Weekly Report December 12th - 31st, 2010

December has been an incredibly packed month:

• On December 12th through the 15th, the Research Department held a conference on Kibbutz Ketura for 15 Palestinian, Israeli, and Italian water professionals: "The Development and Management of Marginal Water Resources in Water Scarce Regions: The Case of Israel and the Palestinian Authority". The conference was funded by the Italian Trade Commission and the Israeli Office of Regional Cooperation. Due to the increasing scarcity of clean water in the West Bank, Israelis, Palestinians and Italians spent three days discussing a cooperative framework for regional water resources management and ways to utilize grey water (water from kitchens, showers and sinks) for agricultural purposes. The final result of the workshop is a commitment from the Arava Institute, Italian representatives, and West Bank local council to assess and implement marginal water reuse schemes in Palestinians villages. More information is available at: http://english.themarker.com/joint-italian-israeli-palestinian-project-to-solve-sewage-problem-1.331049
• On December 13th, Professor Miri Amit, the new Dean of the Eilat Campus of Ben Gurion University visited the institute. Professor Amit is a mathemation and for more than ten years  served as the National Superintendent of Mathematics at the Israel Ministry of Education, overseeing school curricula, national testing and mathematics education policy for the entire State of Israel.  Professor Amit was appointed to her new position as Dean of the Eilat Campus and is very interested in deepining the relationship between the Arava Institute and BGU.  Professor Amit had the opportunity to meet staff and students on her first visit to the institute.
• A few days after the conference at Ketura, Israeli and Jordanian researchers met in Aqaba under the umbrella of the Dead Sea Arava Science Center, headed by Dr. Hanan Ginat.  On December 16th and 17th, 30 Israeli researchers and 30 Jordanian researchers who are working together on cross border research in hydrology, biology , ecology, renewable energy, sustainble agriculture and medicinal plants met for two days in Aqaba to report on progress and to develop ideas for future research programs.  The logisitics of the confrerence was organized by a group of Arava Institute Alumni who have created a new environmental organization.  Many of the projects are joint Science Center Arava Institute research and a number of Arava Institute staff attended the conference including Dr. Clive Lipchin, Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Dr. Elli Groner, Dr. Michael Beyth, Gigi Strom, Abby Lutman and myself.  The conference was a major success hosting an unprecidented number of Israeli and Jordanian researchers who are working together. The proof of the success of the meeting was not during the presentations of research but during the meals when instead of Jordanians sitting at one table and the Israelis at another, the biologists sat together with the biologists, the ecologists sat together the ecologists and the hydrologists sat with the hydrologists; science knows no borders. The conference and the research is funded by  the Israeli Ministry of Regional Cooperation.
• The following week, on December 23rd, the Arava Institute held its final Board of Director's meeting for 2010.  The Board recieved an update, reviewed goals for 2011 and discussed the budget for 2011.  The 2010 budget year was difficult due to a lower than expected fundraising campaign.  Board members asked for clarification of the budget and want to see a plan to stabilize the finances in 2011.  The Directors of the institute will submit such a plan by January 15th, 2011.
• After the Board meeting the Association held its Annual General Meeting.  The meeting approved the Board of Directors for 2011 and appointed Professor Yaakov Karni to replace Dr. Michael Beyth as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Arava Institute.  Professor Karni is head of the Solar Tower and solar energy research at the Weizmann Institute in Rechovot. Dr. Beyth will continue to serve on the Board.  The institute wants to thank Dr. Beyth for his tremendous contribution to the Arava Institue by serving as Chairman for three years and wishes Professor Karni luck and success in the new position. 
• On Wednesday, December 22^nd and Thursday, December 23^rd, students participate in the PELS Jerusalem trip.  The students first had a tour with Eitan Katz from the Ir Amim (City of Nations) Organization.  He took them around Gilo, Harmon HaNatziv, Jabel Mukaber and Mount Scopus, where he spoke about the geographical and political landscape.  The students then spent the rest of the day at the Jerusalem Institute of Israel Studies (JIIS) where they heard from Israel Kimcki who is the director of the Jerusalem Studies Desk and former Director of the Policy Planning Department for the Jerusalem Municipality.  He spoke about the issues Jerusalem faces and possible solutions to those issues.  Following that the students heard from Walid Salem, director of the Center for Democracy & Community Development.  He spoke about the Arab Peace Initiative.  Also speaking to the students was Dr. Alon Liel, Former Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  He spoke about the Syria-Israel Track and where it stands today.  Both gentlemen then had an open discussion with the students where they asked many tough, but thoughtful questions.  The following day the students awoke early in the morning to have a compassionate listening training preparation for the day ahead.  This was led by Maha El Taji-Daghash and Annael Harpaz.   The students then went to the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem where they went on at Jerusalem Reality Tour led by Rotem Mor.  The tour took them through the City of David where they learned about the importance of it to the Jewish people.  They then went to the Alternative Welcome Center, run by the residents of Silwan, where they heard from a resident of Silwan about the struggle the people are facing when it comes to dealing with the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jewish residents of Silwan.  Following that the students went to Sheikh Jarah where they met with three Palestinian Legislators from Gaza where they asked amazing questions ranging from peace with Israel to Gilad Schalit to Palestinian politics.  The students then had a very somber meeting with Noam Schalit (the father of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit) and heard about the latest regarding Gilad’s status. Following that the students briefly recapped the two day trip and went on their way.
• The first Friends of the Arava Institute Eco-Tour  arrived on Kibbutz Ketura on December 26th.  There are 18 participants on this pilot Eco-Tour including 4 members of the Friends of the Arava Institute, Seth Morrison (FAI Chair), Barry Fierst, Karen Fierst and Hillel Solomon.  The tour was organized by Tali Adini, Director of the Eco-Paths Department of the Arava Institute and led by Dr. Clive Lipchin and Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed.  The tour spent a day and a half on Ketura learing about the institute, meeting Arava Institute students and hearing lectures about cross boundary water issues.  The next three days were spent travelling in and around Jordan, Israel and Palestine.     

