The ninth day of the seminar was devoted to the Arava and KKL-JNF's contribution to living there.
If someone wants to understand Israel’s pioneering spirit and the country’s ability to meet challenges and to do the unbelievable – then they must visit the Arava. After meeting the people who chose to live in the desert, to make the wilderness bloom and to cause life to spring up from sand dunes, it begins to become possible to understand the miracle that is the state of Israel.
The visit of the Australian educators began at the Vidor Center – A Window to Agriculture in the Arava, which was established by KKL-JNF with the help of donors, including JNF Australia. Thanks to the interactive exhibits, the visitors learned about making one's home in the Arava, life in the desert, personal stories and of course the great importance of agriculture.
During the visit to the agricultural R&D the group saw how strains of fruits and vegetables were being developed for the benefit of the local farmers, while dealing with the challenges of aridity, the land, the brackish water and extreme temperatures. At the R&D laboratories they heard how medicines were being developed from desert plants.
Claudia Prosser was especially impressed by desert agriculture. She stamped her feet on the sandy ground and asked unbelievingly, "How can you possible grow fruits and vegetables on land like this? This is amazing!"
There is also an educational science center at the site that was established by KKL-JNF with the help of contributions from JNF Australia, with the aim of enabling local children to learn about science and ecology in an experiential manner.
"It's astonishing to see how vegetables with so many wonderful tastes grow in the desert, said Sara Iinfante from Bellview Hill School. "This is my first visit to Israel, and now all my family wants to come in my footsteps."
Working in the field
After they learned about local agriculture, it was time to experience a bit of actually doing agricultural work. At the Bein Hashitim farm at Moshav Hatzeva, the teachers worked in the field, prepared their own meal and discovered that there's nothing tastier than vegetables that you just picked with your own two hands.
“It’s very impressive to see how water is taken advantage of in the Arava for desert agriculture," said Niall Gilhiily from Emanuel School in Sydney. “I knew very little about Israel before the seminar, and I really learned a lot here.”
Julia Tritsch, a teacher from Emanuel School in Sydney, participated in the teachers’ seminar last year, and now she came to teach English for a few weeks at an elementary school in the Arava. “When I was here a year ago for the seminar, I told myself that I just have to come back,” she said. “It’s very challenging to enter a classroom with Israeli pupils, especially since I don’t speak Hebrew and they’re only starting to learn English. However, the children are wonderful and it’s really fun teaching them.”
The farm is run by the Bein Hashitim NPO, which was established by the second generation of Arava farmers with the aim of strengthening settlement in the region and running educational-Zionistic programs for young people. “The young people’s agricultural work helps preserve the Israeli spirit,” said NPO CEO Avishay Berman. “Our goal is to include young people from all over the world in our work.”
Israeli Knowhow for the World
Students from developing countries in Africa and the Far East come to the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT). “The first lesson that they get when they see how we manage to work at agriculture in the heart of the desert is that it’s possible to contend with any difficulty and to succeed,” Center Director Hani Arnon said to the teachers. “The students go back to their homes with tools to succeed and with a different idea about Israel.”
The teachers visited the classrooms and met the students. Jennifer from Kenya said that “the studies here changed my outlook and made me ask myself what I can do for my country.” Jacob from Liberia added: “What I’ve learned here in a few months I couldn’t have learned elsewhere even in twenty years. The most important thing that I learned is that resources have to be used wisely.”
The group stopped for a short break at Sapir Park, an oasis that was created by KKL-JNF. The natural spring, the lake with the ducks and the green surroundings were most certainly a refreshing sight.
On their way from the Arava to the Dead Sea they travelled on Peace Road, which is located on the border between Israel and Jordan. They stopped at the Peace Scenic Lookout, where they had a view of the border. Near the scenic lookout is a Friends of KKL-JNF Appreciation Center for people who contributed to a variety of projects in the Arava. The teachers were moved to see the names of their schools among the donors, and made sure to have their pictures taken with the appropriate donation plaque.