Entrepreneurship – Determination – Power! When minorities decide to make a change
A fascinating and empowering tour, about a minority which decided to make a change. Is reality an unchangeable fact? Can a single woman, a single village, make a real difference? Get acquainted with the Bedouin culture in the Negev and see it from a whole new point of view.
The tour starts at a meeting point in Dvira junction, in Alon gas station. Recommendation: to allow the group to be organized and have breakfast in the gas station.
The tour lasts an entire day. The tour is suitable for groups, workplaces, women empowerment groups, schools and tourists wishing to get better acquainted with the Bedouin culture in the Negev
Ms. Suaed Abo Ajaj in Kseyfe
Visiting Kseyfe and meeting an extraordinary woman – Ms. Suaed Abo Ajaj, a mother of ten who made a great difference in her life, as a woman coordinator in the Kseyfe community center, leading a change in her community, without kicking tradition and culture aside.
Suaed's fascinating life story reveals an opinionated, intelligent woman, with great powers. Her wisdom and her desire to make a change in her life and community go side-by-side with her desire to maintain the values of culture and tradition.
Suaed is also an entrepreneur. She lectures groups about the story of her life, her determination and her success. During the visit, we will also watch a movie revealing her life story (the movie was produced by Ilana Dayan, for the program "Against All Odds"). After the movie, there will be a discussion about the women's place in the Bedouin society, between the modern and traditional aspects, and the ways to preserve tradition and develop, on a personal level.
Darijat – When Minorities Assume Responsibility
About 6 kilometers north of Kseyfe, we arrive to the village of Darijat. This village is different from the other Bedouin villages, as his residents are fallahs (farmers) rather than Bedouins.
The story of Darijat is intriguing. The village people, farmers from the southern areas of the Hebron mountain went south and settled at the edges of the Arad valley. They are renowned for their hospitality and for the special model of responsibility and involvement they created, one that is not at all characteristic of the Negev. Darijat is economically thriving, and due to the activity and struggle of its residents, it is also officially acknowledged by the State of Israel, since 2004.
The founders of Darijat rae the Abo Darham family, who arrived here at the end of the 19th century and paved the first caves. During the tour we shall become acquainted with the preservation of the agricultural tradition and heritage, which integrates living in caves, growing livestock for milk and cheese. Aside from the commercial and economic tradition, there is also modern renovation, expressed by the new school, at the village entrance, symbolizing the character of the residents and their aspiration for good education for their children.
The visitors experience the beauty of preserving the tradition, side-by-side with a responsible, mature attitude of an ethnic minority, aspiring to integrate in the Israeli society. During the tour, we shall visit the ancient stone caves, experience the village life, hear stories from the cave period, until the modern life, today.
Lunch in Salem's tent in Rahat - Bedouin Hafla – Mansaf Maglubeh
The Mansaf is a "large tray" for four diners.
In the menu:
Rice with five types of vegetables, slowly cooked, with layers of rice, pieces of chicken with spices, "Farika soup", Bedouin vegetable salad, eggplants, cabbage, hummus, pickles, special sauce for the Maglubeh, Bedouin pita bread, various cold drinks, coffee and tea, and special home-made sweets for dessert.
Sitting in a tent on mattresses with pillows, carpets and rugs (you can also dine next to modern chairs and tables, upon request).
Fascinating lectures about Bedouin culture and tradition:
- Bedouin wedding ceremony
- Bedouin legal system
The lectures can come by the end of the tour, after a short resting period and a good meal in the tent.
The tour can end by a visit to Rahat or by a bus tour along Al-Hazan Stream
Option 1: A short tour around Rahat – the Largest Bedouin City in the world
Rahat is the first and largest Bedouin city in Israel and in the world, and it integrates an urban settlement with the Bedouin tradition. The city is divided according to tribes, families and neighborhoods. The tour is conducted around town, and includes a visit in the educational system, in commercial centers, in the city center, where you can see the public transport system. It shows the integration of the agriculture and the city, and presents the "Greenhouse" agricultural project, side-by-side with the developing industrial zone in Rahat, where there are flourmills and advanced industry. The tour includes a detailed explanation about life in the city from its beginning and until today.
Option 2: A Bus Tour along Al-Hazan Stream
Along AlHazan stream, which pours into the Gerar river, a scenic route. These days, they begin working and preparing a park along the river, to separate the older parts of Rahat to the expansion "Mithamim". The eastern part of the stream reaches the industrial area of "Idan HaNegev", common to Rahat Lehavim and Bney Shimon Regional Council.
* During the bus ride and throughout the tour you will hear explanations about the various Bedouin settlements, their traditions and customs.