Building a Campus for Keshet Eilon
Though the number of student requests to participate in the activities of the Keshet Eilon Music Center constantly rises, the physical capacity of the center is limited. As such, the members of the Foundation and the management decided to embark on an expansion of the campus in order to accommodate more students in comfortable and appropriate conditions. The expansion that the founders envisioned also includes an increase in the range of activities that take place at the center, and their operation throughout the year. In 2005 a joint decision of the secretariat of Kibbutz Eilon, with the agreement of its members, the kibbutz transferred an area of 29 dunams for the purpose of establishing the campus of an international music school for string instrumentalists at the highest artistic and professional level.
The construction of the first phase of the campus, which was designed by architect Tzadik Elkayam, was begun in 2013 and completed in two years. It was made possible by the generous donations of the late Isacc Ribatzky, of the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation, of Raya Strauss-Ben Dror, of the Jewish National Fund (Germany) and of other public bodies and private donors. The first phase included the construction of 12 residential units for students, the cafeteria and the acoustic shell.
At present, we are following with great anticipation the development work on phase two, which was designed by the office of Miller-Blum Environmental Planning and funded by the Jewish National Fund (Germany): the central plaza, the stairway and terraces that lead to it, the amphitheater, paving and landscaping. At the end of 2019 the tender for the construction of the classroom wing will terminate. This wing was planned by the architectural firm of Ada Karmi-Melamed and includes the first four classrooms which were donated by private donors: Patrick and Lina Drahi, Johann Cary and Paul Isaac. Â Physical changes can be seen all over the site on a daily basis, giving us the sense of a dream taking shape before our eyes.
After completion of the classroom wing and preparation of the site, planning will begin on the third phase of construction, which will include faculty residential units. Subsequent to the planning, the receipt of the relevant authorizations and the locating of resources for the considerable outlay required, construction can begin on the third and final stage of the Keshet Eilon Music Center.
When all the planned structures finally stand completed, we will be able to open the doors of the Keshet Eilon International School for String Players, which is the centerpiece of the Keshet Eilon vision. It is the generosity of many supporters that brought previous dreams of Keshet Eilon to fruition, and we fervently hope that in the same way, our vision will inspire others to open their hearts and turn it into reality.
The suites and villas are also rented out to groups and families, and the funds obtained thereby help partially to cover expenses and new initiatives.