• The official opening of the new Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Family Research and Visitors Park in Memory of Dr. Eugene Fischel & Dina (Diane) Markowicz was held on December 27th with the participation of the FAI Eco-Tour, Kibbutz Ketura members, AIES staff and students.  Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, Daniel, Sylvia and their families could not attend the ceremony.  A special dedication ceremony will be held sometime in the future when the family can participate.  The Research and Visitors Park is located just in front of the Institute's offices and will serve as an area for field testing renewable energy technology, sustainable water technology, sustainable agricultural techniques and for studying ecosystems.  The park will also serve as an educational demonstration site where students and visitors can learn about the research being done at the Arava Institue.  Finally the park will serve as an outdoor classroom for students from around the world.  Rutie Kaplan-Roth and Sarit Maagan-Rosenfeld did a superb job organizing the ceremony.

• Thursday night, December 30th, Sababa (The Center for a Healthy Environment in the Arava) held its final steering committee meeting for 2010.  With 16 participants, the committee was updated on the current campaigns, Timna Hotel, Samar Sand Dunes and Agricultureal Waste.  The committee received the news that the District Planning committee in Beer Sheva rejected the Israel Lands Authority's objection to the planned declaration of a nature reserve in the mid-section of the Samar Sand Dunes, paving the way for approval of the natur reserve.  Taal Goldman, Sababa Coordinator and other Sababa and Green Course activists participated in the hearing in Beer Sheva.  The committee also recieved a report from Revital Katz about the Environmental Impact statement which was commissoned by the Beer Sheva District Planning Committee on the Timna hotel.  The report clearly recommends not to build the hotel in the Sasgon Valley and recommends that it be built near the entrance to the Timna Park.  All in all, a good month for the environment!  
• Late breaking news:  The Arava Institute has been recognized as a winner of this year's MEPEACE "Education" Award.  : http://www.mepeace.org/events/mepeace-awards-event-dec-31

Happy New Year!!
David Lehrer   

Weekly Report November 21st to December 10th, 2010

Things continue to be a bit hectic at the institute so I have not kept up with the blog.  I cannot record all that has happened in the past three weeks but I will try to give a few highlights:

• On November 25th, students left at the crack of dawn for what was to be an intense and emotionally stimulating Peacebuilding and Environmental Leadership Seminar (PELS) day-trip to Jerusalem, where they visited the abandoned Palestinian village of Lifta and the Jewish Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem. The trip was sponsored by "The Parents Circle" http://www.theparentscircle.com/, an organization, that Michelle Shachar, PELS Coordinator has worked with in the past.  The trip was funded by a grant from USAID that the Parent's Circle received this year.
• November 29th to December 2nd, the Arava Institute Center for Transboundary Water Management (CTWM) and the Dead Sea Arava Science Center (DSASC), together with Oxford University sponsored a 4 day workshop for researchers from Israel, Jordan, Palestine, the US and England. The conference was organized by Dr. Clive Lipchin (CTWM), Danny Shachaf (DSASC) and Professor Deborah Sandler (Oxford University).  The subject of the meeting was the establishment of  the Dead Sea Jordan River Basin Forum.  Unfortunately, the Palestinian delegation, under pressure from the PA security department, cancelled their participation in the conference at the last minute. Despite the loss of the Palestinian delegation to the conference, more than 20 people participated including some 5 Arava Institute alumni (2 Palestinians, 1 Jordanian, 1 Israeli and 1 English).  4 of the alumni are doing graduate studies in England.  The conference was held in Wadham College of Oxford University and hosted by Professor Deborah Sandler of Wadham College.  Workshop participants such Professors Eilon Hadar and Alon Tal from Ben-Gurion University gave the Israeli perspective on water and natural resource management in the Dead Sea Jordan Rive Basin and Dr. Samar Talozi from the Jordan University of Science and Technology represented the Jordanian perspective.  We also heard from international conflict resolution expert Dr. Brian Polkinghorn from Salsbury University in Maryland. Professor Ian Goldin of the James Martin 21st Century School of Oxford University addressed the conference on the role of academics in meeting current global challenges.  Representatives of the DSASC, Dr. Hanan Ginat, Eilon Gadiel and Elli Raz presented the local perspectives on environmental degradation at the Dead Sea. We also heard from Professor Emeritus of MIT , Frank Fisher, Col. Sharon Davidowitch of the JNF Parson Fund and Robin Twite of IPCRI.  The last day and a half of the conference was spent discussing practical steps for moving forward with the forum. Paul Whitehead, Director of Professor of Water Science in the Oxford Centre for Water Research offered help in writing a major grant proposal to establish the Dead Sea Jordan River Basin Forum.  So despite the setback with the Palestinians, much progress was made and the next step is clearly reaching out to the Palestinians to make sure that they are willing to participate in the establishment of the forum.  The fact that the conference was held at Oxford University added greatly to the prestige of the workshop and also to the atmosphere.

