Our home on the Negev, nestled at the high spot in the Arhava, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The mountains of Edom form a panorama to the East and South. The hill on the left is the site of an IDF security installation overlooking the border.

Our rooms. We were housed in 'Ma'ayan B'Midbar', the tourism lodging at Yahel. The towels are larger, fresher and softer than Brandeis! The beds are as firm. If we have a double, it is two singles nestled side by side - apparently a way to accomodate Orthodox customs of separation during unclean days. We all had kitchens and bathrooms equipped with (hot - almost always!) showers. In this part of the world, the shower floor is level with the rest of the bathroom so the whole floor is wet when you shower. There is a firm squeegee with a long handle that you use to try to direct the water to the drain. The tile floor dries quickly in the desert dryness, so it never smells dank. Breakfast at 7:00. A buffet of fresh salads, cheese, herring, boiled eggs, a hot filo with cheese, juice, coffee, cocoa, cereals.

Tefilla followed. Matt, (our song leader) began quietly with a nigun. Some of us wept as it struck us that we were in Israel, in the desert, singing and praying together. The service was beautiful. Leon and Michael are incredible human beings; joyful, witty, bright, knowledgable, easy to be with, warm, friendly, and humble. What treasures.

Leora Cohen, the 'mayor' (secretary) of Yahel, introduced us to its workings. On November 24, 1999, the kibbutz was 24 years old. In 1977, most of the pioneers were in their teens and early 20's when they first notified the Jewish Agency that they wished to start a reform Kibbutz. They were offered three sites. Two were across the Green Line, which meant that they might have to be abandoned if a peace treaty were signed. They opted for the present site which is close to the border but on the Israeli side.

How does Yahel make a living? Like all starting Kibbutz, they were first told what they could produce, which included the dairy herd, field crops, dates, and pumelos (sometimes spelled Palmellos, Pomellos, Pomelos, etc.).
Pumelos are a large yellow fruit, about twice the size of a grapefruit, with a kipah like protrusion around the stem. One cuts away the kipah and the thick skin, and the fruit sections are ready to eat. They taste much like grapefruit, but are sweeter and more delicate in taste. The Yahel orchard is the largest in Israel. The harvest is sent to Israel Cities, and some exported to England where they are popular with the Indian population. They are too heavy to ship economically to the U.S. But they are ambassadors of peace.

Yahel is situated in the Arhava valley, between the mountains of the Negev and those of Edom (in Jordan.) The valley was created millions of years ago. The mountains were once joined, but split along a fault line, creating the valley. We toured the Kibbutz on an open wagon drawn by a tractor, and a van. Danny, our guide, took us to the dry wadi at the low point of land, whic when flooding is called the Arhava. He pointed out that this is the natural dividing point between nations, in this case Jordan and Israel. The fields are on the Jordan side, because that is where the only arable land is. Luckily, in Peace negotiations, Jordan granted the developed fields to Israel in return for other parcels of land elsewhere along the border. So the border juts into Jordan around the fields.

The fields are large and orderly. Majestic Date Palms in rows. Other vegetation does no grow, because they have donkeys roaming the area, scavengers who nibble all other vegatation to the ground, even the corners of the fields. Other crops are the Pumelos, and scallions. They tried fish farming, but while it was a success in raising the fish, it was financially a loss. The fields are separated by rows of tall pines which form effective windbreaks.

Back in the Yahel compound, there is a Packing House, which processes and packs all fruits (excluding dates) and vegetables for all of the Kibbutzim in the area. The date packing is handled by a different kibbutz. The Dairy facility is state-of-the art. The herd of Jersey cattle is 600, with 250 milked three times per day. Each cow produces 2500 gallons of milk per year. The cows carry computerized cards in holders on a back leg, so when they are milking, the computer can update their records. They also are dry-ice branded with a number at birth. The cows do not pasture. They are kept in large paddocks that have roofs to shade them from the sun, and a sprinkler sy tem to hose them down in hot weather. A hot cow does not produce as much milk. Manure and wet conditions are largely taken care of by the fast drying that occurs in this dry climate. We visited the new calves and the barns, where we saw Miriam's works of art. We also learned what Yahel does about milking cows on Shabbat.

Kibbutz Yahel is owned and run by its members, who now number around 47 adults, 60 children. There are an additional 50 adults and 30 children, renters or employees. The kibbutz is seeking new members. It pays salaries to all in an equitable fashion. Its decisions are guided by Torah and good business sense. Its income comes from Dairy (20%), Outside Workers payments (20%), Tourism (18%), Dates (18%), Vegetables (10%), Packing House (10%), and Pomellos (4%). Its Disadvantage is its location. It is too far from Eilat for tourism, commuting, and a reduction of water rates, and in winter it is the coldest spot on the Arhava.

Politically, the Arhava is one of the quietest parts of the border. Jordan depends on its port of Aquaba as its only seaport, so it has maintained peaceful coexistance in the area.

---------
More Yahel specifics - go to their site?
-------

On every day, unless we were travelling all day, we were treated to wonderful study groups with Michael and Leon. Today's Study Session #5 was on the theme of "Do we need Israel and why?" It was time to use our insights from the readings, Kirsch, Borowitz, and Hoffman. In this session, we all gathered together with Michael and Leon.

On the heme of Israel, Michael raised the thought provoker "If Judaism were just a religion, why bother about Jews elsewhere in the world? If it is ethnic, why are we tied to the land?" In rabbinic tradition, the land of Israel is holy. When the majority of the Jewish people live there, it will herald a world of peace. Everything coming from the land is holy. What makes Zionism a religious activity is the will of the people. The intention is that this is holy soil; people and children grow on it.

Leon cautioned that we must not worship the state. We have to believe that the birth of the state was a divine plan, and its establishment is holy, but we must separate this from messianic beliefs. It is not redemption.