"Negev Darom" - Where are we??

 After years in Yerushalayim, we’re discovering life in Israel’s south, Merchav Am and the towns that surround it. Here’s a window into our new corner of the Negev.

Exploring Our New Corner of Israel

One of the most exciting parts of our first few months here has been exploring a completely new part of Israel. Jessie and I both spent time in Yerushalayim after high school and again when I was in Semicha. We knew the hills and cities of Gush Etzion, took tiyulim up to Tzfat, and, of course, had plenty of visits to Beit Shemesh & Modiin.

But now… where are we exactly? (See the map!)

Merchav Am sits almost perfectly between Yerushalayim and Eilat. Google Maps (with no traffic!) says Yerushalayim is about 1 hour 45 minutes north, and Eilat is 1 hour 30 minutes south. Even for many Israelis, this part of the country feels like the edge of the earth. Most people live in the center area between the coastal cities from Rehovot to Netanya. Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh, and Modiin are within a short drive (when there's no traffic) of Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport.

Head south on Kvish 6 (Israel’s main highway) and eventually you hit Be’er Sheva, where the Negev begins. From there, the desert opens up… and we’re thrilled to be discovering it bit by bit! 

Yerucham(!) — 10 Minutes North

I must start with Yerucham! Yerucham is, without question, the lifeline for anyone living in Merchav Am. Before we moved here, the name “Yerucham” didn’t mean much to me. But now? Yerucham is where you go for everything.

So far... Yereucha, has the BEST Pizza in the Negev! (Fresh in 7 minutes)

It’s just ten minutes north on a winding road. Need a screw for a home project? Forgot something that the makolet in the Yishuv doesn’t carry? Have to stop by the bank, see a doctor, grab last-minute school supplies, or take the kids out for a quick afternoon activity? You go to Yerucham. It has a Supersal, a few pizza places, restaurants, a large pool, library, parks, and big shuls.

(It’s also where I daven on my way to work - more on that another time). 

Sdeh Boker — 5 Minutes South

We used to know Sdeh Boker as “Ben Gurion’s Kibbutz,” the place where Israel’s first prime minister lived and is now remembered through a small museum and the Kedma Hotel.

Now, it’s part of our daily lives in small but memorable ways. Need to fill up the car? “Oh no, we're out of gas! Quick, get to the Sdeh Boker station!” Out for a bike ride behind the Yishuv? Suddenly, you find yourself pedaling along the olive groves of Sdeh Boker.

A cool tidbit, over the summer, the kibbutz of Sdeh Boker (not religious) made a special arrangement with Merchav Am (religious) that we could have separate swim hours in their pool each evening. Moms and daughters first, then dads and sons - it was just five minutes away! And such a beautiful example of nearby communities helping each other out.

Midreshet Ben Gurion — 7 Minutes South

Just a couple of minutes past Sdeh Boker is Midreshet Ben Gurion, a small town built around the desert campus of Ben Gurion University and Ben Gurion’s gravesite. For me until now, I held this place as part of a fond memory when I came to Israel to hike with Camp Yavneh’s Naaleh program. I loved this spot and the trails off into the desert then, and I still do now!  

The views of the desert canyons, the Machtesh are absolutely breathtaking. There’s a great playground, a pizza shop, a supermarket, and ibex wandering freely through it all. It’s only seven minutes away, so it quickly became our summer hangout: grab some groceries, watch the sunset, and let the kids run wild in the park.

Ezra & Shalva chasing an Ibex on edge of the beautiful canyon

Mitzpeh Ramon — 25 Minutes South

Before moving here, Mitzpeh Ramon meant one thing to me: the huge crater. 

Truth be told, we didn’t spend enough time there over the summer, but we’re excited to really get to know it. Mitzpeh has a quiet charm, big artist colony, a jazz restaurant, and fountains where the kids can play. In fact, it also has a big religious community. A handful of kids from Merchav Am go to school there, and it’s home to both a Talmud Torah school with increased amount of Torah learning and a more laid-back high school. 

Day trip w/the kids - Crater (Machtesh) & ice cream

Dimona — 25 Minutes North

We used to know Dimona only as “that place with the nuclear facility.”

Now, it’s our one of our go-to cities when we need something bigger but can avoid driving the 45 minutes to Beer Sheva.. It’s about twenty-five minutes north (past Yerucham), it’s not too far for an errand. And really feels like a city; busy streets, traffic lights, etc. It’s got two big malls that we’ve frequented. The Peretz center being the closet one, where we have taken the kids clothes shopping and bought our major appliances. Also in Dimona are two important stores: Hastock and Max Stock, for anything that a target wold carry. It also has the best places to fix tires in our area called a “Puncheria”. 

(Dimona's Peretz Center)

w/ HaStock (our school supplies store), and Tark'lin Chasmal (our appliance store)

Be’er Sheva — 45 Minutes North

And then there’s Be’er Sheva, the capital of the Negev and truly the center of this whole region. It’s huge, packed, and full of energy and everything else.

(Beer Sheva's "Big")- Nike & Foot Locker for Temima's shoes, Ace for tools & Auto Zone for car stuff!

All the government offices are there, along with endless malls, stores, restaurants, and markets. It’s where we bought our cars and where we get them fixed. Walk down any street and you’ll see the full diversity of the south—different types of Jews, Bedouin families, students, and soldiers all sharing the same sidewalks.

Be’er Sheva isn’t Yerushalayim, but it has everything a big city could offer—and for the entire region, it’s the anchor that keeps the Negev connected to the rest of Israel.

We’re still getting to know all these places, but it’s been amazing discovering how alive and connected this part of the desert really is. Between these cities, there’s never any traffic can you believe it??

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