Traveling Across The Negev

Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center Kibbutz Grofit
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Our group departed Eilat before 8:30 am on Sunday, March 23 and began our travels through the Negev.  After a fairly short ride from the seaside of Eilat we found ourselves surounded by the sand, rock, wide open spaces of the Negev desert.  It is important to say that throughout the Negev are Kibbutzim, Moshavim & individual communities populated by Israelis who have chosen to live in this harsher climate.  The Negev was the original portion of Palestine alloted to the Jewish people in the 1948 UN Partition plan.  The Israelis will tell you that was because it was thought to be uninhabitable (with the exception of the traveling Bedouin clans) and would discourage Jewish settlement.  Of course, that has proven untrue, as Jews have come here since 1948 and succeeded in coaxing food and water from this once barren region.

Zukim
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*Little Known Fact - Ostriches are raised in the Negev, although they are not a Kosher bird.  The Otrich meat is sent to Austria to be used in schnitzel.

Our first stop in Arava was the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center located on Kibbutz Grofit, a special project funded by the JNF.  Ellen Reisel, the Project Director gave us a tour of the center that provides physical & emotional therapy through horseback riding to children with physical and emotional handicaps.  The Riding Center reminded me of summer camp and the setting very similar to southern California.  The staff was very emotional when speaking of their work with these children.  They stressed how much personal gratification they received in helping a child who is bound to a wheelchair experience the feeling of muscular movement in the motion of the horses gait.  A disabled 19-year old woman who had been coming to the center for a decade or so answered questions about her experience; this became a bit too emotionally overwhelming for her and she sobbed openly in the arms of Ellen Reisel.  I must admit, this was too overwhelming for me and I had to step outside of the room at that point.

JNF Plaque at Red Mountain Riding Center
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Inside the tack room were some tropical parrots and looking at them reminded me of my own sweet little parrot, Pedro at home in CT.  There was also a large pen just outside the entrance with chickens, roosters, parakeets, and even a peacock or two.

We boarded our bus and headed to Zukim, the JNF's Sapphire Society's keystone project.  Just off the highway is Zukim, a brand new community of flat roof (one doesn't require a peaked roof in the desert due to the lack of rainfall) New Mexico-style homes going up and new families moving in.   We were given a tour by Laurie, an American who made Aliyah (emigrated to Israel) 30 years ago and who with her husband has moved to this new community.  We attended a brief ceremony at which Sapphire Society members spoke about the gratification if having a new town has come to fruition in a few short years.  As we sat under the shaded playground listening to speeches, children played on the slide and young parents pushed their children in strollers.  Later we took the bus to a brand new basketball & tennis court built by JNF and dedicated to the memory of an American member of the Sapphire Society, who has recently passed away.  Her daughters spoke eloquently about how only a few short months ago they had been with their mother here at Zukim and how proud she was of the new community.  On a lighter note, thanks to the endless bottles of water we needed to consume (it can easily become 114 degrees here) 46 women stood in line a good 20 minutes for 2 bathrooms before we even dared venture to our next stop.  It was moments like this that gave the Mission its title - Israel:  Through Laughter and Tears.  And I would add - Bathroom Pit Stops.

Ellen Reisel, Project Director Red Mountain Riding Center
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Hot, sticky and tired we arrived at Mitzpe Ramon Inn (see my attached hotel review) in time to check-in, grab some lunch and rest before the evening activity.

Early evening we met outside the hotel and boarded various jeeps for our ride to Maktesh (Crater) Ramon and our Bedouin-style dinner.  Here I must remark on the heartiness and good-spirits of the JNF women.  These women climbed aboard these jeeps (which was no mean feat) and hung tight laughing most of the way like a bunch of teenagers, rather than the grandmothers many of them are.

Working at Zukim
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Driving through this crater you can witness the earth's evolutionary process.  The vast sand and rock has been formed by the movement of plates beneath the earth surface and the disappearance of prehistoric oceans leaving craters (Maktesh in Hebrew) deep in the surface of the earth.  Our guide explained the process by comparing it to a loaf of bread where the soft inside dough has been torn out and the crust collapses on itself.  We observed all of this as we stood on top of Maktesh Ramon.

