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Final Day in Be'er Sheva

March 31, 2022
By Cody Welton

Today’s learning centered on the diverse cultures and experiences of people found in the Negev city of Be’er Sheva. We first met with Gabe Axler, a community organizer and activist, who shared with us the local effort to improve conditions in some of Be’er Sheva’s poorest neighborhoods.

After lunch at a local shopping mall, we were treated to discussions with a pair of inspirational individuals. The first was Elham Elkamalat, an Afro-Bedouin feminist activist who is bravely pushing back against misogyny and racism in traditional Bedouin culture. Our final conversation was with Naftali Aklum, an Ethiopian Jew who is an educator and activist and whose brother is personally responsible for the return of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Eretz Israel.

Our day was capped off by a pioneer cooking experience at Kibbutz Gvulot. Students joined with youth from the kibbutz to cook dinner in a traditional style followed by music and dancing. Tomorrow we head to the vibrant cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv!