Neot Smadar

Neot Smadar (Hebrew: נְאוֹת סְמָדַר, lit. Oasis of blossoming vines) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the Arava Desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council. Its area is 80 hectares. In 2021 it had a population of 227.[1]

Neot Smadar
נאות סמדר
نئوت سمدار
Neot Smadar is located in Southern Negev region of Israel
Neot Smadar
Neot Smadar
Coordinates: 30°2′54″N 35°1′31″E
CountryIsrael
DistrictSouthern
CouncilHevel Eilot
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1989
Population
 (2021)[1]
227
Websitewww.neot-semadar.com

History

Neot Smadar is located in the southern Negev about 70 km. north of Eilat. The kibbutz was established in 1989,[2] on the grounds of an abandoned kibbutz, Shizafon.[3] The guest rooms' village on a hill nearby was built on the grounds of the abandoned Nahal settlement Ya'alon. Neot Smadar is as an organic community featuring architecturally unique buildings with passive cooling towers. The Art Center houses 14 workshops for Stained glass, ceramics, textile, wood and metals. The building is insulated with mud bricks, with "air conditioning" supplied by a desert cooling tower.

Economy

The economy is based on agriculture, with 500 dunams of organically cultivated vineyards (origin of the place name), deciduous trees, olives, date plantations and an herb garden.[4] Olive oil is produced in a cold press set up with assistance from ICA and Israel's Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2001. The high-quality oil has been conferred the highest grade by Israel's Olive Council.

The kibbutz operates a boutique organic winery and produces a variety of cheeses from fresh goat milk. Its roadside restaurant, Pundak Neot Smadar, offers vegetarian food and sells the kibbutz's organic products. Some cabins are rented to tourists.

  • Neot Smadar - West
    Neot Smadar - West
  • Neot Smadar - East
    Neot Smadar - East
  • Neot Smadar arts center
    Neot Smadar arts center
  • Neot Smadar arts center - from above
    Neot Smadar arts center - from above

References
  1. "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. Therefore Neot Smadar is the most recently founded kibbutz, only probably followed in the late 2020s by the projected kibbutz near Arad. (Maltz, Judy: In This Stretch of Desert, Israel Plans to Build Its First New Kibbutz in Decades, HaAretz 25th Sep 2022)
  3. "In the spring of 1989 a number of young families and several bachelors from Jerusalem emptied out their apartments, loaded their furniture and other belongings on an old truck ... and moved to one of the truly isolated spots in Israel. ... most of them ... were students in a special school ... for Self-inquiry". (Glucklich, Ariel: Everyday Mysticism. A Contemplative Community at Work in the Desert, New Haven 2017, S. 1)
  4. Rising from nothing in the desert, idealists now work amid water, orchards, gardens and fish The New Farm
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