News Flash: IT'S RAINING!

IT'S RAINING! IT'S REALLY RAINING!

Forgive my enthusiasm, but it truly is worthwhile.  For the first time in over a month and half, water is falling from the sky.  It started yesterday, and has been raining on and off for the last 24 hours. Some of us went rather crazy, running around, dancing, and just laying on the grass as we felt the rain come down.  Surprisingly, most of the 'us' were the Americans--the Israeli and Arab students were happy, but not overwhelmed.  I don't know how often a rain event like this happens here, but I know that I was determined not to miss the opportunity to dance in the rain in the middle of one of the driest desert areas in the world.  Also interesting is what the humidity is doing to the temperature.  During the day it isn't so noticeable, but last night it was unmistakeably warmer than it should have been.  The humidity in the air, as well as the thick cloud cover, was holding down some of the heat which would normally be lost into the empty air of the desert.  For the first time I could say that it was muggy outside. 
I just hope that it clears up soon, so I can go hiking again--as outdoorsy as I'm starting to become here, hiking in mud is still out of the question, if I have the choice.  I'm hearing more thunder even now, which means more rain might be coming! 

It's so cool!


Shalom!

The Negev Trip

Hello again!

This week has been one jam-packed with activities, learning, and fun, and I can't wait to share it with you all! As I had mentioned before, this past Tuesday we left for a 4 day, 3 night trip into the upper Negev desert, stopping at various places and examining some of the issues related to the region, which are surprisingly complex. If you'll allow me the space, I'll run down exactly what we did each day, and some of the knowledge I've come in contact with.

Tuesday:

      Tuesday was spent at the Desertification and Drylands Conference at Sde Boqer. Over the course of the late morning and afternoon I listened to discussions on the synergies of the Rio Conventions, desert landscaping and architecture, and carbon sequestration with afforestation. All of them were interesting, but my favorite was the first session discussing the Rio Conventions. During this session, Dr. Pamela Chasek from the International Institute of Sustainable Development gave an intensely interesting presentation on the socioeconomic drivers of desertification. She stated something that I was incredibly happy to hear: she said that there needs to be more interaction between the environmental field and other fields of research including economics and politics. She reaffirmed what I've wanted to do for a while now, which is not biological research, but take an environmental outlook into the social sciences. After Dr. Chasek, I had the privilege to listen to the UNCCD Executive Secretary, Luc Gracadja, give a presentation on ways to combat desertification through care for soils in the drylands. As a special, unannounced treat at the end of the session, the Secretaries/Ministers of Agriculture for Israel and Italy convened and signed mutual Memorandums of Understanding, discussing the future of agricultural activities between the two countries. I will be honest, I do not fully know what it is they promised to each other, since the Italian secretary only spoke Italian, and the Israeli Minister spoke Hebrew. From what I know, it was mostly fluff, as some political speeches can be; but it was amazing to be in the same room with such accomplished and intelligent people, even if I didn't understand them completely.

      That night the machon students broke up into small groups of three or four people and spread out to the homes of AIES alumni who are completing Master's degrees at Sde Boqer. We dropped our luggage off, and then went to a spa for dinner and swimming. It was fun taking that time to just relax after so many hours of listening to discussions and lectures! After the spa we returned to Sde Boqer, I visited their pub night for a little bit (it was much less of a party than Ketura's surprisingly, even though Sde Boqer has over 1,000 people there), and then went back to my host's house for a few hours' sleep.

Wednesday:

      Bright and early Wednesday morning we found ourselves with our bags standing on a curb waiting for the bus. We went across the street from Sde Boqer to the national park which surrounds David Ben Gurion's tomb. Ben Gurion was the first Prime Minister of Israel, and shaped the nation into much of what it is today, especially in the Negev region. He viewed the desert as something that while beautiful and valuable, was also an opportunity for Israel's development. As our professor David Orenstein mentioned, Ben Gurion believed that if Israelis could conquer the desert, they could do anything. We had a simple breakfast at the park, and I saw ibex for the first time! They wander around like deer in the Northeastern U.S., eating everything. I took plenty of pictures of ibex, as they were all over. The view from both our breakfast location and the actual site of Ben Gurion and his wife's tombs was astounding. After breakfast, we headed down through the park to a canyon named Ein Avdat, which is the location of natural springs which run year round. I cannot do justice to it through words, it was so beautiful. We walked through the canyon, over running water which made me almost giddy to see, since open standing water in a desert is something I haven't come across before. To get out of the canyon, we hiked almost straight up, using narrow stairs and ladders bolted into the rock. It reminded me very much of Treman Park in Ithaca—without all the green of course! Even with enough water, not many plants are vibrantly green here. I did get to taste saltbush (salty, of course) and see an ibex jumping from ledge to ledge, as well as see from afar hermit caves which were used by Byzantine Christian hermits hundreds of years ago. I wish we could have gone in, however they were more than a little difficult to get to.

