Both delegations at Timna Park

This year we were particularly pleased to host the traditional Australian student delegations from the BJE in Sydney and the King David School in Melbourne in the Arava at the same time. Both delegations arrived in the Arava on Thursday, 3.12.09, to begin a five-day activity-filled stay in the region. The six-member delegation from King David was led by art teacher Gail Factor, on her first visit to the Arava, and the Sydney delegation, comprised of 19 participants, was led for the third time by BJE director of projects Amy Goldman.

The Australian students ran activities at the local Shittim school, participated in a joint workshop with Arava students, and in light of flood warnings in the region due to rain (the Society for the Protection of Nature which gives permits for hikes would not allow hikes in any of the wadis in the Arava) spent a day at beautiful Timna Park in Hevel Eilot, our neighboring region to the south.

The staff: Gail Factor (far left) from King David, Amy Goldman from Sydney and guides Oded Melamed and Oz Yeshrun

The home hospitality was as always a very important component of the visit - the youngsters enjoyed each other's company very much and warm friendships were formed between the students. Shayndel Samuel, Jewish Studies teacher at King David, wrote that she had already received great feedback from the students who enjoyed every moment of their stay in the region, and that the visit was as always the highlight of the delegation's stay in Israel.

The Sydney delegation is slated to return to the Arava for the weekend of 25-27.12.09, during the visit of the Key Workers to the region; they are delighted to have a second chance to visit the Arava and are awaiting it eagerly.