Dimona residents, who share their city with Israel’s Negev Nuclear Research Center, are following developments in Japan closely. While the possibility that a nuclear disaster similar to the one now brewing in Japan is very much on their minds, the focus here is decidedly positive.

 “The atomic plant is something we live with, people work there, but we don’t let it rule our lives,” said Rabbi Bentzi Brandler, a Chabad representative in Dimona. The only extra precaution he is taking is making sure his family’s government-issued potassium iodine pills, to be taken in the event of a disaster, are on hand and not past their expiration date.

Story Highlights

• Teenagers flock to Chabad of Dimona to celebrate Shabbat, attend afternoon prayer service

• Dimona’s municipal government granted Chabad a 10,000+ square foot building

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Dimona resident Chen Belaish, 30, an electronic music composer, is less sanguine about the dun colored, heavily guarded center visible on the periphery of the desert city.  “The atomic building is over 50 years old.  It’s taboo to say, but if anything happens, we’ll be the first ones hurt. We give protection to the whole country, but we don’t get anything back from the government.”

Founded in the 1950s, Dimona is located south of Beer Sheva and home to under 35,000 people. It was chosen to house the once secret nuclear center because of its remoteness, and today retains a small town feel: an “everyone-knows-everyone” friendliness and, outside of the Peretz mall, a distinct lack of after-hours activity.   

“After school, there’s not a lot to do around here. I used to walk around with my friends,” said Gilad Sabatini, an eleventh grader at one of Dimona’s three major high schools. Lately, young people like Sabatini have discovered that there’s a warm welcome waiting for them every afternoon at Chabad.  Friday nights are even more popular. Sabatini and 40, sometimes 50 of his teenage friends flock to Chabad in the city’s center for Shabbat services. 

“My friend told me you must see this ‘beit Knesset madlik,’” said Sabatini, describing the synagogue with the Hebrew slang for “exciting,” “fresh,” “cool.” On Shabbat, “Everyone is there. Everyone sings. It’s  like a party. Everyone is happy, and even the rabbis join in the dancing.”

As Chabad’s teen activities gained momentum, the city of Dimona granted Chabad a 1000 sq. meter building two months ago. The new building, which will serve as a teen center, is near Chabad’s synagogue and two nursery schools.  Once the necessary $100,000 is raised, and the improvements are made, there’s talk of hosting a regular “Chasidisco,” to give teenage boys a place to dance off their energy to Jewish music.  The center would also give Chabad a home base for “just for teens” gatherings: music nights, holiday and Shabbat dinners. 

Twenty-five years after founding Chabad of Dimona, Rabbi Yisroel Gellis is delighted but not surprised to see the synagogue filled to overflowing with teenagers. Dimona’s founding families are of Middle Eastern, Sephardic lineage. 

“They had a natural love for Jewish culture and traditions even if they kept few of them.” 

Chabad’s role has been to bring Jewish knowledge to the fore – menorahs in the city’s ten landscaped roundabouts, public sukkahs, and lots of going door to door to bring mitzvahs and knowledge to homes. The revival of Jewish practice in Dimona can be measured in the large number of families that now build their own sukkahs, light their own menorahs, and in the eagerness of the teenage boys – not the usual synagogue-going demographic – to attend prayer services.  As a result of having their interest in Jewish study piqued by Chabad, a handful of Dimona boys have chosen to continue their studies at yeshivas in Beer Sheva and Migdal Haemek.

Liav Midaltzi, now 18, started going to Chabad’s afternoon and evening prayer services shortly after celebrating his bar mitzvah.  “I have a warm connection with the rabbis. They understand my life and are concerned about me. It’s all very personal and we laugh a lot,” said Midaltzi. He started observing Shabbat several years ago, and his much admired big brother, a soldier, started putting on tefillin and keeping Shabbat, as best he can while on duty. 

“My friends are accustomed to me wearing my kipa and my tzitzit.” 

Friday night crowds really began to pick up when Rabbi Bentzi Brandler was brought on board almost two years ago to work with the young people. Friday mornings, Rabbi Brandler helps high school students put on tefillin, and reminds them to come for Shabbat. He phones and texts reminders to the guys throughout the week and circulates among the conveniences stores, Dimona’s answer to a  hangout, to offer “a warm smile and a Jewish message.” Rabbi Brandler explains, “I believe you have to be a friend, speak to them eye-to-eye, and truly love them.”