AIES Staff and Alumni

• The week starting December 5th, was one of ‘experiential learning’, as opposed to regular academic classes, thus both a welcome break and change of routine for the students. Substituting class time, the Institute arranged a number of hands on practical workshops for students. These included practical learning in the form of mud-building, more spiritual learning in the form of a movement and dance class and a workshop on transforming an idea into an actual project. To cap things off, the students then spent Tuesday afternoon hiking in the nearby Saskon Valley followed by a chilly night out sleeping under the stars. For many it was an enlightening experience as they discovered that “yes, it does get very cold in the desert!”

Rhodes Scholar, Katy Hansen playing Staff Soccer Goalie

• On Wednesday night, December 8th, staff and students celebrated the last night of Hanukah with a communal candle lighting ceremony, followed by the traditional student staff football (soccer) match.  This year after a grueling game that went into overtime, staff and students tied 1 to 1.  The candle lighting ceremony was also an opportunity to publicly congratulate research intern Katy Hansen who just won a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University.  We are incredibly proud of her and now know which pubs to recommend in Oxford.
• http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_b90606c6-f60f-11df-b151-001cc4c002e0.html

David Lehrer

Weekly Report, November 7th - 19th, 2010

• Tareq Abu Hamed flew to Northern Cyprus (Turkish Cyprus) on November 7th to spend three days hosted by the Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems (SEES) Graduate Program at the Middle East Technical University, North Cyprus Campus (METU NCC).  The main purpose of the visit was to discuss the possibility of a joint Master's Degree in Renewable Energy with METU NCC. Tareq met with numerous faculty members fo METU NCC including Professor Turgut Tumer, the Campus President.  A number of areas of cooperation were explored including METU students participating in AIES programs, joint programs and joint research.
• On Tuesday, November 9th,I brought three students from the institute (Sara from NJ, Brian from Seattle, and Elham from Amman) to visit Edward Sperling, the injured rider, at Tel Hashomer.  It was my first opportunity to visit Eddie since the night of the accident.  We arrived about an hour before visiting hours so we were able to have lunch in an Aroma Coffee Shop inside the hospital with Micha Sperling, Eddie's son.  Micha told us that Eddie was awake and able to communicate.  The students were grateful for a chance to get to know Micha and also to tell Micha about themselves.  At around 12:00 we went to visit Eddie in the ICU unit.  Visiting hours are from 12:00 to 14:00 (2:00 pm) and only two people at a time can go in at once.  Of course being typical Israelis we initially ignored that rule but were then promptly kicked out.  In any case, we took turns visiting with Eddie. The students had prepared a beautiful folder with pictures of all of the students and each student wrote something personal next to their picture.  Sara, Brian and Elham took turns reading what they and other students wrote.  Eddie's face looks pretty good considering the beating it took.  His eyes are bright and he had an amazing look of satisfaction as the students chatted with him.  In addition to reading the card, the students told Eddie about themselves.   Eddie mouthed some words which the students were able to understand with some difficulty.  I hope that the visit gave Eddie and his family some cheer. It was incredibly important for the students themselves, who recognize the fact that Eddie had been on the ride in order to support the institute.