      The bus met us at the top of the canyon, and we once again piled into it, traveling to a small independent goat farm nearby. It was run by Jewish settlers who make semi-hard and hard organic goat cheeses, in almost the middle of nowhere. We learned some of the difficulties involved in trying to make a living as an independent entity in the Negev, which include land discussions due to politics, relationships with neighbors, and infrastructure. This family views themselves as just trying to make a living and raise their children in a healthy environment of their own choosing, but as an idea the small family farms of the area are less benign. Some claim that the small farms are allowed out into the Negev in direct opposition to the nation's open space plans because they serve as a block to Bedouin movement and settlement, and as a means of control over territory in sparsely populated areas. In class we learned what the farms signify and deal with politically, however this was an opportunity to understand these farmers as people pursuing a dream. They are so far succeeding, and they make absolutely wonderful cheese (Which we got to taste! Yum!).

      From the farm we went to a park outside of Yerucham, a Jewish settlement started in the 1950's. It was created by the Jewish National Fund as a place for recreation and a reservoir, and consists of a lake which catches rainfall in the winter and gradually shrinks all summer. We had lunch at the park, and then discussed the role of the Jewish National Fund as well as afforestation as a political and social tool. I didn't believe before this trip that a tree could be used to claim or take away land, but I've been corrected. The park itself was actually in a state of disrepair, with trash all over. I was shocked that in a place so special, where things were green with standing water, residents would let it get ruined by trash. Before we left, those of us who didn't go for a hike around the lake picked up what trash they could. Leaving the park, we met up with the tourism director for Yerucham, who led us around the town, including stopping by a well which is one of the locations people think could be where Hagar (Ishmael's mother/Sarah's slave) found water to save her and her son in the Old Testament. It was also in a state of woeful disrepair, unfortunately. After our tour of Yerucham, we went to the Yerucham youth hostel, got showers and coffee, and then went to dinner at the homes of several women, who cooked for us. The dinner was part of a town program called the Culinary Queens of Yerucham, which was designed to offer the town's women the opportunity to be productive and generate income for their families by welcoming travelers into their homes for a meal. It was excellent, and I heard so many wonderful stories from our host and her husband.

Thursday:

      We left Yerucham early, and drove to Ramat Hovav, the only hazardous waste disposal site in Israel and an industrial municipality. For a park containing nothing but factories and waste disposal sites, it didn't look half bad. There was no trash, at least. We sat down and listened to a presentation by a representative of the municipality, and then asked questions regarding the environmental safety of the facilities and the region. We were told that emissions were under control, but because of the factories present there, Ramat Hovav cannot take responsibility for people who live within a 5 kilometer radius. As the representative put it, “We do not have to be concerned for the health, only the safety of the people nearby.” This is because at least one factory uses pure chlorine gas, which is an incredibly deadly poison. To complicate this issue, there is an unrecognized Bedouin village across the street from Ramat Hovav, within walking distance of some of the factories; This is where we went next. We met with the sheik and some other representatives of a particular tribe as well as a one for most of the village of Wadi Al-Na'am, and we were given the opportunity to ask questions over lunch. I went with some of the Arab women of our student body to see the children and women, and what I saw was shocking, at least to me as a comfortably well-off American: trash everywhere, no running water, a few lightbulbs hanging around (where they got the electricity I don't know), a random TV and VCR, and among all this a simple happiness. The children were happy, the women were laughing. I realized that I had expected something different, something more like the commercials you see on television of settlements like these in other areas of the world, with sad children and crushed hope. But these people, the Bedouin, have chosen this lifestyle. It is difficult, since their young people are leaving, the government is demolishing their homes, and their traditions are under attack, but some of them are surviving. I spoke with some of my Jordanian classmates here afterward, and I learned that the Bedouin in Jordan and Saudi Arabia do not have these difficulties, and are allowed to continue their traditional way of life in peace. It is only in Israel, with the unique political and governmental pressures here, that the Bedouin are truly threatened with obliteration.

      We left Wadi Al-Na'am and went to another JNF park to discuss the day (More standing water!), then drove to a touristy Bedouin-themed camp for the night. We had great food and a great time, and finally crashed all together in one huge tent for a few hours.

Friday:

      On the last day of our trip, we found ourselves waking to a haze of fog. It was surreal, to be in a rather desolate place and not be able to see anything through a gray curtain. We had an excellent breakfast, then listened to an AIES alumnus give a presentation on the regional council for the Negev Bedouin. We learned that the council was a good effort, and is still trying to improve the lives of those it represents, but has some serious issues including not enough Bedouin in control of the council and a lack of funding. There is a push to recognize more villages in situ, so that tribes do not have to move, but it is rough going. Once we finished discussing things with Abra, we got on the bus and drove to Tel Sheva, a city built for the Bedouin outside of Be'er Sheva. It is the poorest city in Israel, and it is within a mile of one of the richest neighborhoods, Oman. There is a great picture I took while on the bus, where you can see the difference between the two even from far away. The ironic thing is, you have to use the same traffic circle to go to both places, and on the Oman turn the median is beautifully landscaped and clean, and the Tel Sheva turn is covered in trash and bare. It was like a line had been drawn on the rocky dirt. Driving into this town, supposedly recognized and endorsed by the government, and seeing the lack of basic services like trash collection, inspired a sort of uneasy anger in me. These Bedouin did what the government told them to do, and are still living in terrible conditions, which isn't right. Tel Sheva is a town like Oman, or Be'er Sheva, and should receive the same treatment in the eyes of policy makers and the bureaucracy.

      We went to the outskirts of Tel Sheva and met with an amazing woman named Miriam, who has developed and is selling her own line of beauty products called Desert Daughters. They are organic products using local desert herbs and pure ingredients. That was cool in itself; but what was even more amazing was Miriam's story. I can honestly say she is one of the strongest women I have ever had the privilege to listen to. She is a Bedouin woman, who traveled to England for two years, then came back to her home and started a business. She is unmarried, and not only got a loan for her business, but paid it back in full after a year and now is making enough money to train other women in making these products. She is not only empowering herself and bringing business to the region, she is helping other women realize their potential as well. Thinking back on those short 2 hours with her, I am still in awe.

And that was our trip! We drove from Miriam's workshop to Be'er Sheva to drop off some individuals who wanted to travel for the weekend, and then the rest of us came back to Ketura. Tonight we have the With Earth and Each Other virtual rally, at 1:00 PM EST, and all of us are singing “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu” at the end of it. Classes are gearing up for midterms, as well. I hope this post hasn't been too long, or too boring. Shalom, Salam, Peace!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please buckle your seatbelts, we're going through 2 weeks of news...

Marjaba! Hello after 2 weeks of silence! I apologize for my lack of updates; There have been so many things going on here that it is hard to find time to compose any semblance of a coherent blog post. Yet at 11:10 local time on a Sunday morning, here I go. (And notice the time difference—we've moved into a 7 hour discrepancy now.)

Many, many things have happened worth mentioning since my last post, and so I'm going to start with the largest, and unfortunately the saddest one. On Monday, October 25, the machon held a culture night, when people displayed or presented something of their culture to the rest of us, and any other kibbutz resident that wanted to come. The evening was fantastic, with dancing, great food, new music, and lots of laughter. Later that night, incredibly vulgar graffiti was sprayed on one of our unit doors, directed towards the Arabs of our group, with a star of David beneath it. Come Tuesday morning, this act of hatred had already shaken the students and administration to the core. Nothing like that has ever happened at the Arava Institute in 15 years of operation, and it was shocking and sad that it had to occur now. Many of the Arab students lost their sense of security, and the Jewish students were appalled that someone had implicated them in an act they thought despicable. Even though we've only been here about a month, we are all good friends, and this painted message was an insult to all of us. We met as a group several times to determine what actions needed to be taken by the students, versus the machon leadership or kibbutz administration, and we made it known what we expected: that the perpetrators would be caught, and we would get the chance to talk to them. As of this past Thursday, we have learned that there were two young men involved, one a volunteer and the other a son of kibbutz members, who were both very intoxicated. The volunteer has been dismissed from the kibbutz, but before he left, we were allowed to meet with him to talk about the incident and what he is thinking now. He expressed what I believed to be genuine remorse, and he stated something that reaches beyond simple vandalism. He recognized that he could have stopped the entire thing from happening; He didn't hold the spray can, but since he didn't stop the person who did, he takes full responsibility for the action as well. I don't know what exactly I was expecting going into that meeting, but I can say now that I feel it was a healing experience for all parties involved. The son of kibbutz members (or ben meshek, but don't rely on my spelling) is currently in the army, and when he returns home we will have a meeting with him as well. I can only hope that it goes as well with him as it did with the volunteer.