Sunset a Maktesh Ramon
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For the first time in my life I can say I was truly in need of an off-road vehicle.  We were quite safe in the hands of our driver Liav, an Israeli of Moroccan extraction, who could curse like any New York Taxi driver (especially since he was encouraged to do so by us girls).  After giving us a preview of the lecture we were due to hear when reached the summit, he assured us that his made-in-England Jeep was great and could do anything.  I was reassured but still white-knuckled it to the top.

Shavit explaining landscape Maktesh Ramon
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Waiting for us at the summit, as dusk began to descend, was Yankele Shavit, a geologist who explained in detail the structure of the Maktesh.  A sabra (a native Israeli) whose family made aliyah from Poland, Shavit has served his country in many capacities over the course of his life.  Currently, he guides VIP's who are visiting Israel - such as Jerry Seinfeld and UK Hotel Magnate, David Lewis.  Shavit's in-depth personal knowledge of Israel, ability to converse in many languages, and personal connections makes him highly suited to escort visitors; especially those who are seeking to bring business to the Negev.

Night's entertainment in Bedouin camp
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Shavit, whose first name "Yankele" harkens back to the shtetl's of Poland/Russia, is perhaps what most Americans envision when they think of a Sabra.  A rugged fifty-something man, with dark unruly curls turning silver, whose boots, t-shirt, & jeans are covered in the red dirt of the Maktesh, English speech is peppered with Hebrew asides emphasizing the informality of Israeli society.  A reflection of his "Israeliness" was that he took a call on his cell phone while a member of the Mission was introducing him and reading off his credentials.  Make of it what you will, but my first thought was "how rude"; my second thought was perhaps he had a strong sense of modesty and was embarrased to hear his resume read out loud; and lastly maybe he just had a call he needed to take.  Best not to ponder this too much, but rather to say "vive la difference" between the cultures and don't take it personally.

Belly Dancing by Tamar
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Following a magnificent sunset, we scrambled back into our off-road vehicles and made for the Bedouin-style encampment and our night's entertainment.  Arriving in the dark we entered very large colorful tent littered with rugs and pillows.  Here we were given "typical bedouin garb" to don for the evening.  This turned out to be a white night shirt similar to bed clothes worn by 19th century English women in movies like Wuthering Heights.  Draping this over my jeans, t-shirt & hiking boots,  I silently swore that I'd die rather than let anyone see me in this get-up.

After the requisite photo, during which I attempted to hide, we moved into the another tent for dinner.  The table was less than one foot above the ground, with a very low bench & a smattering of pillows surrounding it.  Candelabras were placed along the center of the table.

Dinner consisted of platters of kabobs, chicken and hot pita bread similar to Indian Nan.  Of course wine was flowing freely.  A trio of young Israeli musicians and a beautiful belly dancer (up from Tel Aviv for the night) entertained Club Med style.  Guests were given drums to beat, encouraged to drape colorful scarves with tinkling charms around their waists and stand up and shake their booty.  I was feeling self-conscious and contented myself with taking photos of the festivities.

About the Bedouins:  They still wander the desert to some extent, but the Israeli gov't is encouraging them to move into communities and permanent housing.  This effort has not been entirely successful.  The Bedouins & Jews have co-existed peacefully since the Jews began returning to Palestine in the late 19th century.  Recently there have been some issues with militant Islamist attempting to radicalize the Bedouins against Israel.

Toward the end of the evening I was asked to present Yankele with a JNF certificate noting that a tree was to be planted in his honor.  I believe he was quite surprised and said that it was the first time he had received this type of honor from a JNF group.  To back-track a bit JNF certificates indicating a tree would be planted in their honor were also presented to Ellen Reisel (at Red Mountian Riding Center) and Laurie (at Zukim).

With the conclusion of the night's activities, we sleepily climbed back on our bus for the ride back to our hotel and a good nights rest, before continuing our journey through the great Negev.