(Courtesy of Bikurim) A new nonprofit initiative called Bikurim, www.bikurim-israel.org, which focuses on changing the facts on the ground through economics, or what is called “economic Zionism,” has made tremendous strides in building strong and self-reliant communities by boosting 10,000 small businesses throughout Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

This global initiative comes at a time where international governments, organizations and the media continue to delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to live in this region.

“Both Bikurim and its global supporters feel a deep sense of responsibility to serve Israel and the Jewish people, especially those within its heartland,” said Gedaliah Blum, director and founder of Bikurim. “It’s unheard of that in 2021 Jews face discrimination because of the place their lay their heads at night. But we knew there was a silent majority of supporters. We just needed to create a practical way for them to actualize this support.”

Since Bikurim’s inception in December 2020, it has helped promote more than 3,000 individual businesses within Judea and Samaria through a local online business directory. In addition, Bikurim has worked with dozens of individual business owners one-on-one in order to develop the tools they need to grow. This includes e-commerce platforms, websites, graphic design, marketing and sales materials and more, enabling business owners to reach a wider audience, attracting more activity and more customers.

To date, Bikurim has attracted nearly 1,000 contributions from a wide range of people from all over the world. What ties these supporters together is not only their love and support for Israel, but for the desire to take an active role in reestablishing Israel’s heartland.

The early success of Bikurim has now led it to expand its focus on larger projects such as the development of the first online tourism booking website for the region. “We decided that if we wanted to have economic independence, we would have to avoid being dependent on international tech companies,” said Blum.

For more information please contact Gedaliah Blum | 0543005802 | [email protected]