Brian, Micha (Eddie's son), Elham and Sara

• On Wednesday, November 17th, I spoke to Micha who told me that Edward and his family were flying home. For more updates on Edward and his family, please go to  http://edsperling.wordpress.com/ 
• Tuesday, November 9th, was the first day of the 4 day Negev Field Trip for the students.  Day one of the trip saw the students arrive at Sde Boker to sit in on the second day of the Bi-annual International Desertification Conference. For the Masters students it was also a chance to get a real feel for the place they will call home following the completion of their first year of studies here at AIES. Day two of the trip was that much more crammed, with a number of activities lined up beginning with a hike through Ein Avdat and ending with a homely culinary experience in Yeroham.  Highlighting the issues of waste disposal, environmental justice and social inequity , day three involved a visit to Ramat Hovav municipal waste disposal facility and a visit to the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi El Na’am. Appropriately, the night was spent in Bedouin tent accommodation at Khan HaShayarot.  The ride home included a stop in a Tel Sheva, where Mariam, the improbable founder of her very own range of organic herbal health products enlightened the group as to her fight against adversity as a Bedouin women in order to start her own business.
• This Arava Alumni Leadership Jam in collaboration with YES ( www.yesworld.org) brought together a group of 24 diverse AIES alumni from Jordan, Israel, USA, and Palestine for 5 intensive days in the Wadi Ram Desert - Jordan. Participants were diverse in both the year that they studied or interned at the AIES (as far back as 1999!) age, nationality and field of expertise! Being in the quiet of the desert and facilitated by a team of YES and AIES alumni the group was guided through a trans-formative process focusing on the interplay between introspection, lifestyle sustainability and the ability to bring about systemic change in the world. Some of the outcomes were; a deepening and building of authentic relationships between alumni, invigoration of the AAPEN and alumni projects, rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit and time to reflect on the post Arava Experience and its influence on the personal, social and professional realms.

Alumni in Wadi Rum

• On Sunday, November 14th, along with the entire world, the students of the Arava Institute watched "With Earth and With Each Other" the first annual virtual web rally for Peace and the Environment sponsored by the Friends of the Arava Institute (FAI).  The broadcast was a bit choppy at first but by the end the broadcast was smooth and the students, staff and kibbutz members who attended the program were inspired and proud.  Of course much thanks goes the FAI staff members, David Weisberg and Jessica Reed for the incredible effort put into the broadcast.  I also want to thank Yonatan Chesler who oversaw the project at the Arava Institute and Josh Neirman for his technical support.  And of course a special thanks to Mandy Patinkin, Pete Seeger and all of the other artists who made this a unique and special event.
• Monday, November 15th, Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara, from the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Ministry of Negev and Galil Development visited the institute. I first met the Deputy Minister at this year's Renewable Energy Conference in Eilat in February. I invited Minister Kara to visit the institute.  The Deputy Minister was accompanied by the Eilot Regional Council Head, Udi Gat.  Three students from the institute met with the Deputy Minister and talked about themselves and their experience at the institute. The Deputy Minister asked a few questions to the students and then staff members raised issues concerning funding from his two ministries as well as issues concerning permits for Palestinians.  The Ministry for Negev and Galil Development has promised funding for the new dorms and the Ministry for Regional Cooperation has promised funding for cross border conferences.  The Deputy Minister expressed a strong interest in helping the institute to promote cross border cooperation.  After the meetings, the Deputy Minister was taken on a tour of the institute's renewable energy research facilities.  
• On Wednesday, November 17th, the students met with the son of a kibbutz member who had been the one to spray paint the anti-Arab slogan on the door of one of the units on the campus of the institute.  Similar to the meeting with Louie, the volunteer who also participated in the incident, the meeting was very moving and refreshing.  Marvin apologized for his actions and talked a bit about his background coming from France where he had experienced anti-Semitism and he also spoke about his experiences in the army.  Marvin said how ashamed he was of his actions and that since the incident he has been torturing himself over it and when he comes home from the army does not leave his house.  The students told Marvin that Ketura is his home and that he should not fear leaving his house.  Many of the students spoke about the impact of the incident on them but most of all they expressed forgiveness and a sincere desire to put the incident behind them.   Raja, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem read the following statement to Marvin:
• "My name is Raja' I am an Arab girl form Jerusalem.  This letter is for you since you live in this kibbutz.  I was not shocked, not even a little bit when I heard about what you did, but I was hurt that this norm in Israel happened here in the Arava Institute, where all these nice Israelis welcomed me as student. Obviously you have no idea why I’m here, but let me tell you that you attacked an Arab group who are here to look at this conflict between us from another perspective, a peaceful one. I hope that you can take this experience back to the Army with you, to turn it into a positive one and not to brag to others that you attacked a peaceful Arab group in your kibbutz."
• Cathie Granit, the Institute's Program Director reminded Marvin, that as a soldier, he is looked up to by the younger kids of the kibbutz and that he needs to be an example.  In an emotional statement, Cathie asked Marvin "To please do the right thing."

David Lehrer

Weekly Report October 17th - November 5th, 2010

It has been an intense and stressful two weeks since my last posting. Unfortunately, a few sad events have occurred and overshadowed a great deal of the positive work being done at the institute. Most of this week's posting will be devoted to these sad events but I will also try to provide an update on other more positive stories.


