Beersheba and Yeruham, a tale of two cities in Israel’s south; each anchored by a biblical well from which entire nations have sprung forth, their cultural descendants today living in the modern reiterations of these legendary towns. The social and economic infrastructure laid in Be’er Sheva and Yeruham by KKL-JNF, with the support of its friends worldwide, are generating a local cultural and economic renaissance that fuses innovation with local heritage.
We got to experience this special energy for ourselves just recently, at local events held by KKL-JNF for the public this past Pesach. Under the banner of KKL-JNF for the Community, the organization holds events for the public in its forests and parks all year round, and the Intermediate Days of Passover (Chol HaMoed Pesach) were no exception.
It’s 10 o’clock in the morning (Tuesday, April 19, 2022) in Beersheba River Park (Park Nahal Be’er Sheva), and families are still arriving, looking for a choice spot in which to settle down for the next few hours.
Situated right nearby is Abraham’s Well, an ancient water well that is said to have been dug by none other by Abraham (Genesis 26), the father of monotheism and the world’s three largest monotheistic religions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity. It’s fair to say that not even Abraham could have dreamed that this dry wadi would become a lush green expanse some 4000 years later.
The impressive park - which expands over some 1,325 acres and hugs the newer neighborhoods of Beersheba - encompasses a constructed recreational lake, sports fields, gardens, natural and planted woodlands, playgrounds, fitness facilities and accessible walking paths, all developed by KKL-JNF with the support of its Friends in the USA, Canada and Germany.
Thanks to the park’s abundant playgrounds, picnic sites and accessible toilet facilities, the overcrowding so notorious to the Passover season has, well, passed over Be’er Sheva River Park. There are plenty of comfortable shady spots for any picnicker who comes here. And come here they do, most of them locals belonging to the many cultures and ethnicities that form the rich human tapestry of the Negev, all here to enjoy a day out with family and friends.
As 10:30 approaches, a performance for children gets underway on the grassy expanse by the playground, lined by an avenue of trees. The play is produced by Oranit Ginat, KKL-JNF’s community coordinator for the Negev and Arava regions. The content is designed to raise children’s awareness of the land around them and the importance of conserving Israel’s flora and fauna.
Perah Vanunu, a Beersheba local, watches the performance with her two daughters, aged 7 and 10. “An activity for children that’s experiential and gives over moral values! That’s worth everything,” she says, smiling broadly.
The area surrounding the performance is humming with activity – flags to wave are being handed out, game and activity stations are underway, and actors dressed as historical figures (such as Israel’s first prime minister David Ben-Gurion) are mingling with the crowd. Overseeing this all is KKL-JNF’s Oranit Gilat, brimming with energy and on-hand to deal with any issues that may arise. “When all is said and done,” she says, “all our work – the conservation, the maintenance – is for them. For this group and this audience.”
Local resident Meir Lifschitz sits beneath a tree contemplating all the goings-on and keeping an eye on the 4 children’s bicycles parked besides him. “Until not long ago there was nothing here but sand, and it’s fun to see how Beersheba has changed. Now, instead of being just buildings, it has new open spaces,” he said approvingly.
Our next stop is Yeruham, a small town south of Beersheba. Once a mere waystation, today it draws visitors from all over, thanks to its main attraction - the magnificent Yeruham Park Lake, built by KKL-JNF with the support of its Friends in Canada, Switzerland, Australia and the USA.
The lake is one of the largest in Israel and is home to over 270 species of birds. You can easily spend an entire day at the Yeruham Lake, which offers family bike rides, well-laid footpaths, wildlife observation points and picnic facilities, all amidst the breathtaking panorama of the capacious lake surrounded by desert hills. What we came for, however, is the free walking tour offered by KKL-JNF throughout all the Intermediate Days of Pesach.
The noon tour, which lasts for about two hours and is suitable for seniors and small children alike, begins beneath a small pine grove. The KKL-JNF guide, Igal, greets the group with a broad smile, and invites his diverse audience – some hailing from as far as Netanya – to stand in a semi-circle.
With the ice broken, the tour can begin. The first stop is at Be’er Rahma (derived from its Arabic name Bir Rahma, meaning ‘Well of Mercy’), an ancient well that local Islamic tradition holds as the very well of water that God revealed to Hagar, desperate after being cast into the desert with her son Ishmael who was dying of thirst (Genesis 21).
The route is varied, and the guide’s use of visual aids, together with his broad knowledge and charm, make the tour challenging and enjoyable. Igal, who has been guiding for 10 years, shares his impressions with us: “The types of people who come on these tours change all the time, so you have the opportunity to get to know and communicate with a variety of people,” he explains.
Avraham Schliz (60) from Netanya, who has come on the tour together with his wife, tells us how much he enjoys KKL-JNF activities, even the one today, which is geared more to families with children. The couple intend to spend the night in the area.
At the end of the tour, we meet the Lavi family from Omer, all five of them mounted on bicycles and sporting happy smiles. “We didn’t know the area at all,” they told us. “Not its history nor its vegetation and wildlife. The tour was instructive, it wasn’t hard and, most of all, it was fun!”