Judea and Samaria has an odd infrastructure. Sometimes, when towns are outside the so-called ‘settlement blocs,’ they proverbially fall off the map for some people. Yet, there are over a half million Israelis spread out throughout the area, with some living in communities over an hour away from major population centers in the center of the country or near the capital.

Kedma is a unique organization set up to address the issues those communities face on a daily basis. Its expressed purpose is to help with social welfare projects in the Jordan Valley, Judea and Samaria. That separates the organization from the outset, as it seeks to address communities that often go unnoticed by other outreach organizations.

Tirael Cohen, the group’s founder, was recently awarded with the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism’s Spirit of Zion Award for her work with Kedma.

“It’s a tremendous recognition for our hard work. More than that, it is a good feeling to see a dream you had and really believed in is not just yours anymore. It belongs to our 120 students.”

The award is meant to encourage the activities of younger activists and continue to foster their projects for long-term viability. In the case of Kedma, the work they have done so far has linked needy communities with college students who might otherwise remain disconnected from them.

“We’re a group of young people all finished the army or national service and we decided that we wanted to make social change in Judea and Samaria and Bikaat Yarden (Jordan Valley). Social organizations do not usually come here. We wanted to bring more young people here and at the same time to volunteer and help grow those communities.”

The participants are diverse, but there is a special focus on non-religious areas, with one reason being because it goes squarely against the stereotype that Judea and Samaria are the exclusive realm of Religious Zionists. Cohen says Kedma wants to communicate these towns belong to and are the responsibility of all Israel.

“We get students from places like Ariel U., Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, etc. and bring them to communities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley that have needs. We choose communities after meeting with their local councils.”

“We decide together with them what their needs are. We also do community programs around the holidays. When we come with a cadre of 25 students to one community, we make a change. Each volunteer works 300 hours a year.”

Cohen herself did not grow up in Judea and Samaria, but sees it is as critical for general Israeli society to not view the communities in the regional councils of Gush Etzion, Har Hevron, Binyamin and others as part and parcel of greater Israeli culture.

“We like to work with the eastern, non-religious places because it’s harder in these places because they are further from the center of the country or from Jerusalem.”

Kedma is active in four towns right now: Maale Ephraim in the Jordan Valley, and Rimonim, Migdalim and Itamar in Samaria, north of Jerusalem. The program was begun with only one community four years ago, with attempts to keep growth paced year to year with a new addition to the group’s priorities. As a result, Cohen looks forward to sending a new cadre of students to work in Shima in Har Hevron in the coming year.

“We went to the local council, pitched the idea and they were very impressed. We used to be unknown, but now our reputation precedes us. I’m very excited. Shnat sherut kids before the army will work in agriculture in Bikaat Yarden in the afternoons work with the community.

“I think it is important to emphasize that this really is an ideal and an accomplishment of young people and to bring up a new model for Judea and Samaria into the 21st century, where we need to give more of ourselves.”

Cohen wants to emphasize that the prize itself is just the latest in several things that she and her organization have received from the Moskowitz family.

“The Moskowitz Prize is also a great opportunity to say thank you to the Moskovitz family. They came through for us, they helped us at times we couldn’t do it without them. It really boosts our morale, and not just financially. I really appreciate the ongoing support. It’s very important to us to communicate that because they were a very big help us.”