• About two weeks ago, the Institute held a cultural night where recently arrived students had the opportunity to share their diverse cultural backgrounds with other students and residents of the kibbutz through food, music, songs and dance. The evening was very successful however, Sometime after the party was over during the night, two drunken residents of the kibbutz visited the campus and wrote a racist hate message against Arabs on the door of one of the student's units. When the students discovered the graffiti message on the door, that were horrified and immediately informed the staff of the Institute who informed the kibbutz officers. The Regional Security Coordinator was called in and she investigated the crime. The next morning, the kibbutz officers met with the students and assured them that they were safe, that this act was an isolated one that in no way reflects the attitude of the members or residents of the kibbutz towards the students and that those responsible would be found and dealt with appropriately. Within a few days, the Regional Security Coordinator had discovered who perpetrated this hate crime on our students. Sadly, it was a volunteer and the son of a kibbutz member. Both admitted their guilt. In the past week, the staff of the institute has been dealing with this despicable act and the impact it has had on the students. Though this has been a traumatic experience for the students it has also been instructional as it has given them an opportunity to test their commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and to try out the tools they are learning in the Peace Building and Environmental Leadership Seminar (PELS). On Thursday morning, the students met with the volunteer who participated in the incident. It was a very moving session in which the volunteer took full responsibility for the part he played in the crime and expressed his sincere regret without making up any excuses. The students conveyed to the volunteer the impact the incident had on them, how it made them feel but also appreciation to the volunteer for his willingness to speak to them and to apologize to their face. The session went a long way to heal the wounds created by the crime and created a live example of how dialogue can resolve conflicts. The students will be meeting with the son of the kibbutz member next week.

• This year's Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride began on Wednesday, October 17th with 117 Riders. Though the ride was successful on many levels, a number of serious accidents which plagued the Ride overshadowed those successes. Two riders collided on the first day which resulted in both being sent to the hospital and left with their arms in casts. The most tragic accident however occured on the last day of the ride when Edward Sperling fell from his bike just as we were about to enter Eilat. Edward is not in an life threatening situation however his injuries are very serious. We do not know yet the full consequences of his condition and may not know for many months. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Eddie and his family. If you would like an update on Eddie's condition, the family has set up a blog to keep family and friends informed. http://edsperling.wordpress.com/

These two sad events made the past two weeks very difficult for the staff of the institute and of Hazon, students, riders, kibbutz members and family of those involved in the accidents. On a personal level this has been one of the most difficult times of my life but what has given me strength is the warm human spirit I see in Eddie's family, the unwavering belief of the students in dialogue as a means to resolve conflicts and the love and support staff and colleagues. I want to thank all of you for giving me the strength to deal with these tragic circumstances while continuing the valuable work of the Arava Institute.

Other events:

• This week saw the close of the MASHAV course on ‘Gender, Water and Development’, which took place between the 25th of October and 7th of November. 26 participants from 11 countries were hosted by Kibbutz Ketura and as a token of their appreciation held a Culture Night for everyone on the kibbutz last Wednesday, which included many fun and educational displays, ranging from a cooking course in Myanmar cuisine to an Africa wedding.

• In response to pressure from Sababa and other Israeli environmental organizations to save the Samar Sand Dunes, an official hearing in the Supreme Court has been set for January 12th, 2011. In the mean time events to raise awareness continue, with guided tours being offered daily during the Chanukah vacation and an open photography event taking place on the 4th of January run by a group of photographers from New York.

• Gigi Strom recently returned from her trip to Germany and the UK where she had many worthwhile experiences, in particular at the GLOWA (Global Change and the Hydrological Cycle) workshop which looked at projections of climate change and projections of socio-economic and political realities in the Jordan River Basin from now until 2050. She also came across certain opportunities for collaboration with the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland (a research institute which focuses on issues of land use, environment, and agriculture) which, with the exception of local differences of annual rainfall and regional conflict, is largely working on the same issues as AIES.

David Lehrer

Weekly Report September 24th to October 16th

It has been quite a while since I have been able to update the blog as I have been travelling around the US for the past few weeks.  Michael Edmeston, the Administrative Intern gave me the following report on the first week of the new semester:

• Each semester the arrival of the first ‘batch’ of students at the kibbutz always signals something special for all of us at Arava Institute: a sense that a new horizon awaits to be explored, mixed with a profound appreciation that all the previous years of hard work are what make that horizon possible. This year, it was the arrival of five MASA students (North American Students who are recipients of the Jewish Agency scholarship program MASA) on Tuesday the 28th of September  that signalled the new beginning. A week later, on the 6th of October, the arrival of the other 24 students making up the student body for the fall semester ensured that (despite the stress and panic of the faculty) a breath of hope and excitement filled the Institute.
   
  With the semester officially starting on the 10th of October there was just enough time to provide the students, many of whom it is there first visit to Israel or a kibbutz, a chance to get to know one another and what life might be like for the next four months. Over the last few days numerous orientation activities took place- from the mundane such as registration to the more entertaining such as a tour of neighbouring kibbutz Lotan, kite flying at the nearby Samar sand dunes and an evening social gathering of students, interns and staff at the pool followed by that which makes up the fabric of any great academic institute- a night at the pub. Finally, to top things off and as timing would have it, the day before the first seminars everyone was treated to the unique cultural celebrations synonymous with a bar-mitzvah. Making the event that much more meaningful was the fact that not only was it a bar-mitzvah for twins, but also that the boys were the sons of Sharon Benheim who herself deserves celebration for taking on the powers that be in order for students from all walks of life to be part of the experience.
   
