Kibbutz Ketura
Trip Start
Nov 13, 2006
1
69
80
Trip End
Oct 21, 2008
Eilat,
Israel
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Beyond the green grass and trees, a sandy red, menacing looking mountain looms in the background - a reminder that beyond the barbed wire fence that surrounds this oasis is the oppressively hot and barren Negev desert. To the East lies Arava, a famous migratory route for birds flying from Africa to Europe. Eilat is a 30 minute drive south, and I am over 4 hours south from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.
Mike, an American immigrant in his 50's, sporting a pop belly, a yarmulke, and a beard, warned me that if I go east of the date tree plantation across the road that the army patrolling the Israel/Jordan border might shoot ...I decided to follow his advice.
I am volunteering on Kibbutz Ketura; Founded in the 70's it is home to 140 members plus their families, the people trying to come members, around 20 volunteers, and some Thai workers who pick the dates. The list above is a reflection of pecking order so as a volunteer I am second to bottom.
The kibbutz members are mainly American immigrants and looking around the swimming pool I am definitely a world away from the Sephardic bodies I've grown accustomed to seeing on the Tel Aviv beach. They like to talk with each other in Ivrit and it sounds ridiculous - their accent really grates. That said the clear water in the pool is just the right temperature for a quick cool down and the dry heat is surprisingly tolerable for a hasty walk between the air conditioned buildings.
This is one of the few Kibbutzim in Israel which have stuck to the original communal ethos. It is also home to the Arava institute of Environmental studies which have some very interesting projects going on. I'll talk more about all of this (and hopefully post some photos) in my next posting.
