The Negev's Offerings at Shvil Hasalat
The Negev's Offerings at Shvil Hasalat
by Kimberly
I've cried every day of this trip. I've cried tears of joy; I've cried tears of sorrow. I could write about Bedouin tents and riding camels. I could also write about hiking Masada or floating in the Dead Sea, but I find that something different moved me most: green gardens.
As we traveled South to the Negev Desert, I wrote in my journal about our experience at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial to work through my emotions. My feelings ranged from sadness to confusion to anger as I attempted to write my reflection between bumps in the road and stops on the way. I realized that we find hope in Israel; however, I fear the unknown in the Middle East as we continue to preserve and strengthen this State. I grappled with the ongoing discussions I've had with my Israeli brothers and sisters for an answer to what could bring us hope for Israel's future.
The Negev Desert offered me an answer. As we pulled up to the Shvil Hasalat (Green Agriculture) activity, I started to cry and hugged my Israeli friend, Adi, sitting next to me. I saw green. I saw green trees and plants covered in green houses. I saw sand, but I also saw growth. Nothing grows in the desert, yet the people of Israel have dreamed it real. I loved this place. After we stepped off bus 165, we learned about environmentally friendly and sustainable farming in the Negev Desert while snacking on cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots that we picked with our own hands. It is with our own hands that Israel has been able to sustain growth. A tomato plant could not survive the desert environs without the help of man. Man could not survive without the sustenance that the tomato plant (maybe, many tomato plants and other vegatation) provides us. This symbiotic relationship represents what Israel understands about her survival and success. Jews must work together as a family to ensure that the land of milk and honey will always be our home.
We seek growth when growth seems impossible. When the obstacle seems insurmountable, Israel lives on and stands strong. I've cried unexpectantly because Israel forces me to feel. This place inspires growth because she nourishes her people and maintains that relationship with a love that only we know. These are our roots.