  Indeed, like any other academic institution, the students are the ones that make up the life energy of the Arava Institute. However, the fact that the students congregated here in the beautiful Arava desert in the south of Israel are a mixture of American, Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian Jews, Arabs and Christians gives a whole new meaning to the idea of student life. For these students the chance to learn, live and celebrate under the same roof for a whole semester while their respective communities remain at political odds offers them more than simply a means of getting ahead in life. It offers them (and the world) a means of learning to get along in life. So, as the fall 2010 semester get underway, we wish all the participating students well as they pursue their respective ambitions, all of which no doubt share the common thread of helping build a more peaceful and environmentally conscious society.

A few highlights from my trip:

• Peace Building and Environmental Stewardship Award Ceremony for Pastor Gerald Durley
  
  On October 6th, the Atlanta Friends of the Arava Institute, led by Board of Trustees member Glenda Minkin held an event to bestow the Arava Peace Building and Environmental Stewardship Award on Pastor Gerald Durley of the Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta Georgia. Pastor Durley is a well known figure in the Afro-American community in Atlanta. Durley has been a long time civil rights and human rights activist and has recently become very involved in the environmental movement http://pmbcatlanta.org/bios.html. In addition to civil rights and the environment, Pastor Durley has been very active in interfaith community activities in Atlanta. For the past 10 years, the Atlanta religious community has sponsored an interfaith trip called the World Pilgrimage Mission to the Near East and Mediterranean visiting, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and other countries in the regions concentrating on religious sites that having great meaning to Christians, Moslems and Jews. Many of the leaders of the three religious communities in Atlanta have participated in these pilgrimages. In 2007, the World Pilgrimage Mission visited the Arava Institute and made a lasting impression on the participants in the trip including Pastor Gerald Durley.
  
  A few months ago, David Weisberg approached Pastor Durley about accepting our award and though reluctant at first (he said he had enough awards) he finally agreed after he and David found a common love for Broadway musicals and because Pastor Durley understood how much a large community event could help support the Arava Institute. Over 100 people from the various religious and ethnic communities came to the event which was held in a downtown Atlanta hotel only a few blocks from the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose presence was felt throughout the evening.
  
  The event was emceed by a local Atlanta television news anchor, Brenda Wood. The evening started with our own alumni Mousa Diabat and Eitan Amiel speaking about their experiences in peace building at the Arava Institute. Then David Weisberg played the guitar and led the Providence Missionary Baptist Church Choir in a rendition of "The World is Coming to a Start" from the Broadway musical "Purlie" (yes it will be very hard to replace David Weisberg). Other speakers included long time civil rights activist, Reverend C.T. Vivian and the Fulton Council Commissioner, John Eaves. The award itself was given to Pastor Durley by three of his friends who are also members of the clergy, the Reverend Dr. George Wirth, Rabbi Ron Segal and Immam Plemon El-Amin. The evening took on a comical air as the four old friends traded barbs and turned the evening from an awards event into a "roast". As Pastor Durley was speaking last, he warned Plemon, "don't bring a knife to a gun fight". I was laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes and in his concluding remarks Pastor Durley reminded us all of how important it is to keep a sense of humor about us as we fight to make the world a better place. The three clergy also announced that in addition to granting the award, they have established the Durley Legacy Fellowship which will annually enable two Arava Institute alumni to come to Atlanta and spend time with Pastor Durley and other community leaders to learn about community organizing and activism in the birthplace of the civil rights movement.
  
  
  This event was an overwhelming success and by far one of the most professional and high profile events ever held by FAI. It raised the bar for FAI and has helped to strengthen the institute's connection with the diverse Atlanta interfaith community. Enormous congratulations and thanks go to Glenda Minkin, David Weisberg, Audrey Galex (who first made the connection to the World Pilgrimage Mission) and the other organizers of the event.

• Meeting with Pete Seeger
  
  
  
  On October 8th, my daughter Ariana and her boyfriend, Ori and I drove up from Manhattan to Beacon, New York to meet famous folk singer and activist, Pete Seeger. It was an incredible honor for us to have been invited to this American icon's home along the Hudson River. Pete Seeger has been one of my heroes since childhood and after spending over two and a half hours at Mr. Seeger's home with him and his daughter Tinya, I am even more in awe of him and his conviction to make this a better world. At 91, Mr. Seeger may not be as physically active as he once was but his mind is as sharp as ever, especially when it comes to what the human race needs to do to survive. Pete Seeger says that if the human race exists 100 years from now, it will be because people who deeply disagree with each other have learned how to communicate often through music, the arts and even sports. I told Mr. Seeger and his daughter about the work of the Arava Institute bringing Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and students from around the world together at the Arava Institute to teach them that nature knows no borders. I also discussed the concerns raised about the Jewish National Fund's sponsorship of "With the Earth and With Each Other", the internet event in which Mr. Seeger has agreed to participate. I explained to Pete and his daughter Tinya that the Jewish National Fund (JNF) has been an important partner to the Arava Institute over the years enabling the institute to do the cross border environmental work and to bring Palestinian and Jordanian students to the institute. The JNF is only one of many sponsors of the event which is focused on raising awareness about peace building efforts in the Middle East such as the work of the Arava Institute.
  
