Sarab, meaning Oasis in Arabic, strives to change the social reality of the Bedouins of the Negev by providing quality music education, starting with children in elementary schools.

Music is the perfect antidote: Music develops creativity, attentiveness, and appreciation of beauty; it provides a feeling of identity and belonging, and brings people together in the aim of achieving a common goal. Music education teaches perseverance, concentration, and focus; it affects students’ general academic performance and endows them with valuable skills that serve them later in life. Moreover, learning to play an instrument is a time consuming task, keeping children out of trouble. 

Music can be the start of a different, better life for the Bedouin community, and a new basis for establishing fruitful cooperation and communication between the Bedouin and the Jewish communities.

The Sarab vision is for the youth of one of the poorer and heavily discriminated against groups within the Israeli society, the Bedouins of the Negev, to have access to a quality musical education program complete with a youth orchestra.

A New Dawn currently operates the Sarab program within two Rahat elementary schools; Abu Ubayda Elementary and Al Saalam Elementary. The program caters to children grades 1-4, in the 4th grade the children graduate Sarab and can continue their musical education with the Beer Sheva Conservatory. A New Dawn continues to support and aid these children in their studies with a personal instrument, subsidised private lessons, and transportation to and from their classes.