Zones of Comfort: Living Under Virtual Safety (Arava/Ein Yahav)
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| Raising parrots in an Arava desert village: Israelis find ways to cope with stress and danger |
The media channels are filled with politics and Gaza war buzz. The internet and streets around the world are filled with protesters. Yet in Israel, there are peaceful quiet spots. When rockets in the south, send everyone running, out of range areas are still quiet. Sometimes even quieter than a normal peace-time days. A little over year ago (Dec. 2014) I visited Ein Yahav. A small moshav (agricultural settlement) comprised of private farms surrounding the small settlement. Most of the settlements in the arava are small. This part of Israel was considered the least appealing. The area is remote, in the 1950s even power and water service had to be installed and connected to a new settlement. Other areas of the Israeli Negev desert faced equally difficult conditions. Yet the Arava was truly the last frontier.
Fast forward sixty years. Today's Arava desert is blooming and producing some of Israel's best agricultural products. Well known for their winter crops, grown in a hot climate where winter feels and essentially fools crops to act as if they are growing in the summer of southern Europe. From specialty cherry tomatoes (currently the dark purple variety) and colorful small peppers to beautiful small melons. The winter growing season gives Arava farmers an advantage in selling to European countries. Most markets outside Israel are willing to pay premium for fresh fruits and vegetables, so Israeli shopers rarely see the best crops from Ein Yahav.
What does this have to do with the current war and feeling safe under a virtual protective dome? The remoteness and isolation from main urban areas give Arava settlements relative peace. Even during war, the area is quiet. It is somewhat strange to think of somewhere in Israel as quiet. Yet this small state, with densely populated cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beer Sheva) and sprawling suburban communities around the big cities, does have quiet remote places. In Israel places away from the densely populated areas are referred to as the "periphery". Just a small peek at life not in the news. Still a great place to live (and visit).
Fast forward sixty years. Today's Arava desert is blooming and producing some of Israel's best agricultural products. Well known for their winter crops, grown in a hot climate where winter feels and essentially fools crops to act as if they are growing in the summer of southern Europe. From specialty cherry tomatoes (currently the dark purple variety) and colorful small peppers to beautiful small melons. The winter growing season gives Arava farmers an advantage in selling to European countries. Most markets outside Israel are willing to pay premium for fresh fruits and vegetables, so Israeli shopers rarely see the best crops from Ein Yahav.
What does this have to do with the current war and feeling safe under a virtual protective dome? The remoteness and isolation from main urban areas give Arava settlements relative peace. Even during war, the area is quiet. It is somewhat strange to think of somewhere in Israel as quiet. Yet this small state, with densely populated cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beer Sheva) and sprawling suburban communities around the big cities, does have quiet remote places. In Israel places away from the densely populated areas are referred to as the "periphery". Just a small peek at life not in the news. Still a great place to live (and visit).
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