After a year and a half of displacement due to security concerns affecting northern Israel, the residents of Kibbutz Misgav Am have finally returned home. The return was marked by a community event led by the Making Neighborhoods association, with support from the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
This community-led project, called 'Garden and Tower,' mobilized volunteers and youth from across Israel to restore homes, gardens, and public spaces that were damaged during the fighting in Israel's North.
The event, on Wednesday, began at dawn with a procession of volunteers carrying Israeli flags as they marched to the border, symbolizing their message: We’re coming home.
Following the procession, hundreds of volunteers, including young people from Israel’s social and geographic periphery, joined the residents in extensive restoration work throughout the kibbutz. Together, they restored nearly 70 private gardens, house facades, and public areas that had remained neglected since the war first began.
Community rebuilding effort
This restoration initiative, spearheaded by Making Neighborhoods — the National Movement for Neighborhoods in Israel — has received support from volunteers nationwide and financial backing from the JNF. With an investment of tens of thousands of dollars, the project not only aims to restore Misgav Am but also to revitalize other border communities. The initiative seeks to strengthen community resilience, encourage residents’ return, and instill a renewed sense of hope and unity.
“This is a moment of national pride, of unity, and of renewed hope for the future,” said the Making Neighborhoods association, highlighting both the physical and spiritual restoration of the community.
The event culminated in a ceremony attended by key figures, including JNF World Chairman Sam Grunewald, representatives from the kibbutz, and the head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council.
Sam Grunewald, JNF World Chairman, expressed his pride in the initiative.“The return of the residents of Misgav Am to their homes is an emotional moment that reflects the power of community, mutual responsibility, and faith in a better future. The Jewish National Fund is proud to be part of an initiative that brings hope and life back to the border communities and continues to strengthen Israeli society. We salute the wonderful youth who volunteered, the heads of the association, and the residents of Misgav Am—those who have returned and those who haven’t yet," Grunewald said. "They are today’s pioneers, protecting the border of this amazing and important region.”
Among the volunteers, Avnet Mengistu, a fighter and reservist who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia, shared his thoughts on the project. “Garden and Tower is a powerful experience for those of us who immigrated to Israel. As a reserve soldier, I feel the significance of how I protect the country. In the Garden and Tower project, I feel the meaning of how I restore and revive my country,” Mengistu said.
Lilach Nachshonov, a resident of Kibbutz Misgav Am, spoke emotionally about the youth’s involvement in the project: “It’s amazing to see the involvement of the youth in Israel, their willingness to give, with a smile, a song, and joy in their hearts, and to feel part of us. The guys simply said: ‘We’ve come home with you.’”
Shila Yogev, Manager of Partnerships and Area at Making Neighborhoods, explained the significance of the project:“Garden and Tower is, in its simplicity, the victory of the people. The youth, who learn from the fighters at the front about commitment and camaraderie, go out and tackle the national mission—bringing the evacuees home with heads held high, a sense of unity, and unconditional love."
Yogev added, "More than 150 young people from all over the country wake up in the morning and say ‘I’m coming back home with the evacuees’—restoring gardens and the way in which evacuees return to their communities. We call on all settlements and kibbutzim on the border to contact us for a joint operation.”
The Garden and Tower project stands as a demonstration of community resilience and unity. Despite the challenges and adversity faced, the people of Misgav Am and volunteers from all across Israel have shown their dedication to rebuilding, restoring, and renewing their homes and communities. This event has sparked a renewed spirit of collaboration, hope, and strength, serving as a testament to the determination of both the residents of Misgav with and the many volunteers who have supported them.