Arava Institute for Environmental Studies: located in Israel's southern desert near EilatThe Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is an environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region's environmental challenges. Located in the heart of Israel's Arava desert, near the southern town of Eilat, the Arava Institute is a unique oasis of environmental education, research, and international cooperation.

Levantine Cultural Center supported a Los Angeles fundraiser for the Arava Institute in November 2007 called “Comedy Without Borders,” featuring the cast of Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program at USC. The evening featured uncensored standup comedy of five cast members and special guest comedians. Sarah Silverman: an Arava alumnus...

Sarah Silverman says, "I actually attended the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies for a year down at Kibbutz Ketura. Probably the greatest year of my life. It is by far one of the coolest schools in the world. We studied Desert Ecology by tracking animals and identifying plants, Archaeology by excavating ancient sites, Marine Ecology by diving on the reefs in Eilat every Tuesday for 9 months, and being the ultimate Kibbutnik by just hanging out on the Kibbutz."

Among numerous innovations, Arava was the driving force behind a new wastewater treatment facility, the Ketura Valley Constructed Wetlands project, which ended the sewage disposal pollution of the ground, aquifer and wadi, by the creation of a wetlands ecosystem.

Omar and Said at the Arava instituteStudents at the Arava Institute explore a range of environmental issues from a regional, interdisciplinary perspective while learning peace-building and leadership skills. The studies are international in scope, with a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, North Americans as well as other nationalities.

The Arava Institute gives Jewish, Arab and other students a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time; building networks and understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism in the Middle East and beyond. Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life.

The Institute is home to academic programs, research projects, public involvement, an active alumni network, and a 300-mile bike ride from Jerusalem to Eilat. Visit the Arava site.