First Education Day in the Negev!

This week we had our first education day that OTZMA sets up for us.  We were going to spend the day learning about the Negev. We left Ashkelon at 7am and drove to our first stop in Be'er Sheva.  One of Israels major universities is located in Be'er Sheva it was put there to attract more Israelis to this city in the desert. We went to visit one of the more needy neighborhoods. A group of 30 Israelis after the army decided that they all wanted to live together in a kibbutz style after the army but instead of living on a kibbutz they created what is called a Kehillat.  Of of the 30 members live in the same apartment together and share meals together through out the week.  They chose this area in Be'er Sheva to help the community that was living there.  The participate in different kind of social action in the neighborhood while do their own studies and jobs.  One of the big projects this group invested in was the building of a cafe.  They hire teens from the neighborhood to give them a place to go after school and make some money.  They raised the money to build the cafe and the plan is to allow the staff of kids from the neighborhood to take over the running of the cafe some day.

Kids Waiting for Us at school

Our next stop of the day was to a school in Segev Shalom Bedouin Village.  When we arrived all of the kids were outside and really excited to see us.  They all stood on either side of us as we walked into the building it was like we were putting on a parade for them. We went inside and talked to the principal of the school about what they educate the students on and the culture of the Bedouins.  The Bedouins are a muslim society they live in tents that are much more long term then they used to be.  In the school they teach about the religion and the culture of the people.  The children are taught three languages in school Arabic, Hebrew and English.  These kids live in underdeveloped part of Israel, the land is not taken care of properly and can be quite a difficult place for them to live.  The Bedouins are considered Israeli citizens the males serve in the army.  These communities are living in the desert and are very secluded from major society this doesn't allow for money to come into the community.  It is difficult for the men to find jobs and they must travel to Be'er Sheva for any possibility of making a decent amount of money.  The principal also told us a few stories about the beliefs of the Bedouins and the transitions that they have made to keep up with an always changing technological society around them. 

Whit and I on the playground

We then stopped for a quick picnic in the town of Yerucham.  Two of the participants of OTZMA will be living there starting at the beginning of November.  We stopped at a playground that of course none of us could resist going to.  It was a chance for us to stretch our legs in between stops and we definitely made the most of it.  I would say most of the us were running all over the playground like a bunch of elementary school students!
After lunch we went to David Ben-Gurion's desert home.  There we disucssed his accomplishments in the country of Israel.  On the tour we were also informed that Ben- Gurion had a special intrest in the Negev. He knew that the desert encompassed most of the countries land and that it was extremely important that it was settled.  He spent a great deal of time living in the Negev and shining a positive light on living there.  It was written in his will that the house become a museum. It was really interesting to walk through it was a big time warp with separate bedrooms for him and his wife.

Goats being milked

Sunset in the Negev

Our last stop of the day was at a goat farm.  A family started the farm about 7 years ago.  The family started with 50 goats and now it is a booming farm.  They make their own goat cheese.  They told us a little bit about the farm and got to see them milk the goats.  We got to interact with goats and walk around the farm a bit.  The sun was setting as we walked around the farm and being in the desert it was so beautiful. The best part was that we got to taste the goat cheese!!! It was delicious and it tasted even better knowing that it was made right there.  We got to try three different kinds!
After that we got back on the bus to head back to Ashkelon.  The rest of my week consisted of Hebrew and volunteering.  
We had a super fun weekend in Ashkelon and I am headed off to my next education day tomorrow!