Bedouin Tent in the Negev

Last weekend I went on Shabbat Beyachad where we all went to Mamshit, a Bedouin tent in the Negev desert.

We started Friday morning at a hot springs resort in the Negev. Than had a camel ride in the dessert and a real "Bedouin Hafla" and hospitality. We got to listen to the Bedouin way of life in Israel as it is today.

The Negev Bedouins (Arabic: Badawit an-Naqab) are traditionally pastoral semi-nomadic Arab tribes indigenous to the Negev region, who hold close ties to the Bedouins of the Sinai. Due to their lifestyle, the Negev Bedouins have remained largely unaffected by changes in the outside world until recently. Their society was often considered a "world without time".^[6] The Bedouin engaged primarily in nomadic herding, raiding and sometimes fishing. They also made income by transporting goods and people across the desert.^[4]
Today there are around 160,000 Bedouins living in the Negev, though the number is increasing fast; at 5.5%, their birthrate is amongst the highest in the world.^[11]

Before the founding of the State of Israel, Prime Minister to-be David Ben-Gurion saw Mamshit as the capital of the future country, which dovetailed with his dream of settling the Negev Desert. The reconstructed city gives the visitor a sense of how Mamshit once looked. The city covers ten acres and is the smallest but best restored city in the Negev Desert. Entire streets have survived intact, and there are also large groups of Nabatean buildings with open rooms, courtyards, and terraces. The stones are carefully chiseled and the arches that support the ceiling are remarkably well constructed.

Where I'm living

I go to the Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, at the foot of the Bahai Gardens, in the old German (Templar) Colony. The colony's main street Ben Gurion Boulevard boasts houses built of stone with red-shingled roofs. From here you can look up the mountain and see a unique view of the new Bahai terraced Gardens.

There is great transportation to get around. I pass the Bahai Garden daily. I'm always at Mt. Carmel where there is an Internet cafe. There is the Beit Egged bus lines running into and out of Haifa as well as the Bat Galim Railway Station, in walking distance, which is a central stop for all train lines running up the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Haifa is the third largest city in Israel with a population of about 250,000 residents. Haifa is located between the green Carmel Mountains and the blue coastal plain and beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. Boasting a bustling seaport, airport, and rail line, Haifa serves as a national transportation center, a focus for commerce, tourism, and industry, and an international name in high tech. It is likewise a regional center for government offices, courts, hospitals, and cultural institutions, and home to a variety of institutions of higher education and professional training centers. "

Haifa Soccer

We went to a soccer game that was within walking distance. It was awsome! Maccabi Haifa won 2 to 1 and all the goals were scored right in front of our seats. I can't wait to attend another game. People really get into it here. Its not like the baseball games at home since you sit almost on the field. There are no big TV screens to watch on or see instant replays - if you miss it, that's it! Still, I'll never be able to enjoy watching it on TV again. I found it so exciting and got more into it then I ever got at baseball games....

There are 2 major soccer teams right here in Haifa. They are Hapoel Haifa Football Club and Maccabi Haifa Football Club. They both play at Kiryat Eliezer Stadium.

Succoth and Simchat Torah

This is from the Israel Experience Update sent to our families. You can register for these emails since I cannot always get to a computer to send emails (HINT, HINT I don't yet have my own notebook computer as everyone else does and it does hamper my ability to communicate more often..HINT, HINT, Mom....)

Just go to this link http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101370266330 scroll down and enter your email and you will get the general info about what my program and other participants are involved with.


"As mentioned last week, this is a time in Israel when not much gets done due to the intense and long period of Holidays. We are in the midst of Hol Hamoed Succot, coming up to Simchat Torah and as I mentioned last week, for most of our chanichim, this is their opportunity to experience the unique feeling, only in Israel of the chagim. It was a new experience for many to see that on almost every balcony and every small building garden a succa was put up. It can almost be compared to Christmas lights abroad. Some chanichim were invited to their building succa for a meal, some went to their local Succot festivals, selling decorations and "arba'at haminim"- lulav, etrog, myrtle and willow. It is a tradition every year for Year Coursers to go up to Tzfat for Simchat Torah and spend this exciting holiday with a welcoming communiand see a different way of celebrating."