Last week we welcomed 44 students and interns to the Spring 2022 semester. The participants come from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, the US, Brazil, Canada, Germany, England, Sudan, and Kenya, and will be studying and living together on our campus for the next four months.
The week of orientation was spent in various activities getting to know each other, the Kibbutz Ketura community, the academic program, and the immediate surroundings. Participants also went on a regional day trip, including a visit to the Eilat Birdwatching Center, watching flamingos in Eilat’s salt pools, a hike at Timna Park, and a tour of the Southern Arava R&D farm.
After the first weekend together with some much-needed rest and informal activities, as well as another hike for those eager to explore the immediate desert environs, classes are beginning today for students, while interns are meeting their supervisors and getting acquainted with their individual research projects. We’re happy to also welcome Rabbi Michael Cohen, Bennington College faculty, and Friends of the Arava Institute Director of Community Relations, at the Institute for a long-term visit as a lecturer teaching The Bible as Key to Environmental Thought.
We wish this new cohort of students and interns a meaningful experience at the Institute, and look forward to sharing the next few months with them.
