Kibbutz Yotvata

Kibbutz Yotvata, located approximately 40 km north of the Red Sea and Eilat city, is the first Kibbutz in the Arava. Yotvata falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council and is the center of the region, where most regional facilities are based: regional school, community center, sports center, movies and more...

 

In 1957, Yotvata was established as the first kibbutz in the southern Aravah region .The kibbutz is named after an Israelite encampment mentioned in the Bible. The founders, a small group of men and women 20 years of age, decided to pursue a life of pioneering and built their home in the desert, on the Arava road in the south of Israel. The Arava valley is an arid desert where the average annual rainfall is less than 30 mm and temperatures often exceed 40 °C in summer, and 21 °C in winter.

 

Most adult residents in Yotvata work on the kibbutz in production, services or education. The revenues are equally distributed among the members regardless of their position. Most of daily affairs are conducted communally - education, holidays, dining (three meals a day conducted in the commune dining-room) and more.

 

Yotvata Dairy is a milk products factory which provides the kibbutz with its main source of income and occupies the highest number of members. Agriculture branches are irrigated land (onions, potatoes, animal feed, garlic and more), plantations (dates) and a big and modern dairy farm.

 

Kibbutz Yotvata has around700  residents, among them around 23 international volunteers, who work mainly in gardening and at the services of the cafeteria, dining room, carpentry, minimarket, dairy farm, laundry, Horse farms, agriculture and field crops. Yotvata has always enjoyed the volunteer company and today it is nice to continue the tradition with a second generation of volunteers who follow their parents or volunteers who are brothers / cousins of volunteers from the past.

Attractions Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve is dedicated to reintroducing extinct species mentioned in the Bible, as well as other endangered desert animals, to the wild. It has three parts: a park for herbivorous animals; a Predators Center that displays reptiles, small desert animals and large predators; and the Desert Night Life Exhibition Hall to observe nocturnal animals during their active hours.[11] 15 km south of Yotvata lies Timna valley, where the sandstone and calcareous rock formations present some breathtaking desert features such as the Solomon's Pillars, Mushrooms, Arches and more. Timna is also known for its ancient copper mines. The area provides many great desert walks including canyons, roman routes, sand dunes, fossil hunting, rock-climbing and more. Kibbutz Yotvata is located on the Arabah road in the southern Negev desert. Yotvata maintains its cooperative community, where most adult residents work on the kibbutz in production, services or education. The revenues are equally distributed among the members regardless of their position, along the idea of each one gives as much as he can and gets as much as he needs.

Work places on the Kibbutz: Volunteering on Kibbutz Yotvata offers a special kibbutz experience. This southern kibbutz has more than 800 residents, among them are over 20 international volunteers who work mainly in gardening, the dining room, carpentry, cafeteria, general store, dairy farm, laundry, horse stable, agriculture and field crops.

The living accommodation of the volunteers in the kibbutz: Volunteers live in 4 buildings. In each building 2 rooms with 2 beds, and for every building is a small kitchen, a fridge, kettle, etc/ On the room volunteers have a full equiped room with all the facilities, bed clothes, pilow, etc. Volunteers only bring with them their personal towels. All the work clothes are suplied by the kibbutz