To My Holy Community:
Jan. 21, 2016
Back on my kibbutz and its good to be home. After the rush and noise and pollution of the cities, the grass and trees and friendly free-roaming dogs (they almost never bark) of the kibbutz are very welcome. Also its good to see friendly faces who welcome me back!
I wanted to share several adventures with Frank and Adina (Charlotte) Mecklenburg. On our first trip Judy wanted a picture of a “Camel Crossing” sign. Just like we have signs warning about deer and elk, in the Negev the warnings are about camels near the road. Frank thought that there was such a sign on the way to Masada so we got in the car and headed to Masada. After 8 kilometers we realized there is no such sign on the road and I said perhaps we should turn back. However, we were already half way so Frank said let’s just go to Masada…and so we did. So amazing to live just a few miles from such an iconic piece of Jewish History…(photo #1 & 2 Masada from the West…almost all photos of Masada are taken from the East but we came down a little traveled road from Arad and the view is from the West…)
After two weeks of running around the country I was back in Arad for a few days. Frank and Adina wanted to visit Mitzpeh Ramon (not exactly on the way to my kibbutz) and to show me various erosion craters in the Negev. We stopped first in Yerocham which is a small dusty town completely surrounded by barren desert and yet….it has a lake! (Photo #3)
We continued through the Maktesh Hagadol (The Great Crater) which is truly amazing. Rock outcroppings and bizarre shaped rocks, ancient and very dry stream-beds and colored hills like our very own painted desert……(photos #4,5,6)
We continued on to Mitzpeh Ramon overlooking the Ramon Crater and its truly impressive…not the Grand Canyon mind you, but very substantial and hauntingly beautiful (Photo #7 & 8). Judy and I had been to Mitzpeh Ramon about 36 years ago and there was so much nothing there that we left on the same bus that brought us. It is now a bustling town of 5,000 perched on the very rim of the crater. Just like we have deer wandering around our neighborhoods in Bend, there are ibex wandering around Mitzpeh, eating whatever they can get ahold of and adding a wild charm to the place (photo#9 ibex near a fresh-squeezed juice stand…pomegranate or orange or a combo, you get to choose)
Well….back to my studies….I’ve been bumped up a grade and have lots more homework!
Sent with Blessings,
R’ Jay