11/11 to 11/12 | Shabbaton in Arad

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a madrichim-led, Hebrew University-sponsored shabbaton to Arad.  Arad is a historic development town that straddles the line between the Judaean and Negev deserts in southern Israel.  The western half of Arad overlooks the Dead Sea with the mountains of Jordan looming overhead.  It truly is in the middle of nowhere; the closest big city, Beersheva, is over 45 kilometers away.  Its population consists mostly of immigrants, as it has attracted many Ethiopian and Russian Jews looking to start their new lives in Israel.  Overall, Arad serves as a great location to unwind and reconnect with nature.  It is a sleepy town, but the surrounding landscape offers a whole lot of potential for adventure.  This weekend, we took advantage of this potential by embarking on one of the most difficult hikes I have ever done.  It was a remarkable experience that definitely offered me a chance to recharge in preparation for the rest of the semester, especially with all the midterms and finals coming up.

The path we took from Jerusalem to Arad.

As the trip began, we passed several pine forests planted by the Jewish National Fund, or Keren Kayemet LeYisrael in Hebrew, as we entered the desert.

As we drove further south, the land became increasingly barren.

The landscape outside of Arad: completely desolate.

Arad from a distance.  It is remarkable that the nascent State of Israel managed to build a town in one of the most inhospitable parts of the country.

The view at the beginning of our hike.  Beyond the small mountains of Israel is the Dead Sea, which is divided between Israel and Jordan.  The silhouette in the distance is a mountain range in Jordan.

The gorge, known as Nahal Abuv, that we descended into as we began our hike.

The trek begins...

...and I'm off!

There was no shortage of incredible views on this hike.

There was no shortage of rocks, either.

Welcome to Mars!

We stopped to pause and reflect at a small clearing for a few minutes.

Nearing the end of the hike.

Mission accomplished.

After we finished the hike, we stopped at this newly planted forest--in the heart of the desert--for lunch.

Bruchim Haba'im L'Arad--Welcome to Arad!

The sculpture in the center of the city.  The Hebrew on the brick wall says Arad; the symbol in the big circle is the town's emblem.

The Arad Guest House where we stayed.

A large map of the State of Israel on the campus of the hostel.

Before dinner, Rachel and I decided to take a walk and see all that Arad had to offer.

Kikar HaBanim, or Square of the Children, featuring Arad's only hotel.

A neighborhood synagogue in Arad.

Rachel and I found a seesaw.

A typical view in Israel right before shabbat.

The next morning, the madrichim took us to a glass art museum on the edge of Arad.

The Glass Art Museum featuring the works of Arad's own Gideon Fridman.

The gallery of the museum.

Glass faces.

Woman, from birth to destruction.

A wall of wailing faces.  A wailing wall?

Gideon Fridman's Holocaust memorial.  The rocks at the bottom were taken from Dachau.

After the museum, Esther, Fara, and I decided to take another walk around Arad.

A stone sculpture at the entrance to Arad created by Gideon Fridman.

A memorial to the five soldiers from Arad who lost their lives in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Out-of-place street art.

A large Star of David on a high school.

After our walk, everyone went to the Moav Viewpoint overlooking the Dead Sea.

On our way to the Moav Viewpoint, we passed this sculpture of a mother with her two children flying a kite.

An odd pyramid-shaped building in an Arad neighborhood.

The dusty environment that surrounds Arad from all sides.

 An interesting sculpture at the Moav Viewpoint.

The sculpture resembled a tank.  The barrel of the tank faced east towards Jordan.

Esther and Sandy in front of one of Arad's incredible views.

More incredible views.  The Dead Sea is barely visible in the background.

This weekend was a lot of fun.  I am really glad that I had an opportunity to go on this shabbaton and see a part of the country I had never seen before.  This week promises to be especially busy, but this trip offered me a chance to unwind and recharge.  For that, I am very grateful!