Organized by the Sede Boker Student Council, I had a day's hike through the biggest man made forest in Israel to a village called Drejat, where people lead a unique way of life. To be specific, we walked some 7 km from the top of Yatir forest, going through mount Amasa all the way down to the village Drejat. In Israel, no trip is complete without visiting an archaeological site. We in fact started from a Byzantine (4th Cent AD) ruin called Khirbet Anim and went to the huge Yatir Reservoir. Had breakfast near the shades of pine trees besides the reservoir and began our hike from nearby Mount (Har) Amasa. It took some 3 hrs to reach Drejat.
In Drejat we were warmly welcomed by Jaber Abu Hamad, a local resident of the village. Jaber's daughter told us the unique history of their clan and the struggle they underwent to modernize Drejat. Basically, they call themselves Falakhim (Arab peasants). Today, Drejat is a small village of around 100 families with a population of 1850. Interestingly, the whole village traces their lineage from a single person who migrated from Hebron in the mid 19th century. Until, very recently, some of the inhabitants lived in caves, carved deep into the solid rock. Due to political intricacies, this Arab village was not considered a legal settlement by the Israeli government. As a result many of the basic amenities like electricity and drinking water were not supplied to the village. Yet the residents of Drejat harvested electricity from solar panels and water from other sources. If I am correct, Israel has recognized Drejat in 2005 and provides them with the basic facilities. Today, Drejat is one of the most progressive Arab villages in Israel. Compared to many other Arab (Bedouin) settlements, Drejat has a well educated society to its credit, ranging from doctors, engineers, teachers and many are working abroad also. The other way round, a few families from some European countries reached Drejat and gradually accepted the village as their home. The residents are much proud of their efforts to bring educational institutes for their children and medical facilities for all, considering the fact that the path was not so easy in the beginning. Contrary to the unusually higher unemployment rate in many Bedouin settlements, Drejat can boast that almost every resident is employed. I am astonished to hear that in Drejat when a couple decides to get married, they conduct genetic tests to confirm whether both of them are medically fit to raise the next generation, as marriage often happens within the closely knit community and there is almost a very high chance of acquiring genetically inherited diseases.
Regarding our activities in Drejat…..We were first invited to taste the home made tabun bread. Tabun oven is a cone shaped clay oven with an opening at the bottom to light the fire. An old lady from the village demonstrated before us the traditional way of preparing bread in the oven. Later, we were taken to a cave where once used to live a big family. The man-made cave complex was so huge that they even used to keep 7 cows inside! After walking 7 km and listening to all the history and way of life in Drejat, it was high time for us to fill our stomachs. Had a traditional vegetarian meal in the village including some of the homemade products. Let me recollect the best part ….my bet will be on the refreshing date and almond juice served in large earthen jugs; variety of spicy hummus and mixed vegetable salads prepared in olive oil and the warm tabun bread; all homemade and fresh. We also had the opportunity to taste the sweet mountain tea and Arab bitter coffee served in the traditional way. For more details see the photographs below.
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