After this incident, understandably all of us at the machon were slightly off-balance for a few days. What helped us get back on track was a special event in the life of the kibbutz: Ketura's 37^th birthday! There were festive meals, a party with skits, music, and dancing, and a general sense of joy. Many kibbutzim are becoming privatized, and some are shutting down completely, which makes a birthday like this all the more special. As part of the celebration, at the party we students sang 'Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu' together, with many of the children of the kibbutz joining in. After our rather impromptu performance, the song devolved into an hour of dancing. (Side note: Don't know the song? Click in to the Arava Institute's With Earth and Each Other event on November 14! We'll be singing it live. More details to come.) It was simply a great time, and it helped us to remember just how much fun being here can be.

Last weekend, as any child in the United States would know, was Halloween! Although it is a rather distinctive American holiday, we thought it was necessary to have a party. So on Saturday night, we all got together on our central lawn, dressed up with whatever we could get our hands on. I went as a black cat, complete with ears and tail; We also had a devil, two pumpkins, a pirate, a garden of hope, and a hippie, among others. Everyone brought food and whatever drinks they had in their fridge, and we had a blast. I actually managed to make yet another apple pie, this time big enough for about 15 people, which was my contribution. After the party, a few of us went to the pub in costume, myself included. We may have gotten a few amused looks, but it was worth it--and not just because of the half priced drinks from the laughing bartender! Even more fun than the costumes and the dancing, was the opportunity to explain Halloween to non-Americans who had absolutely no idea what it was. After communicating the general idea of it and how it's celebrated, the Israelis debated with us about Halloween versus Purim, and the Jordanian and Palestinian students were laughing about the sheer amount of sugar involved in the holiday. At the end of the day, I could only shrug and say, “It's just the way it is, and I love it.” It was a fun time, and I'm so glad we did it.

That following week, classes really kicked into high gear. The first 3 assignments of the semester were due, and there were some other events related to a group that is currently here, the Mashav participants. During this past week we turned in all 3 papers, took a tour through some fascinating experimental fields and orchards run by Dr. Elaine Solowey, and had our first group movie night (showing the Princess Bride, of course). Each day flew by, and before I knew it the weekend was upon me. This past Friday I went to Eilat for the first time, and it was absolutely beautiful. It is a tourist beach city, much like Rehoboth, and so it felt familiar even though all the details were different. Three of us rode the Egged bus down, surrounded by soldiers going home, and the bus was so full we wound up sitting on the floor. When we got to Eilat, we stopped at an ATM, got shawarma for lunch, and proceeded to walk to the beach. We walked along the tourist strip of Eilat, from the cheap vendors all the way down to the five star hotels. The beaches are so much closer to the stores and attractions, and you can be at the water in barely a minute. There are chairs and umbrellas all over, and most of the beaches are free and accessible. Needless to say, I'll be going back very soon for a beach day. When the round trip bus fare is about 11 USD and only 35 minutes away, how could I not? Pack a lunch and some water, and that's a pretty cheap, relaxing day.

Yesterday was also a day of firsts, only they were mostly culinary, not exploratory. I had shakshuka for the first time last night, and it was amazing. Shakshuka, if you are not aware, is a simmered-down dish of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and whatever other vegetables you want to throw in, and then once everything is cooked down, you crack eggs over it and simmer more until the eggs are set. Throw some zatar on top, grab a pita (or in our case, left over halla bread), and you have an amazing dish. We also had a salad with lemon, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oil dressing. It is worth mentioning that a salad here isn't quite a salad in the U.S., because normally there isn't lettuce. It's just vegetables chopped up and tossed in some amazing dressing. Note to future roommates: expect this to be made in any kitchen with which I am associated!