  Though I originally thought we would spend about an hour with Mr. Seeger, Pete was incredibly generous with his time and seemed to enjoy, telling my daughter, Ariana, her boyfriend Ori and I about his long history as a folk singer, peace activist, civil rights activist and in recent years environmentalist. Pete's Clearwater Foundation has led the battle to clean up the Hudson River. We were enthralled to hear Mr. Seeger tell us about his early days starting out singing, his friendship with Woodie Guthrie, how he met his wife, his early days as a member of the Communist Party, the need to "switch sides" when Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, the revival of folk music in the late 50's and early 60's and his current activities in support of the environmental movement. I hope that at the age of 91, I still have the same fire in my eyes, moral conviction and courage that I witnessed on my visit to Beacon, NY. The Arava Institue and the Friends of the Arava Institute are privileged to be able to name such a legendary artist and social activist as one of our friends.
  
  David

Weekly Report September 12th to the 24th, 2010

• On September 13th, the new Academic Team including Cathie Granit the new Program Director, Barbara Finkel the new Campus Life Director, Dane Cooper, the new Academic Coordinator, Brenda Hausler, the new Admissions Coordinator as well as the Dr. Elli Groner, the Academic Director and Michelle Shachar, Director of PELS, kicked off the opening of the Academic year with a faculty meeting. The meeting reviewed the achievements of last year as well as the expectations for the coming year, the new developments in the relationship with BGU, admissions (about 35 students expected in the fall semester) and the start of construction of new dorms.
• The next day, 35 members of staff and a few family members, went on a two day staff seminar. The following report was provided by Michael Edmeston, the new Administrative Intern who replaced Tamar Norkin:
• Staff Trip September 14th - 15th, 2010
• Early Tuesday morning the Arava staff gathered at the kibbutz bus station and began a two day tour of interesting ecological projects taking places across the country. The theme of the tour was ‘sustainable food production’. Included in the itinerary were four selected projects: Bio Bees Biological systems located at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in; Emek Netofa a model for cooperative farming in the Bet Netofa Valley; EcoOcean Marine Research and Education operating in the Red Sea and; Hava and Adam an ecological farm near the city of Modi’in in central Israel.
• Bio-Bees Biological Systems: On arrival at Bio-Bees the group was introduced to the concept rearing beneficial insects and mites as a means for pest control in the agricultural industry. Here we were presented with what can be best described as a nature documentary that utilized the best in 1980’s horror film sound-effects to enlighten the public as to how this concepts works. As a progressive and ecologically thinking company, their objective is to provide the agricultural industry with an chemical-free alternative to protect crops against the invasion of destructive pests. After a brief tour of the kibbutz’s other environmental projects (such as the installation of owl houses in agricultural fields) we made our way to a seemingly enchanted picnic area located on the kibbutz where we enjoyed delicious home prepared bread, pastries and cakes combined with other typical Mediterranean cuisine such as hummus, pickled and fresh vegetables and dolmades.

Hugging Trees at Kibbutz Sde Eliayhu

• Al Batuf Valley (Emek Bet Netufa):  After reluctantly packing up our lunch, we left Bio-Bees and headed further north towards Galilee and specifically the Bet Netofa Valley. On reaching the ascent overlooking the Valley area we were greeted by Laithi Gnaime, an Arava Institute alumnus, who explained to us his work and vision in developing the valley into model for sustainable and organic farming. The overarching aim of his project is to increase the Valley’s sustainability, independence, and economic viability. The main vehicles for this are the encouragement of traditional and organic agricultural methods, the establishment of an agricultural cooperative to educate, organize, and market the products of this agriculture, and the cultivation of the Valley as a destination for eco-tourist travel.
• Abu Gil Organic Vegan Restaurant: Having been in the bus for much of the day it was a relief to finally reach our hotel in Tel Aviv where we would be spending the night. We briefly checked-in and then headed to our dinner spot- Abu Gil organic and vegan restaurant. On offer was tasty, healthy plates of various assortments ranging from bean soup to quinoa salad to lentil balls.
• EcoOcean Marine Research and Education:  Waking early, we once again got on the bus departing for EcoOcean’s research vessel docked at the harbor just north of Tel Aviv. Here we were welcomed by Andreas Weil, the founder of EcoOcean and also a proud alumnus of the Institute. Once on board we were briefed of all the necessary safety requirements before ‘setting sail’. Leaving the harbor, we were educated on the regions marine ecology and provided a short demonstration on how to take measurements of water salinity and sea life. This was followed by a particularly interesting lecture on the marine environment of Israel and the many problems facing those such as Andreas, his team at EcoOcean and other environmental groups when it comes to conserving and protecting the marine and coastal environment.



