Life on the Moshav

Our host gives a fascinating tour of ancient Yodfat

Yodfat is a small moshav (which is a kind of cooperative Israeli village) up in the hills near the Sea of Galilee, about two hours north of Tel Aviv.  One of our very closest friends from California grew up in Yodfat, and we stayed with his brother's family for five nights.  It was an amazing and truly memorable trip, and a great way to experience village life.  There's one store, one cafe and one pub (which is open two nights a week).  The village really comes to life on Fridays, when people come from all over the region for the best falafel I've ever tasted (made by none other than our gracious and talented hosts!).  The scenery is beautiful; the air and the food are as fresh as can be; and the simple, rural way of life is a refreshing change of pace from the hectic urban lifestyle we've become so accustomed to.  But what made the largest impression on me was the generosity and communal spirit of the people of Yodfat -- the village feels like a large extended family, where pitching in and helping each other out is a fundamental part of everyday life.  

Jeremy and Talia make it to the top of ancient Yodfat

Fun in the sun!

Talia helps to feed the chickens

Falafel anyone?

Get that monkey off your back!

Hanging out with friends (in superhero underwear)

Jeremy likes passion fruit!

Archeological explorations and historical writings have revealed a turbulent history going back more than 2,000 years.  The siege and destruction of Yodfat in 67 C.E. were described by Josephus Flavius, a commander of the Jewish revolt against the Romans and subsequent chronicler of Jewish history in the first century.  Three Roman legions besieged the town; afters weeks of fierce resistance, the citizens of Yodfat, to avoid capture and enslavement, committed mass suicide, a tragic story foreshadowing the famous siege of Masada only a few years later.  Hence, the moniker for Yodfat of "the Masada of the Galilee."

The modern moshav has a more peaceful history.  It was founded in 1960 by a small group of people who sought to establish a village based on a close relationship with nature and a strong sense of community.  Life on the moshav is hard work, but the people there obviously love their home and are rightfully proud of it.  For us, life on the moshav was filled with fun and consisted mainly of helping to feed the chickens; visiting the village zoo and "monkey forest" (where we learned that monkeys really like it when you feed them worms); swimming in the moshav's only swimming pool; eating passion fruit and figs straight from the trees; enjoying a local bar mitzvah celebration, which featured delicious smoked meats prepared by the father of the bar mitzvah; traveling to nearby Arab villages for fantastic meals (including a sweet shop that was alone worth the journey from California); hanging out with our new friends and playing games; and, of course, learning how to make falafel.