atidim was founded in the year 2000, on the basis of a social-Zionist vision with the purpose of reducing the gaps in Israeli society through education for excellence and the pursuit of a quality academic education, amongst talented young people from localities in the social and geographic periphery. We believe that realizing the human potential of the next generation in the periphery is possible by giving them equal opportunities and supporting them materially and spiritually, encouraging curiosity and ambition, broadening horizons, planting trust and seeding hope which are guided towards the pursuit of quality higher education and professional hi-tech technological training.
How did it all start?
At the end of the 1990’s, a period of prosperity for the Israeli high-tech industry, the number of applicants for the Israel Defense Forces Academic Reserve decreased significantly. The growing demand by the army for science and technological staff led the senior staff of the IDF, headed by Brigadier General Avner Barzani, head of the division senior staff at the time, to examine the nature of the applicants to the academic reserve.
To their surprise they discovered that very few students in the reserve came from the periphery, and that most of the students were from the center of the country.
The IDF staff realized that they had identified a social problem of the first order and that the IDF was missing out on valuable human capital, with academic potential, from the periphery who for a variety of reasons was not reaching the Academic Reserve. The problem is even more pronounced; graduates of the academic reserve from the center of the country finish their army service and become industrial and societal leaders, while their peers from the periphery are left behind.
The State of Israel which lacks natural resources, cannot afford to lose it only natural product; human capital.
Brigadier General Barzani , presented General Shaul Mofaz, the Chief of Staff at that time, with a program concept to enable talented youth from the periphery to serve in the IDF Academic Reserve. Chief of Staff, General Mofaz adopted the program and decided to support and advance it.
1999: The first Atidim program begins!
In 1999, it was decided to establish Atidim for the Academic Reserve, a program which provided an opportunity for outstanding youth from the periphery to qualify for quality IDF positions in the framework of the IDF Academic Reserve. The program was called “Atidim” (Futures), a name which illustrated the purpose of the initiative; to change the future again and again. To create new futures. The initiators of the program, those who “stood it on its feet”, and lead it to its current level of success were Colonel (Res.) Tal Dilian and Colonel (Res.) Yitzchak Turgeman.
2000: Chief of Staff, General Mofaz recruits Mr. Eitan Wertheimer
In the year 2000, Mr. Eitan Wertheimer is invited to join the Atidim program. The amazing opportunity offered by the program, at that limited to a military initiative, was magic to this businessman with a vision. Mr. Wertheimer has been a staunch partner and supporter ever since. He was elected Chairman of the Atidim Board of Directors in 2002, and Chairman of Worldwide Atidim in 2006.
2002: Establishment of the civilian non-profit organization, Friends of “Atidim”
Friends of “Atidim” is a private non-profit organization which was established and is supported by private donations. Its purpose is to raise funds and support the military program and to broaden the effort to the civilian sector – before and after the army. The non-profit has strategic partners, in both body and spirit, who make its considerable efforts possible. In 2002, the Landa Foundation - headed by Mr. Benny Landa, became a supporter of Friends of “Atidim”.
Establishment of the non-profit organization enabled the opening of three new Atidim programs:
Pre-atidim: A program operating in junior high and high school in the periphery with the goal of broadening the base of potential candidates for the Academic Reserve. The first cycle included 2000 participants, in 2007/8 there are 10,000 youth participating in the program.
Academic Preparatory Program: This program is part of the military framework for advancing special populations worthy of advancement and improving their opportunities to be accepted into the Academic Reserve. The first cycle included 87 Ethiopian, Druze, Cherkessk and native Israeli students, this number doubled by the beginning of the 2007/8 academic year.
Atidim for Industry and the Business Sector: This program aims to integrate young people from the periphery into leading Israeli industries through quality academic education. The program opened with 24 students; almost 500 students are enrolled in the 2007/8 academic year.
2003: Success in the field leads to the opening of two new programs
Atidim - Academic Reserve for Science Teachers: A special track, part of the IDF Academic Reserve, which trains quality teachers for teaching scientific subjects. These teachers will do their military service teaching in the periphery. The first cycle included 12 students. In the 2007/8 academic year 54 students are studying in this framework.
Atidim – Cadets for Public Service: A program which aims to improve the quality of public administration by integrating into public service quality personnel who have been trained in public administration. The first cycle included 33 students; in the 2007/8 academic year 88 students are participating in the program.
2004: Launching of a new track in the framework of Atidim military programs:
The Two Step Engineering Program: A new program in the framework of Atidim military programs, which allows outstanding high school graduates to study for a degree in practical engineering, while at the same time gaining credits towards a BS in engineering, and being able to serve in the IDF in an advanced technological position. The program opened with 24 students and in 2007/8 this number has grown to 151 students.
2005: Two new strategic partners join Atidim: the Jewish Agency and Bank Leumi
In 2005 strategic cooperation agreements were signed between the “Friends of Atidim” and Bank Leumi – through the non-profit “Leumi Acher” - the Century Fund for the Next Generation, and the Jewish Agency. These organizations are two of the four main sources of support of the “Friends of Atidim” and are active partners in the different Atidim programs.
2007: Our work is only beginning
Today, in 2007, Atidim operates eight different programs, four of which are operated by the military administration and four by the civilian Friends of “Atidim.” These programs reach 13,000 participants and include 700 graduates who, after completing their academic studies in prestigious departments of Israel’s leading academic institutions, now work in Israeli’s professional military, business and public sectors.
Atidim will continue to operate towards building a strong Israeli society, realizing the potential of the human capital in the peripheries, and developing and advancing specific populations and sectors with the goal of integrating these groups into Israeli endeavors.
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