Is the pioneering spirit only seen these days in hi-tech startups? No! The Hebrew word for pioneer, halutz, usually refers to those Jews who came to the land of Israel during the pre-state years, in the last century.

But there are those today who are every bit of a halutz as those who came 100 years ago. Odelia Ben-Porat and her family are just one example. Let’s take a look at how she turned from secular Israeli to Observant ‘halutznik’.

Odelia was born in Gedera, a small city about halfway between Rehovot and Ashdod. Her family was a typical secular Israeli family, until at the age of 12, her parents decided to become Observant. 

Upon graduation, most Israelis enter the IDF for army service or have the choice to do National Service (Sherut Leumi) volunteer programs. Odelia chose the National Service option, and worked for one year with the newly arrived Ethiopians (from Operations Moses and Solomon) at a school in Petach Tikvah. During her second year of service, she worked with girls at risk in Bnei Brak – girls not much younger than she was, but who were, in her words, “very damaged and faced so many challenges.” Odelia, too, faced many challenges during her National Service – for almost all of the Ethiopians, this was their first time outside their village. They came with so little and entered a completely different world. It was hard for them to understand, and even harder for Odelia and the others to understand the new immigrants, and not just because of the language barrier. (Imagine never having seen a refrigerator or a toilet, and then being expected to know how to use them…)

Sderot that the current mayor is one of their members, and many of the municipal officials and staff are as well.  And they have changed the face of the city from one of isolation and poverty, to one of being connected to the center of the country by the Israeli Railways, and a growing economic development and hi-tech park. Reut has lifted up the educational levels of the entire city, including starting a new program for ‘Talented and Gifted’ kids. 

Odelia now heads the development office for Reut’s many projects. In addition, she works for Gumat Chen, a home for teen girls at risk, located on Kibbutz Saad. And, in her spare time, she volunteers in Sderot with a program called Tachleet, which works with kids at risk as well. Her family has grown to six children, and she recently finished her MA in Judaic Studies, Jewish Culture, and Israeli Leadership.

She is often asked about living in Sderot, under the non-stop barrage of attacks (more than 20,000 missiles in the last 15 years). She has seen her children regress at times like many of the children in Sderot. But, she says, “the community is so strong, and everyone helps one another.” She has thought often of leaving, but feels very strongly that she needs to stay. The vision of Reut Sderot has become her vision: strengthening the community. Odelia adds, “This is the first time I really felt that I was living Jewish values, the highest values to live for, and that has helped us in dealing with our children. Our children hear the message, and feel strengthened by it as well.”