The Druze have been making the headlines a lot lately. With Israel’s decisive airstrike on the Syrian regime to rescue persecuted Druze residents there, the Jewish state has made a move to stand by this ethno-religious minority, which has stood by Israel.
The Druze in Israel are a small community, numbering approximately 150,000 people, but mighty in their will and dignity. They are an ethno-religious minority among Israeli Arab citizens and live in the northern part of Israel: the Golan, the Galilee, and Mount Carmel communities in the Haifa region, such as Usfiya and Daliat al-Carmel.
They speak Arabic, their culture is Arabic, and their religion is a branch of Ismailism. However, they do not consider themselves Muslims but a creed uniquely their own.
“It is also important to state that we consider our national identity as Israelis,” emphasizes Koftan Halabi, an activist for the Druze community. Halabi lives in Daliat al-Carmel and is the dynamic force behind the establishment of the Druze Technological Empowerment Center in Usfiya and the Druze Veterans Association.
“Approximately 85% of our young men enlist in the IDF, and our young women serve in Sherut Leumi (National Service),” he proudly states.
“My grandfather, of blessed memory, whom I am named after, was the first Druze leader to propose to the trailblazers of pre-state Israel that the Druze community is interested in pursuing a living pact as full partners.
“We are citizens with equal rights and have equal obligations to the state. Our mission is fully aligned with the national mission declared by the State of Israel: to reduce economic and social gaps in minority communities and make technological and higher education accessible for our community.
Druze TEC: a new path to hi-tech careers
“To achieve the second goal,” says Halabi, “I am very proud to say we recently opened a new building for advanced technical training, the Druze Technological Empowerment Center in Usfiya. It is the first of its kind for the Druze people in Israel.”
The idea to initiate this program began in 2009 when Halabi established the Druze Veterans Association, which provided courses and learning opportunities for Druze veterans at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.
“Our goals have been to empower young people of the community, Druze IDF veterans, and active members of IDF reserve forces with the opportunity to continue their education in hi-tech studies and computer sciences. After they complete and receive certification, we help them integrate into the labor market.
“Previously, after army service, most of our young people either continued with a career in the army or went into security work. We felt other options, such as hi-tech studies, are a necessity,” Halabi explains.
“This year, we proudly opened our own building in Usfiya with two state-of-the-art computer labs, lecture halls, classrooms, a kitchen, a lounge, plus a room dedicated to documenting Israeli Druze history, which has worked steadily with the Israeli government. We are proud of the special recognition and cooperation given to our community by various government individuals, such as [former prime minister] Menachem Begin, and we have photos and documents from pre-state [Israel] on display.”
“Our courses at Druze TEC are taught in Hebrew by teachers from the Technion at our new center in Usfiya. They are accredited and supported by the Labor Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and by companies within Israel’s hi-tech community,” Halabi says.
“We are currently raising funds to build a second story to our new building in Usfiya and expand our programs in hi-tech. We also plan to open accredited assistance programs, such as MDA and ZAKA, to help the residents of the entire northern region.”
“We are working with Prof. Boaz Golani, vice president and CEO of the Technion, to expand our course offerings. We look forward to adding courses for teens at the Usfiya campus and at the Technion; a pre-academic training for young adults, ages 21-35, followed by screening exams; and a technical unit for young adults for continued, external studies, emphasizing cyber security, cloud computing, and software engineering.”
Halabi’s efforts have been helped by donations from the hi-tech industry and private individuals who have provided funds for scholarships.
AT THE official opening of the Druze TEC campus in Usfiya in May, Dr. Miriam Adelson was an honored speaker. She is a physician, businesswoman, philanthropist, and publisher of Israel HaYom, who has been a vocal and generous supporter of the Druze in Israel. She was awarded plaques of special distinction for her friendship and generous support.
“The Druze TEC program,” she said in her opening remarks, “is an initiative to be proud of.
“Moreover, it is a personal honor to be a supporter of the Druze TEC program. They are making strides in education and advancement for their youth.
“From our first meeting, my connection with the Druze community has been special and gratifying.
“They are a refined and honorable people, and it has been a privilege and personal honor to work and support their efforts,” she said. She thanked them not only for the award but also for including her in the Druze TEC project. “I am proud to be a partner in its success.”
She concluded her remarks with a firm statement of friendship: “The Jews love you.”
The opening ceremony began with remarks by Druze leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, who spoke in impeccable Hebrew about the importance of assisting the Druze members of the IDF and providing recognition and enthusiastic support of the Druze TEC program and its enterprising efforts to build for the future.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett was present at the new Druze TEC opening and spoke with pride about the important contributions of Halabi and the Druze community to the State of Israel.
Halabi is a tireless planner and fundraiser. He showed The Jerusalem Post plaques of donations and support that have come from both within and outside of Israel.
A significant donation was made by the Clifton Jewish Center in Clifton, New Jersey. Their spiritual leader, Rabbi Robert Mark, contacted the Druze community in Israel after reading about a terrorist attack that took place at a yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Mark noted that the first responders were three Druze policemen who ran to the scene and initiated action, during which two policemen were killed, and one was seriously wounded.
“I felt it was necessary to have some kind of hakarat hatov, ‘recognition of the good,’ for what the two officers did at the cost of their lives and for the third who was seriously wounded. The money we raised went directly to the families of these officers, and I and the Clifton community learned how totally patriotic and supportive the Druze community is for Israel.
“In addition, we learned about the ways the Druze community is working on projects, like the Druze TEC project, which enable them to help themselves and strengthen the community. It is a privilege to work with them.”
Halabi remarked that Druze TEC studies are open to both men and women of the Druze community after they complete their IDF and National Service obligations. He expressed to The Jerusalem Post the esteem with which he regards the role of women in his community. “They are one of our finest assets and one that should receive the recognition they very much deserve,” he said.
“They not only provide children who are our future but also give their children to protect our country, Israel.”
The Druze TEC program provides not only hi-tech skills but also the tools necessary to find work in the hi-tech world. They recently opened the Journey to the Horizon program, whose aim is to expose the participants to the world of entrepreneurship and business in Israel.
Amira Ismail, a poised young graduate of the Druze TEC program, spoke to members of the Druze Veterans Association and related how, after finishing the software testing course at Druze TEC, she was able to find employment at Elbit Systems, the cutting-edge Israeli company for global security.
“It is our vision to make the hi-tech world accessible to all young men and women of our community,” says Halabi. “Come, let’s build the future of technology together with pride in our identity.”