Arad
ערד
“The King of
Arad the Kena’ani, who dwelt in the
Negev, heard that Israel was approaching by way of Atarim.
Then he fought against Israel and took a captive from it. So Israel made a vow
to HaShem and said, ‘If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, I
then will utterly destroy their cities.’ And HaShem listened to the voice of
Israel and delivered up the Kena’ani, and they utterly destroyed them and
their cities.” Bamidbar(Numbers) 21:1
Did you know that
Arad was actually the first city conquered by the children
of Israel? Yes it is. It occurred shortly after the death of Aaron the Cohen
Gadol and before we crossed over the Jordan from the eastern side of that river.
Yes Arad is NUMBER ONE.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
A recent visitor
to Arad was so impressed with the peace and tranquility of this city of 27,000
that He thought it would be a great place for someone to retire. He saw Arad as
an Arizona Oasis but instead of being in the troubled United States, it was in
the Northern Negev at the feet of the Judean hills in the Holy Land.
This city that stand as a gateway to Judea is warm and comfortable. Since this city is approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. The nights cool down and make a nice setting for a serine stroll in the evening, watching the sun set as one walks down the immaculately paved streets bordered with beautiful homes
and
condos. One can feel the shalom in the air. The streets are lined with palm
trees
and other
beautiful vegetation. There is also no shortage of singing birds. From all sides
of Arad there are breath-taking views of the hills. And for the one who has
breathing problems or allergies, Arad is the place to be. It has some of the
cleanest driest air on Earth. Also Arad has very few insects and Mosquitoes.
They are
almost non-existent. Therefore these creatures will not harass you. Yes just
good pure fresh air in the Land promised to us in a Covenant with Avraham.
Children love
Arad. It has some great schools, both religious and secular.
Arad is a Modern
city located 45 Km east of Beersheba and 25 km west of the Dead Sea. Indeed it
is the gateway to travel to the Dead Sea and the people who live there often do
the 25 minute drive to lie on the beaches and enjoy the resorts located their.
Of coarse it is impossible to resist bathing in the warm waters at the lowest
point on planet Earth.
Women
love to buy the world famous skin creams located there at a price not found
anywhere else. Yes for the time it takes one to travel to a store through the
heavy traffic of western cities one can drive or even take the bus to the
healing waters of this tranquil sea.
The city is a mix
of different types of Jews. Here you will find Ashkenazim and Sefardim,
religious and secular. Hasidic and Olim from a variety of nations including
Russia. Here every one lives in peace. They all know the Jewel in which they
live.
In
fact there is no place comparable with Arad in Israel. The city is like a
well-kept secret.
Many in Arad work in the thriving large city of Beersheva, which is only a 35-minute drive away, and post secondary school students go there for University and collage. It also has one of the nations top Hospitals. Apartment and condo dwellers in Arad live their lives with a continues exquisite view.
However for a
person living day-to-day life in Arad, there is everything you need. There is a
Modern two floor shopping mall
which is also adjacent to a large out door pedestrian mall that makes one want to get out to have a coffee and stroll in and out of a variety of shops.
There you can buy a
kosher falafel or drop by the Russian bakery. Maybe you want to buy flowers or
sit on a bench and watch the people go by.
There is a
First-rate full service grocery store and modern style fully stocked drug store.
One can also find an all Kosher supermarket were one can walk through the doors
and never have to worry about reading labels to see if its kosher. Here
everything is Kosher. The bread, the meat, the dairy, and the hundreds of other
goods they sell. One stop kosher shopping.
Another great
place is the Shuk. The variety of fruits and vegetable is not matched anywhere.
A large part of Israeli society is agriculture.
Therefore good food is not a problem. As one religious young man who had recently done Aliyah from America and is now living in Arad said, “Here the food is great”
Indeed
in Arad a Tomato tastes like a Tomato. Unlike the hard tasteless genetically
modified ones you would find in North America. With food grown in thousands of
acres of hot houses, you will find Israel produces some of the most
uncontaminated food in the world. In other words "Pure"
On the outskirts of a Arad is a cozy little park with a small forest.
If you come to
scout out the city there are 3 Kosher Hotels.
Arad has art
galleries and a museums. It is a magnet for artist and a home base for
archeologists. It is also less then a 30 minute drive to the legendary Masada. Arad has it all. And adjacent to the town is the ruins of the
ancient city of Tel Arad. Did you know that the ruins of an ancient temple which
was built as a replica of the Temple of Solomon is there. Apparently some
ancient Jews offered sacrifices in that place.
In Arad you can find synagogues and an important Yeshiva.
The WUJS institute is also located in Arad. It is dedicated to educating Jewish adults from all over the world in a pluralistic environment. They state
“The Institute offers one of the best Ulpan (intensive Hebrew) programs in Israel, as well as extensive courses in Israel and Jewish learning. All of the classes cater to a range of Hebrew and Jewish knowledge.”
They also state,
“Our
participants have the opportunity to get better acquainted with Israel and
Judaism through the non-classroom components of the program as well: nature
hikes, weekly field seminars, Shabbat and holiday programming, “adopting”
families and social activities.
We enable young Jewish graduates and professionals to experience
Israel in the most creative and exciting manner possible. The WUJS Institute was
awarded the Knesset Speaker's Prize for its advancement of Israel-Diaspora
relations.”
“WUJS
was also cited for its unique accomplishments in Jewish-Zionist education and
promotion of immigration, and social and cultural absorption to Israel.”
Holy Jerusalem is about an hour and ten minutes away. Just take the road to the Dead Sea from Arad and travel north on one of the worlds most scenic coastal highways. Do not forget your camera. And maybe you can stop by the oasis of En-Gedi on the way up. Then when you reach the top of the Sea turn east on highway number one toward the Holy City. What more could a person ask for. A tranquil place to live but only a short distance to the place that G-d Himself said that HE would put His Name there forever.
So when are you coming Home?!
“Those who trust in HaShem are like Mount Zion, which
cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so
HaShem surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.”
הודו ל'' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו
