CAARI EILAT EXPERIENCE : DAY 1 EILAT EXPERIENCE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015
RED MOUNTAIN THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER AT KIBBUTZ GROFIT +KIBBUTZ KETURA WITH DR. ELAINE SOLLOWAY BOTANICAL EXPERIMENTS
OUR FIRST STOP: KIBBUTZ GROFIT RED MOUNTAIN THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER - The Neti Steinman Tree: Most trees are planted in memory of some one or remembering a special event. This tree pictured below was planted a few years ago when CAARI visited the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center. It is to honor and show appreciation for one particular CAARI former participant. This tree was planted (pictured below) at the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center at Kibbutz Grofit as per a request of one or the CAARI senior participants Netti Steinman whose sharp mind and age caused the group to organize this special occasion. She helped plant this tree together with others. This tree still stands to honor one of the CAARI program's most honorable and respected women participants from Montreal. We send this picture to her taken on Wednesday 14 January to honor her many years of faithful presence on the CAARI program that has been greatly appreciated by all who knew her. The tree is a Chinese Ornamental Orange and planted adjacent to the riding chorals.
The Riding center uses horses as a form or therapy to help and heal children and adults with mental and physical challenges. It receives funding from JNF of America
Tackle room at Red Mountain Riding Center Kibbutz Grofit as explained to us by our host Jill
SECOND STOP: KIBBUTZ KETURA DR. ELAINE SOLLOWAY BOTANICAL TOUR -
We met Elaine at the Methusaleh tree planted a few years ago from one of 8 seeds given to Dr. Solloway from Hadassah Medical Reserch Center that they received from the archaeological dig at Masada in 1963-1965. It grew to be more than 5 foot so far but is male and although lives well in its own gated community it needs a girl friend to reproduce and make Judean dates that have not been produced in over 2000 years.The dates we eat and grow today are from Morrocco and Iraqand other countries mostly in the Arab world.
After viewing this remarkable tree, the only Judean Date palms on earth today, we went to Dr. Elaine's hothouse where we met some more friends of Methusalah also Judean dates: Judah, Eve, Jonah,, Jeremiah, Ruth and Boaz. They are dates from Qumran that may provide solutions to Methusalah's mating problems. They also date from the first Century CE.
Myrrh Frankincense and Balm of Gilead pictures below
Experimental orchards. We crossed the Arava road route 90 and passed a 110 Acre solar field that soon will generate close to 40 MW of power. This field is located adjacent to this experimental orchard.
In the picture below one can see the Marula tree, The Blinitis tree or Zakon Mitra. (This may have been the insense burnt in the Temple) and the Neem tree and the Black Pomegranate tree.
Large Desert Marula Tree
The Marula is from Morrocco and has no thorns like as most desert trees do. It loves heat and does not mind cold. It yields allot of fruit per tree.
After our tour of the many botanical experiments we ate lunch and toured the kibbutz with Mike Solloway pictured below speaking to the CAARI 2015 group on the JNF donated benches outside the dinning room
We arrived back to the Prima Music in time for dinner and enjoyed a special speaker Noam Harel whose book Dessert Views was given to all CAARI 2015 participants attending our first speaker in the framework of or 2015 Speakers's Forum.
