Health & Safety
The Arava Institute views the safety of its students as a paramount value and has robust safety systems in place.
Kibbutz Ketura is a small desert kibbutz community deep in the south of Israel and its isolation is considered an added benefit to our safety measures.
The Arava Institute distributes travel advisories from the US embassy over the semester to our students, specifying areas they should stay away from. Students traveling for personal trips during the program are requested to advise the Campus Life team of their plans beforehand and to maintain contact with the department. In addition, all accepted students and interns are provided with a list of mobile telephones numbers of staff who can be contacted 24–hours-a-day if necessary.
We submit our field study trip itineraries for approval by the Israeli authorities before we proceed and all overnight trips have guards accompanying us.
In addition, the Arava Institutes hires student life staff who are deeply knowledgeable about the Institute, Kibbutz Ketura, and the greater region. Click here to meet our student life staff.
The small size of the Arava Institute and Kibbutz Ketura community creates a warm and friendly environment, and enables the Institute staff to respond to the needs of its student body.
- Every student and intern is provided with local medical insurance. (More information is provided in the Insurance section.)
- The local medical clinic is located in Yotvata, a 10-minute drive from campus. A variety of health professionals and services are provided at the clinic, included general practitioners, physiotherapists, nurses, and a pharmacy, etc. Arava Institute staff provide transportation to the local clinic and will accompany students and interns when necessary.
- Additionally, there are two paramedics that live in the community (with an ambulance) who are available in a true emergency to assist as required.
- Prescription medicines: Please bring the entire quantity you will need during your stay in Israel. DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOUR PRESCRIPTION CAN BE FILLED IN ISRAEL.
Living in a new environment outside the familiarity of home can be an overwhelming and stressful situation, especially in a foreign country.
In the case that student or an intern finds they are struggling with a mental health issue, or simply has a need for additional emotional support, the Campus Life Team and our Campus Counselor can help students navigate these issues discreetly, and help find the support needed.
There are a number of mental health and wellness resources available in the local area.
