[dropcap]Eran[/dropcap] Doron, the new mayor of Ramat HaNegev, JEWISHcolorado’s partnership community in Israel, notices a photographer in the background and tugs uncomfortably at his shirt.

“Maybe I should have worn a tie?”

The 45-year-old is the center of attention in JEWISHcolorado’s basement conference room as staffers upstairs redistribute leftover boxes from Sunday’s Walk for Israel.

Doron became mayor of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council following the death of his predecessor Shmuel “Shmulik” Rifman in January, 2017.

For 26 years, Rifman endeared himself to Denverites partaking of his jovial generosity in Ramat HaNegev and during regular visits to Denver.

Now it’s Doron’s turn to water the desert with fresh ideas and strategic goals.

“Yes, I have very big shoes to fill,” he refers to his late friend and colleague in thickly accented English. “My role will be different — not necessarily better or worse — but different.

“Shmulik’s shoes were so big that I must create my own shoes now.”

Born in the city of Karmiel in the Galilee, Doron initially worked as a geologist.

He moved to the Negev 22 years ago and lives in Midreshet Ben Gurion with his wife Einat and their four children.

After earning his MA, Doron directed the Field School, a desert study center the Negev. Then he attended the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem, an exclusive program for educators.

“You were not supposed to do anything at the institute except think and study for two years — a real luxury. I lived in the German Colony, where I went to a lot of coffee places.”

Doron had already lined up a job when Rifman contacted him in 2007.

“Raz Arbel was leaving the council to serve as Denver’s shaliach, which left an open spot on the council. Shmulik asked me to join in Raz’s absence. That’s how it started.”

Over the next 10 years, he occupied a variety of positions, established new initiatives and served as a consultant on major projects.

Today Doron is the Israeli equivalent of a rising star in the US.

He advocates sustainability, a growth trajectory that will rely more on hiking and tourism than shopping malls, and models his management style on a popular Israeli singer.

When the Intermountain Jewish News spoke to Doron last week, the mayor enthusiastically articulated the needs and infinite promise of the Negev for almost an hour.

Ramat HaNegev is in good hands.

IJN: You are following in the footsteps of a legend, Denver’s good friend Shmulik Rifman. What did he teach you?

Eran Doron: First of all, when we went to restaurants he would always make the reservations. I never had to. [Laughter.] Shmulik loved food and would always take care of things. It was very convenient for me.

Seriously, Shmulik had two things that make someone a leader: he knew how to look at the horizon but was still able to focus on the details. He always had the right intuition, which he never learned in any formal training. He could stomach just about everything yet he knew when to advance his own opinions.

I don’t know how it is in the States, but in Israel there are tons of leadership programs. Tons. Eight million people in Israel are leaders. There are no followers, only leaders.

Shmulik had a natural leadership style, and it isn’t something you can learn in school.

We had a saying in the Army. When you are in the infantry and facing combat, the head of your unit stands and says, “Follow me!” But a really good leader doesn’t have to say anything when he stands in front of you. You just want to follow him. This is how Shmulik was.

He was a man of the people. He really cared about his employees, people in the region, everyone. Shmulik answered all his mail, even if it came from a third-grade kid. It didn’t matter if people had money or not.

It was his simplicity on one hand and the ability to see far distances on the other that made him a leader.

This is something I learned from Shmulik. And it cannot be studied.

IJN: Why did you move from the Galilee to the Negev? The areas are so different.

Doron: I fell in love — and then I fell in love with the Negev!

IJN: Many Israelis have shared a similar sequence of events.

Doron: It’s the truth. I was part of a youth movement called SPNI. It was like your Sierra Club. We hiked all the time and were very interested in the environment.

After the Army I met someone who worked at an organization that oversaw all Israeli guide centers and said, “Show me the Negev! Show me the desert!”

And I fell in love with my guide.

Believe me, the desert is very special — especially when you’re young and in love. The stars at night in the desert . . . [Laughter.]

IJN: You were a key figure in the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council for many years, most recently as CEO and partnership director. As mayor, what do you see as the region’s most pressing needs?

Doron: Ramat HaNegev is the largest council in Israel. We basically make up 22% of Israel’s size — one million acres. It’s huge. We have 14 communities spread all over the area, and we need to bring many more people to the region. This was always a major goal, for practical and ideological reasons.

When you have a critical mass of people, you can provide services they can’t find elsewhere.

From the ideological side, we believe the habitation of the Negev is very important for Israel — but this has created a major conflict in the country.

Everyone has their own backyard, where you put your laundry, your trash, what we call the backyard services. In Israel, the Negev is where the army practices, where the nature reserves, chemical factories and nuclear facilities exist.

These are the services that make up our backyard.

David Ben Gurion thought that the Negev should be the first place we need to bring people. This vision created a conflict between the needs of the state to have a backyard and the legacy of Ben Gurion.

It’s hard to bring people to a place with chemical factories, nuclear and waste facilities and army bases. People like good jobs, good coffee, good theater.

I think the Negev is a beautiful place, and we are entitled to enjoy it and not just be a dumping ground.

I want to redistribute our one million acres. Today, 98% of the Negev is used for the Army. My main goal is to reduce that 98% to 90% or even 85%.

We can develop the area in a way that strengthens the civilian society: more people, more commerce, more industry, more tourism, more agriculture, more hiking.