EcoOcean's Mediterranean Sea  research vessel docked in Herzilya Port

• Hava and Adam:Arriving hungry, our last stop was the ecological farm of Hava and Adam near the city of Modi’in. Again, as a group we were fortunate and proud to be introduced to the project by another two former students from the Institute- Haim Feldman and Dafna Dagani. Touring the eight-acre farm, we were shown the component necessary in order to truly live sustainably: composting toilets, chicken hatches, vegetables gardens and fruit trees, a grey water system and a herbal workshop to name a few. Having worked up an appetite once more, it was off to get our hands dirty as we prepared to harvest what we were going to eat for lunch. This meant collecting freshly laid eggs for omlettes and eggplant, onions and herbs for a salad and as filling for mud oven baked pastries.

Preparing the meal from freshly picked vegitable garden
• There are not many work days in the month of September due to the holidays.  Other than preparing for the arrival of the new students, things were fairly quite this month. One other exciting event took place on Tuesday, the 20th of September when the Steering Committee for the Alumni Biogas Project met in Susia, a Palestinian/Bedouin village just inside of the Green Line in the West Bank. A group of Palestinians, who live like Bedouins were living near Arad before 1948 and were forced to move to the West Bank during the war. Since the Israeli take over of the West Bank in 1967, their lives have not been easy and have included additional forced relocations as well as the destruction of their tent domiciles in 2002. The Israeli Supreme Court has backed their right to stay where they are, just outside of the Jewish settlement of Susia and to continue to live in tents (they are not allowed to build permanent structures).  A lack of water, sewage, electricity, waste disposal, health care etc. makes life in the village of about  50 families (500 residents) fairly precarious.  Yair Teller, is managing an Arava Institute Alumni project to introduce a low tech biogas technology solution to use animal waste to produce methane gas for cooking and heating.  The project already has one working biodigester and is planning to build 4 more. A number of Arava alumni are working on the project which has included short stays in the village, environmental education programs and technical aid with the biodigester technology. The plan is to expand the areas of aid to include, other technological solutions such as rain water harvesting, gray water reuse, solar panels, agricultural help etc.  The additional help to the village will probably be provided through the new Arava Center for Sustainable Development.  The Steering Committee met with representatives of the village council to create a dialogue on how best the institute and its partners, Ben-Gurion University as well as other non-profits working in the village can best support sustainable development in the village.

 

David Lehrer and Ilana Meallem (Um Biogas) with the first flames on a biogas burner

David Lehrer

Weekly Report August 29th - September 10th, 2010

The pace of the last two weeks due to the end of the summer and the holidays (Id Al Fiter and Rosh Hashonah) has been slow.  Not a lot to report.

• On Wednesday, August 31st, Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, head of the Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Hannah Flamm, a research intern from Tufts University and went to Sderot to meet with members of "Other Voice", an organizaiton that promotes dialogue and cooperation between residents of Gaza and Sderot.  We met with Eric Yellin, Julie Chaitin and Nomika Zion the heads of Other Voice and members of an urban kibbutz in Sderot.  Tareq, Hannah and I met with the leaders of Other Voice in order to propose cooperation on a project that the institute is working on together with Tufts University to bring Palestinians from Gaza and Israelis from Sderot and the surrounding area to study together renewable energy. The project is called Solar for Gaza and Sderot (S4GS).  The long term vision is to create cooperative projects between Gaza and Sderot using reenwable energy as the basis for cooperation.  Eric, Julie and Nomika were enthusiastic about the project which will likely start in November or December with a workshop at the institute.
• On September 1st, I attended the Board of Directors meeting in Tel Aviv of Arava EC&T.  The for profit company founded by Elad Topel, an alum of the institute and two other entrepreneur friends of Elad's Avigal Shorek and Avi Rosenblatt is half-owned by the Arava Institute.  The company is now poviding consulting services to a variety of companies and instititutions in Israel including the Aroma Coffee chain, the Shikmim farm owned by the Sharon family, the Hevel Eilot Regional Council and an off shore natural gas project.  The Board heard reports on the projects and the projections for the rest of the year, which look very promissing.
• On September 6th, I was back in Tel Aviuv for a meeting of a group of orgaizations interested in promoting the idea of a Green New Deal for the Israeli economy. This is an idea that is gaining acceptance around the world. The basic idea is that due to the world economic collapse, there is an urgent need to reinvest into national economies in order to jump start economic growth. The question is, what type of investment is planned. Are governments around the world going to invest into the same old polluting fossil fuel driven industries of the last century or is the world going to take this opportunity to move forward with renewable energy and energy efficient industries.  Are we going to design policies that promote sustainabilty and utilize the need for massive investments to implement these policies.  The Arava Institute has joined with other NGO's to try to create a New Green Deal for Israel.
• On Tuesday morning over 30 members of the staff squeezed into the meeting room to raise a toast to the new year.  Miriam and I went through all of the amazing events that took place this past year and we then raised our glasses in the hope that this year will bring even more success but most of all peace and stability to our region and the world.

Shana Tova and Eid Mubarak

David