So this brings me to today, and looking forward into the next week. On Tuesday morning the machon will be going on a four day field trip, to the upper Negev. We will be spending a day at a Desertification Conference at Sde Boqer, by Be'er Sheva, and listening to research and presentations regarding the desert ecosystems of the area. After that, we will be traveling to an independent Jewish goat farm, the Jewish settlement of Yerucham, the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi Al-Na'am, and the Abu Basma Regional Council. It promises to be an amazing trip, and I'm incredibly excited to have this opportunity. It is possible that I will also be traveling after the trip to either Jerusalem or Tel Aviv; however I have yet to decide. I would like to be able to take a full, 4 day weekend to stay in Jerusalem, not just a day and a half, so this weekend I may instead come back to Ketura for Shabbat and go to the beach for a day instead!

Shukran for bearing with me through this incredibly long update, and I will make a point in the coming weeks to write more frequently, as I cannot imagine posts this long are all that much fun to read. I hope all is well back on the other side of the pond!

Salam, Shalom, Peace!

Parent's Circle - Family Forum Weekend...In the middle of the week!

Shalom! As of today, I have been in Israel for a complete 3 weeks! I'm sorry for the delay in posting, however classes are just now getting into full swing and this weekend was dedicated to a workshop which took up a vast amount of time.  This workshop was designed as part of our Peace-Building and Environmental Leadership seminar, and was run by a group called the Parents' Circle - Family Forum, or Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace.  It was the first of a new set of seminars which focuses on developing each person's personal narrative, and then sharing those narratives to bring a humanity and sense of mutual respect to the conflicts in this area of the world.  We were all required to attend this session, which lasted all day both Friday and Saturday. 

At this point, it is probably a good idea to share just whom makes up my fellow students, and the places in the world they come from.  About 34% of the students are North American, with one from Canada and the rest from various parts of the United States. We have both a western (Washington and Montana) and eastern (New York, New Jersey, North Carolina) presence, however here we are all simply Americans.  The other students are from a variety of places, including Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, South Africa, the Kyrgyz Republic, and of course Israel.  We also have a few students that although they were born in one country, have been moving around the world since a young age, and are in a classification by themselves due the sheer amount of world travel they've done.  In age our group ranges from 20 years old to over 30, with most people between the ages of 22 and 27.  It's strange though, the differences in age are not as obvious as perhaps they would be in a different situation; I believe since we are all taking the same classes, and have the same goals, the age differences are simply not as important.  Not only do we vary in age and nationality, our academic achievements also differ.  There are several of us who are undergraduates doing a semester abroad, myself included, however there are more of us who already have a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree, or haven't completed any college at all.  The one thing we all have in common is a desire to learn, about the environment and about each other.  This diverse mix of individuals is one of the most fascinating groups I've ever had the privilege to work with, and so far it has been nothing except fun and educational.  If I stop and think about the people I am surrounded with and the opportunities which present themselves through interacting with them each day, I am always struck by how lucky I am. 

The workshop this past weekend drew out our differences and highlighted our lack of knowledge in certain areas, and challenged the ideas which we harbor about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  It was facilitated by a pair of women who had both lost loved ones in the conflict, one an Israeli and one a Palestinian.  They shared their stories, which were different in setting, but so very similar in suffering.  Over the course of the two days, we analyzed our own lives, including which emotions represented our history, the dates that we considered important to our own narratives, and finally a few of us shared the complete narratives, from each person's own perspective.  It was shocking and sad to hear the tales of checkpoints and violent police from the Palestinians of our group, and the tales of rockets raining into border towns from the Israelis were equally so.  It highlighted an essential difference between myself (and presumably all the American students, however I will not talk for them) and my classmates: I have never had those experiences, and I pray that I never will.  There is no doubt that what has shaped these personal narratives have made these individuals stronger, and in a strange way I admire the way life continues for both Israelis and Palestinians through the occasional violence.

