Study Abroad at Kibbutz Lotan, an Israeli Eco Village

Nov 3rd, 2008 by Karen Chernick

College students don’t usually need a justifiable reason for studying abroad. And study abroad in Israel? There’s the sun, the beach, the good food, the beautiful people… all very educational, of course. But for those students who are looking for a justifiable reason (at least one they can tell their undergraduate advisors or parents), how about a study abroad program with a conscience?

Living Routes, a program that coordinates study abroad in eco-villages all over the world, has a wonderful program in Israel based out of Kibbutz Lotan. The program is titled “Peace, Justice, and the Environment” and focuses not only on various aspects of environmentally friendly living and farming practices, but upon non violent communication and cooperation between Palestinian-Arab, Bedouin, and Jewish Israeli communities. Essentially, the program focuses on sustainability in Israel on a very broad scale.

Some of the highlights of the program include:

Gaining hands-on experience with organic gardening, adobe brick and straw bale construction, building with recycled materials, and more at the Center for Creative Ecology at Kibbutz Lotan. To see a demonstration of how a straw bale geodesic dome is created at Kibbutz Lotan, check out the clip below:

Experience environmental justice issues in the Negev desert with Bustan L’Shalom (an NGO that works with Bedouin and Jewish communities.

Put permaculture into action through a community project in a Bedouin village in the Negev.

Experience the unique dialogue at Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam, a mixed community.

We urge all students looking for study abroad opportunities, as well as educators looking for different experiences to offer their students, to take part in this truly unique program.

Tags: Education, permaculture, sustainable design