A Vision of Over 60 Years 64 years ago, in 1961, a young talmid chochom, Harav Yissachar Meyer, zt”l, arrived in the small town of Netivot, north-west of Beer Sheva, that had been established just 5 years earlier. At that time its population was 2000-3000. Rav Yissachar Meyer had a singular vision, one of kedusha and kvod shomayim, to turn Netivot into an Ir Torah (Torah City) of choice for avreichim and talmidei chachamim from across Eretz Yisrael to make their homes and to put down firm roots.   With just 12 talmidim in a ramshackle tzrif (shack) Rav Yissachar Meyer began his life’s work – Yeshivat Hanegev – and laid the foundation for his eternal legacy. All who met him were captivated by his sincerity, his warmth and his scholarship. He was a Torah-true father figure to the entire community in Netivot. The Yeshiva grew steadily and within a few years grew to some 300 bochurim. It soon developed a reputation as a ‘serious mokom Torah’ and attracted top students from Israel and abroad.  Tzaddikim and Gedolei Torah came to Netivot to live and to teach at Yeshivat Hanegev. These included: Hatzaddik v’Hagadol Harav Reuven Yosef Gershonowitz, zt”l, the Siftei Chaim, Harav Hagadol Chaim Friedlander. In time, kollelim and other yeshivos opened as well as chadorim and girls’ schools, all learning ‘al taharas hakodesh’.  
 A Cornerstone of Hope and Conviction Recently there was a gathering of Gedolei Torah in the city of Netivot in the South. (In 2000 it was accorded city status.) Netivot had been witness to the horrors of the aftermath of October 7 massacre at the Gaza border with terrorists being halted at the city limits and parts of rockets and missiles crashing down in the city. Amidst this whole confrontation, one man was galvanized into action – Hagaon Harav Aharon Assayag. His wife’s family are veteran residents of Netivot, and Rav Aharon was already a builder of Torah institutions in Netivot. Among them are a kollel, a yeshiva, a cheder and a girls’ school.  He saw the fear in people’s eyes, he felt their anxiety and the seeds of despair that was engulfing so many.  With this, Rav Aaron made a major decision. This was the time to adopt and adapt the vision of his rebbe, the late Rav Yissachar Meyer, and to fully establish Netivot as the dynamic and vibrant Torah City of the South. It would serve as the catalyst for the spreading of Torah across the South and beyond, similar to the impact of Lakewood in New Jersey and across America! He would ensure that, even in the short-term, hundreds of frum families will be able to be accommodated and acquire permanent homes and more Torah institutions will be established! Rav Aharon galvanized people in Israel and abroad to assist in this magnificent vision and to make it happen. He would spearhead the construction of complexes of residential buildings to house thousands of avreichim metzuyonim and their families around outstanding Torah institutions. He spoke to many people and shared his dream.  Recently, Gedolei Torah, Roshei Yeshiva, avreichim, bochurim and many others gathered to participate in the laying of the cornerstone for Kiryat Beit Halevi and Ramot Meir in Netivot.  
In the words of Harav Aharon Assayag
 Welcome in the name of Hashem […]