Enjoying dinner together

This year the Arava opened its homes and hearts to 26 welcome guests from the traditional Key Workers Mission, led by Keren Hayesod shaliach Meir Buber. The visitors arrived on the last Friday in December, going straight to the homes of their hosts on the moshavim.

During Shabbat the Australian and Arava families got to know each other, and the visitors tasted an authentic slice of Israeli life. On Saturday morning some of the families participated in a local event, the annual hike on the Arava Spice Route, following part of an ancient Nabatean route along which spice-laden camel caravans once made their way. At the end of the hike the families gathered by the lake at the local Sapir Park for a fun-for-all happening.

After spending the Sabbath together guests and hosts gathered to enjoy a festive meal at a restaurant established at the initiative of an Arava family, dining to the strains of '60s songs played by a local ensemble. And the Mission's children were the hit of the evening, delighting everyone with their singing.

 
Mission children cap the evening with their songs

After saying fond farewells to their hosts the next morning, the group visited the Arava Research and Development Station where they learned about the history and settlement of the region, and how the use of sophisticated technology has made the Arava a leading vegetable exporter. The Mission's children participated in the presentation on the Arava, with each given part of the explanation to read out. This was followed by a visit to two of the Station's greenhouses to see some of the beautiful peppers, tomatoes and flowers grown in the region.

 
At the Arava Research and Development Station

Home hospitality for the Key Workers Mission is one of the Arava-Australia Partnership's oldest traditions, bringing hundreds of people together over the years -Mission members often refer to the visit to the Arava as the highpoint of the trip, and Arava residents are eager to be chosen as hosts!