One of the most common sayings when moving to the Arava in Israel’s South is, "And what will happen when you need a doctor?"
The people here have always known and accepted that living on the periphery comes with a price. As someone who has lived on the periphery for her entire life (growing up in the Western Galilee in Israel’s North and now living in the country’s South), there is no comparison between the challenges involved in the remoteness of the Arava.
Twenty years ago, I was a young woman in love who arrived at the end of the world, completely unaware of the realities of life there. When you weren’t feeling well, you had to give up an entire workday to sit in three hours in traffic on one of the most dangerous roads in the country. You had to spend hundreds of shekels on fuel for a 5-minute visit with a specialist. It was a frustrating reality we never got used to, but accepted. The vast open spaces, the quiet, and the wonderful community in the Arava were too important to us.
Recently, I needed to see a specialist. For the first time, I could drive to nearby Sapir, to the beautiful clinic that Jewish National Fund-USA built for us. The entire visit took 15 minutes, including finding parking. In less than an hour, I was back home.
As an ordinary resident, the vision of Jewish National Fund-USA and the indispensable support from partners (donors) has saved me so much time—time that I can now spend with my four children and aging parents. It may be a small gesture, but the fact that the center is being brought to us, rather than us having to travel to it, is amazing. It is a gamechanger not just for us, but for people who are considering moving to the Arava. I can confidently say to them: When you need a doctor, there will be one.
This is an excerpt from a letter written to Jewish National Fund-USA from a resident in Israel’s South.