Another part of the weekend was a dual lecture by two historians from the region, one who is Israeli and the other Palestinian. They each went through the early modern history of the region, and then highlighted the differences in narrative which have developed.  The most fascinating part of these dual narratives, I believe, is the differing language used by each faction.  An example of this is the date which Israel was declared a state, which Israelis celebrate but the Palestinians refer to as 'Nakba', or 'catastrophe'.  The lesson of listening to these two stories together at the same time was to teach that each narrative is legitimate, and that histories are not set in stone or absolute, but change according to perspective.  Another side effect of these lectures was the discovery of what knowledge wasn't known prior to this weekend.  As an American, I was in the unique situation of being able to watch as Palestinians learned about the lingering societal effects of the Holocaust hanging over the Israeli collective psyche, and the Israelis heard the Palestinian side of the story, of the immigrations and loss, which had not made it into their school history books or the news.  It was a great learning experience all around.



Another weekend is approaching, and there are no workshops planned.  In fact, most people are taking advantage of the free time to go home or travel, anywhere from Tel Aviv, to Sinai, to Jerusalem, the West Bank, or Jordan.  I am staying on the Kibbutz with some other people, however we have our own plans, including a potluck dinner on our lawn and a possible night hike, since the weather has been so nice and the moon is beautiful.  A trip to Eilat may come on Sunday, but that is still only a thought at the moment.  I can't wait to see the rest of Israel, and hopefully fall in love with all of it as I've fallen for this desert!  Until next time, shalom!

10-10-10, World Work Day, Acacia Trees, and a late update on Kibbutz Lotan

Hello again! I figured that so much has happened in the last few days, and so much has gone unmentioned, that if I posted twice on one day with totally different topics, perhaps it would be okay.  I'll start with the machon's trip to neighboring Kibbutz Lotan, and work forward chronologically from there.

On Thursday, the day after I arrived at Ketura, the entire group took a trip to Kibbutz Lotan, another kibbutz only 5 minutes away by bus. In fact, it's so close that young residents on one of the kibbutzim will hike to the other for the rotating "pub nights".  Kibbutz Lotan makes eco-friendly and sustainable living its focus, and incorporates innovative ideas like "aboveground landfills", composting toilets, and wastewater wetlands into the kibbutz's design.  The pictures in the slideshow beneath this post highlight some of the cooler aspects of Lotan, including the playground made from old car tires and trash, covered in mud.  Fun fact: when you oil mud construction with old vegetable oil, it becomes impermeable to water, and more similar to cement than mud.  Lotan always leaves 'peepholes' into their creations, either with plexiglass or just not covering an area with mud, to show the truth of what is underneath such cool shapes.  Lotan has also designed a composting toilet in the area, and has built a classroom underneath one, to show how human waste is composted into fertilizer for trees in the area (no vegetables yet, but not because it's dangerous; compost is recommended to sit for a full year, after which point everything bad is gone.  Kibbutz members simply don't want to deal with the idea just yet). As you may see in another picture, Lotan also has a working solar oven, which is constantly working.  Out here in the desert is the perfect place to have one, and there were cookies baking the day we went.  And yes, the entire thing is recycled and reused materials. Lotan was such a cool place, and it was fascinating to see some of the ideas we've talked about at IC in full fruition out here in the desert, the perfect place to put them in action.  I did some mudbuilding myself on Saturday, when we build a table over by the other dormitories, the caravans.  Pictures will come later, since it takes so long to upload them.  After the Lotan trip on Thursday, we got back on the bus and drove down to the Samar sand dunes, south of Ketura. There we learned a bit about the desert ecosystem, and how due to sand mining for construction, some of the great dunes are coming under threat.  To help raise awareness, we attended an informal "demonstration", which was really a family event where we made kites out of recycled materials and tried to fly them. Mine flew!...for about 5 seconds.  But such is life. After a sunset on a sand dune, we drove back to Ketura. 

After another day or two of orientation and getting used to my new living arrangements, classes have started! Today, on 10-10-10, 350.org has sponsored a Global Work Day to combat climate change, and even those of us in the middle of nowhere are doing our part! Since the idea of simply foresting the desert goes against the philosophy of preservation and naturalness of the area, we decided to try to support a indigenous tree population which is currently in decline, the acacia.  Each student now has a little bag hopefully containing some acacia seeds, which we'll pamper and spoil rotten until they germinate and become large enough to survive in the desert.  It is a great idea, to work alongside people from all over the world to try to bring carbon dioxide levels down.  This was just a great start to the semester.

Well, that is the complete update.  Now that I'm up to speed, I can try to create a more stable posting schedule which doesn't include multiple postings per day! If you have any questions about living out here, or about what I'm doing, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to at least try to answer them!  Shalom!

P.S. - Did you know the Middle East has some of the best quality nuts in the world? They definitely are in a completely different league than their American-grown counterparts. I'm enjoying a few as a write this. :)

Kibbutz Ketura and the Arava Region: An Overview

Shalom! My room is unpacked, my classes picked, and my first load of laundry is piling up in my closet, and so I figured it was about time to give a more in-depth picture of the program here at AIES and its location in the world.  As some readers of this travel blog already may know, the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies is a program which uses the environment as a bridge between cultures and individuals in conflict.  Students take a full semester of credits as well as participate in a “Peace-building and Environmental Leadership Seminar”, or PELS.  This entire course of study, including classes, living arrangements, and activities, is designed to help the participants learn how to be peace-builders and leaders in the future, with the environment as the focus.  It was this incredibly unique outlook and mission which drew me to the Institute.

The Institute (or as we call it here, the ‘machon’) is located within Kibbutz Ketura, a first generation kibbutz 30 minutes drive north from the southern Israeli city of Eilat.  The machon is only a small part of the kibbutz, however I have been told that it is something the permanent residents here are very proud of.  A kibbutz by definition is a group of people committed to communal living, and pooling of resources.  As an American, I would call it a commune, but that isn’t quite accurate.  What sets Israeli kibbutzim apart from American communal living situations is that there are actually laws and policies in place which specifically regulate the kibbutzim.  They are official institutions, and under the ‘kibbutz’ categorization there are several different types of living arrangements.  For example: As I understand it, a commune is a commune. People live together, pool monetary and other resources, and participate in a group industry such as farming.  Under the title of ‘kibbutz’, there are many variations, including kibbutzim that do not share resources, but instead are very privatized, and some kibbutzim that are still very collective in nature.  In short, a kibbutz isn’t necessarily a particular way of life, but does have  a particular legal designation.  But now on to more interesting and less confusing topics!

Kibbutz Ketura is one of the more collective kibbutzim, and its members eat together, worship together, and all take some role in the operation of the kibbutz.  As students at the machon, my classmates and I are part of the community, and utilize things like the community dining room, laundry facilities, pool, and basketball courts/soccer field.  As we wander around the compound, we run across permanent residents doing the same thing, and using the same facilities.  We try to respect their home, and they put up with us for the semester!  We aren’t the only group on the kibbutz, either.  There are numerous groups here at any given time: people traveling, volunteers, machon interns, military traveling on leave, and young Israelis here for their compulsory year of service.  We at the machon are incredibly lucky, since we have our own small compound on the outskirts of the kibbutz, which is absolutely beautiful.

A little on why I think it is so magnificent.  We are nestled in the middle of the Arava section of the Negev Desert, with the Jordanian mountains to the east and a small range of low mountains 40 minutes hike to the west of Ketura. Because of the location between two sets of mountains, the sun sets very early in the evening, and it is dark by 6:30 PM.  The upside to the loss of daylight is the view of the surrounding kibbutzim and the Jordanian villages across the border, which can be seen better at night than during the day.  When I see the lights at night, it strikes me just how populated the desert is. 

Nighttime is also the time with the best temperature.  It drops to the low 70’s, upper 60’s Fahrenheit,  and with the constant breeze it is simply heavenly.  During the day the temperature has been reaching the upper 80’s easily, with the ever present breeze.  It is so dry here, however, that you don’t feel the heat as you would in the eastern United States, and so temperatures this high don’t feel overwhelming.  Unfortunately, that same phenomenon also increases the danger out here in the desert.  It is so easy to get dehydrated, and the worst part is, it really sneaks up on you.  I’ve already had one encounter with dehydration, and I’ve been here for all of 4 days; needless to say, I’m being much more careful.  The risk is worth it, though, to experience such an awesome area and program.

So that is the basic overview of Kibbutz Ketura and the Arava region where I’m currently living. I was unsure if I would enjoy it when I first arrived, since it was so different from where I’m used to residing, however I really am enjoying it.  The pictures in the new slideshow beneath my entries are of my room, and my Kibbutz Lotan (a neighboring kibbutz specializing in eco-tourism and sustainable living) visit last week.  I’ll discuss that more in a later post, perhaps today or tomorrow.  Until next time, Shalom!

