The ceremony for the newest cycle of Aditim will take place on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 6 pm in Smolarch Hall at Tel Aviv University. The ceremony will take place in the honorable presence of the Minister of Transportation and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Shaul Mofaz, the Chief of Staff General Gabi Ashkenazi, the Chair of "Friends of Atidim" Mr Eitan Wertheimer and heads of municipalities and academic institutions. 334 students have joined the Atidim Academic Reserves program this year.

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Devorah Hasid, CEO of "Friends of Atidim", presented a report on Atidim programs in the peripheral areas at the Sderot Conference on Israeli Society. Ms. Hasid participated in the panel during the session on The Galil and the Negev led by Ms. Leah Golan of the Jewish Agency for Israel. In addition, Atidim was highly praised by 3 heads of local municipalities where Atidim programs take place. Mr. Shlomo Buchbut of Maalot Tarshicah, Mr. Meir Cohen of Dimona and Mr. Richad Hiradi of Horfesh all spoke of Atidim's contributions to the youth in their communities.

During the coming months, the Atidim Army Operations Office and the CEO of "Friends of Atidim" will visit several of the areas and towns where Pre-Atidim programs take place. They will have meetings with the heads of the local councils and municipalities and also with the parents and students in the 11th and 12th grades who have shown the potential to enter the Academic Reserves. They will describe the programs available to them. The next kenesim will take place in Lod (Dec. 13), Bet Shean (Dec. 17), Sderot (Dec. 16, Tzfat (Dec. 18), Ramla (Dec. 20), Katzrin( Dec. 23), Upper Nazareth (Dec. 24), Kiryat Shmoneh (Dec. 25), and Arad (Dec. 27).

We are in the process of increasing our involvement in the peripheral areas in conjunction with the Atidim Army Operations Office. During a recent visit of the Atidim Army Operations staff and the 'Friends of Atidim' staff to Yerucham, the Mayor of Yerucaham Mr. Amram Mitzneh praised the Pre-Atidim program and spoke of the its importance and influence on the local Yerucham participants.