I’m coming from the green philosophy — but not the ultra Orthodox kind. You could say I’m light green. We need to make sure we have enough room to develop. In this way, I think we can solve the problem of density in Israel.

If we look ahead to 2048, Israel will have 16 million residents. Where will they live? In skyscrapers, like Manhattan or Tokyo?

The Negev can offer them something that’s more down to earth, where they can feel the soil beneath their feet. The Negev is a very good alternative to urban life.

If we work smartly, we will be able to combine a smaller urban setting with the benefits of rural life — fewer malls, but more canyons to hike.

Sometimes when you talk to mayors and ask them what they want, they say, “Shopping centers!” Shopping centers are good for income. But I prefer hiking canyons.

It’s about quality of life — what will be good for our children, our environment, and yes, eventually our income.

IJN: Describe some of your accomplishments on the Ramat HaNegev council.

Doron: When Raz Arbel returned after being Denver’s shaliach, Shmulik wanted me to work on renewable energy, which was beginning to be a big thing in our region.

For two years, I coordinated a project with the State of Israel and the council to build two power plants that use thermal solar technology energy. It cost $1.2 million — huge. The plants are going up now.

Then I established a department of education and community services, also very new in Israel and the region. But there were difficulties.

For example, the informal education side didn’t speak to the formal education side; the young childhood center didn’t speak with the elementary schools.

Things were not in synergy. Everyone has their own kingdom.

I spoke to Shmulik as a consultant — and being a consultant is always the best thing, because you just give advice — and told him that he had to put everything under one roof. So we took a holistic approach. It made a lot of sense, and services improved.

IJN: Briefly describe your staff and your managerial style.

Doron: People say that to manage properly you must first have a vision, a mission statement. James C. Collins of Boulder wrote a book saying it’s the other way around. You hire the good people first and then build the mission statement. It’s a completely different way of thinking.

You need people who can work together, who can solve problems on their own and don’t need to come to you to solve it. They must work as a team. And you need to find people with common sense, a quality that is very rare.

Arik Einstein is the Israeli Frank Sinatra, and Shalom Hanoch is the Israeli Bruce Springsteen. From a management perspective, I prefer Arik Einstein’s model. Why?

Einstein worked with dozens of musicians and knew how to get the very best out of them. Hanoch worked by himself his entire career. He performed amazing music, but he never gave people a chance to grow.

I want to make sure my staff will develop and become even better.

IJN: Bruce Landgarten of the Federation of the Desert in California, said, “Eran has never lost sight of the integrity of his professional work and the full human potential in those he reaches.” How will you, in tandem with JEWISHcolorado, continue nourishing that potential?

Doron: When I was released from the Army I worked for Young Judaea. It was my first experience with American Jews in an organizational setting. It changed my life. Suddenly I realized there are many ways to do things other than the Israeli way.

In Israel, it’s black or white. You are either religious or secular. Young Judaea showed me that you don’t have to impose religious regulations and laws to be Jewish.

Ever since then, and especially over the last 10 years, I realize that US Jews help us to become more Jewish.

Every single Israeli kid who comes to Denver, every young adult and adult, returns to Israel with a stronger Jewish identity and affiliation. It’s unbelievable.

Now my role is to make sure this is implemented at the political level. We need to fight the winds of anti-pluralism in Israel.

In Ramat HaNegev, we are establishing mixed secular and religious communities that live together. Whether you’re Reform, Conservative or Orthodox, we will support you and provide resources. All denominations are invited here.

One of the things JEWISHcolorado funds is the therapy center for children with special needs, which makes sure that every child in the region can reach his highest potential. Whether they need speech therapy or occupational therapy, whatever it is, these children have access here, in the region.

Ramat HaNegev no longer wants only support, which is always important.The next stage is finding programs that express our shared values.

JEWISHcolorado helped establish student villages, which are very successful, and so many other great innovations.

What is most significant is the connection between the people of Colorado and Ramat HaNegev. Your shinshinim [teen emissaries] come from our region; they are remarkable.

IJN: Describe your first glimpse of Denver Zionists in action at the Walk for Israel on May 7.

Doron: It was remarkable. I have been to four walks for Israel, but this was my first one in Denver. I kept sending videos to friends in Israel to share this amazing feeling. “People who are half a world away support you!”

I thank the people of Colorado for doing this. Yes, they talked to me. People are so nice here. I’m not sure everyone on the planet is this nice.

There’s something about the mountains that balances people. I was a geologist. I know it’s true.

IJN: Our paper is publishing a special section on the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem. Are you confident Israel will survive into the future?

Doron: Are you asking if the future of Israel is guaranteed? [Pause.] I think we have all the opportunities to make Israel last forever, but it’s up to us.

The Jewish people in Israel have the ability to design their own future. Until 1948, it was not in our hands.

Seventy-four years ago, when we were slaughtered in concentration camps in Poland and other European countries, who could imagine that the Jews would have such a strong state? It should not be taken for granted.

But the Israelis must not become drunk on their strength. We have a unique chance to design our future. I hope we will be smart enough to find a way for Israel to last forever as a Jewish democratic state.

Andrea Jacobs may be reached at andrea@ijn.com.

Copyright © 2017 by the Intermountain Jewish News