Last week we welcomed the students and interns of the Fall 2023 semester at our campus in Kibbutz Ketura. This semester’s participants came to the Institute from Israel, Palestine, the United States, Kenya, Germany, and Guatemala.
They spent their first week on campus in introductory activities, getting to know each other, the staff and lecturers, and the program, and adjusting to their new surroundings. A highlight of the orientation week was the night-time scorpion safari, during which the group watched fluorescent scorpions under ultraviolet light in the desert just outside Kibbutz Ketura.
The schedule also included a meaningful storytelling workshop for Arava Institute staff, students, and interns. Led by Dialogue Forum co-facilitator and Arava Institute alumna Sarah Perle Benazera, this activity gave the participants the opportunity to share their, and hear others’ personal stories, while reflecting on how this process affected their connection to each other.
After some much-needed rest and informal gatherings during the weekend, the students are now enjoying their first two weeks of lectures before making a final commitment to their choice of courses for the semester, while the interns are settling into their new role as members of research teams, and starting to work on their individual research projects.
We wish everyone a productive and meaningful semester, and are looking forward to the next four months with this new cohort of academic program participants!