This is the first official blog post from Israel!  I’m still getting settled in, so this will be just an overview of what the trip was like.  For the future I’ve got ideas for posts all lined up, including such topics as: Israeli “motorcycles”, the irony of the desert landscape, and differences in water sourcing and use compared to the United States. It promises to be fun; Stay tuned for more in the weeks ahead!

                The trek to Israel started with a 2 hour drive to Newark Airport, New Jersey, and lugging suitcases through check-in with my parents.  They stayed with me until about 2:15 PM EST, when we decided it was time to go through security.  I weaved through the security line, looking back at my parents, who hovered on the next floor up and were watching. After a minor hangup (I didn’t know I couldn’t put my external hard drive on top of my laptop) I passed through just fine and waved one last time to Mom and Dad.  Then I was off to my gate.  Interestingly, flights to Tel Aviv have an additional level of security, solely surrounding the specific gate.  I had to surrender my carryon bag for another search, and I was wanded down, presumably to check for hidden weapons.  I passed through quickly and with no trouble, and after almost 50 minutes of waiting, we were allowed on the plane.  My seat was arguably the worst on the aircraft: last row, aisle, right next to the galley and bathroom.  Due to this placement, I didn’t sleep much during the flight, despite my attempts.  However, I was seated next to some wonderful people, one who was Israeli going home, and the other who is a graduate student also studying in Israel, but not in my program.  Despite a late start, the plane landed right on time, and I was quickly in line for the Passport Control booths.  Eventually I presented my passport, and was allowed through in a matter of a minute, since I already had my visa to study for an extended period of time.  I picked up my baggage, slung my backpack on my shoulders, and set off for the next step of my journey, the train!

                I grabbed 200 NIS (New Israeli Sheqalim, about $55 US) and followed the signs to the train station, where I used an automatic system to buy a ticket for 14 NIS, which for a 20 minute train ride, isn’t bad.  The train came right on time, and I was waiting for the doors to open and take me to the Central Rail Station/Savidor-Merkaz.  Of course, no trip is perfect, and so something had to happen. As I was lifting my rather heavy suitcase onto the train, my foot slipped and I fell between the train and the platform.  It was more a blow to my ego than my leg, but another passenger helped me up and I proceeded to my seat.  With all my luggage, I got many looks, and not all of them were pleasant, but such is life. Needless to say, when I got off the train, I had learned my lesson. I was much more careful.  I will most likely have a lovely bruise for a few days, but I have internalized the rule the British put so eloquently—Mind The Gap!

                The train made it to the Central Station, and I made it off safely, and out of the main terminal.  I hovered just inside the exit turnstiles debating if I could really make it through, but figured after 15 minutes I would just have to make the leap of faith and try it. I barely squeezed through, and met up with one of the Institute’s coordinators just a minute later.  From there it was a flurry of greetings and boarding the bus to Jerusalem.  From the seats of the bus I could take a leisurely look at Tel Aviv and the approach to Jerusalem, however I have to admit my tiredness won out and I slept on the bus a great deal. We picked up more students in East Jerusalem, which I can only describe as “old”. Not old in a negative sense, but in every good sense of the word. It was old in such a magnificent way it is difficult to describe. I look forward to travelling to Jerusalem again, taking pictures, and then communicating the feel of such an ancient city. 

                We left Jerusalem and rode south, down some scarily twisting roads and into the true Negev Desert.  Before we entered the Arava area, we stopped for lunch at what I would call a rest area; a couple of food places, bathrooms, and a small store for forgotten necessities (which I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything that important yet!).  There I had my first taste of Israeli food: Falafel without the falafel.   Who knows why they didn’t have the trademark fried chickpea balls, but I got instead salad, humus, tahina, and pickles in a pita.  It took some getting used to, but by the third bite I was hooked.  Now I actually need to try the falafel!  After another 2 hours of driving, we pulled into Kibbutz Ketura around 4:45 PM local time, and moved right in. The attached pictures are of my room! My roommate is an American, going to a private college in Pennsylvania, and so far, we’re getting along fine.  We had dinner as a group and played an initial icebreaker game, and then we were allowed to go to bed. Thank goodness for that, because I was exhausted still, even after napping on the bus. Today we also had a packed schedule, which I'll go into in a further post. It's almost 2 AM here, so I'm going to bed!  Shalom!